Location
State: Latvia
Region: Vidzeme
County: Madona
Parish: Vestiena
Other references to the location
At the Tropeles homestead
Coordinates
lat=56.900923319119, lon=25.962304276378
56° 54′ 3″ N, 25° 57′ 44″ E
Description
On the bank of the Viešūrs or Kaķītis Lake the Health Spring is situated. The characteristic feature of this territory is small water courses that join small swamps situated at different levels. From the Viešūrs Lake the Viešupe River flows; brooklets flow into the lake, some of which have been completely or partially dug over again while performing land amelioration works, turning into ditches (Bērzaune, 2012, ER). The Health Spring is not recognizable in nature as well — over it a well has been constructed where the spring water is collected.
Narrative
No recorded folklore materials have been found. The local people cannot tell anything about the site.
Attraction
The spring cannot be really seen — the ditch, through which it flows, to the Viešūrs Lake, has been overgrown, but on the spring spot now there is a concrete tub with a cover over it (in it the spring
Availability
No indication signs in general, but there is an indication sign to the homesteads of Grāveri and Baltužēni. One has to pass by the Pakalnieši homestead; Inese Mailīte (she works in Pakalnieši, conducts excursions, a nature guide and a teacher) explained to which homesteads the spring is the closest and who can tell about the spring. There is an indication sign to the Viešūris Lake (the brown sign at a distance of 0.5 km). There is no problem to reach it — the proprietor of the Baltužēni homestead shows the way.
Infrastructure, management, facilities
The proprietor of the Baltužēni homestead has built a tub over the spring (a well-type pipe), currently there is a cover over it. As a result (the spring began to overflow over the tub sides) the surrounding territory became bogged up; there is a woo
Local info
No information. The proprietors of the Grāveri and Tropeņi homesteads can tell about the spring. The
Capacity
0 – 9
Publicity
Unknown
Legal Status
Private
Comments
The proprietors of the Baltužēni homestead are Visvaldis and Viktorija Lāči. Visvaldis is a deputy (according to the information provided by the proprietor of Tropeņi). The landlady of the Tropeņi homestead Maiga believes that V. Lācis has spoiled the spring by erecting a tub on top of it. The landlady of the Grāveri homestead Vija Lapa tells about the history of the area and the Viešūrs or Kaķītis Lake. The spring used to be situated on the land owned by her family, its healing power was also measured, but it is smaller than that of the Bolēni Spring. There are tales and legends about the Viešūrs Lake compiled in a book by Jānis Krūmiņš or Krūmiņtēvs (Father Krūmiņš) “Viešūrs”. Not far away there is the Tropene Ancient Burial Ground and the Holy Birch Grove; the proprietor of the Tropeņi homestead admits that the ancient burial ground is strongly overgrown (grass as tall as a human’s height) and without her it would be impossible to find it, but she refuses to show the way (~75 years old), because there is nothing to see anyway.
