- Address: Roņu iela 10, Liepāja, LV-3401, Latvia;
- Length: 1800 m;
- Width: 7.35 m;
- Weight of concrete blocks: 7110 and 36000 kg.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Northern Breakwater in Liepaja was of great strategic importance. It was part of the Marine Coastal Fortress and the Military Port. The main task of the fortification was to protect the shoreline from the negative effects of sea waves and sand. Today, the pier no longer represents an important protective object, and for many years of relentless struggle with the marine elements it has suffered significantly. But, nevertheless, interest to it has not died away. People like to visit tourists and local fishermen.
The northern breakwater in Liepaja is a "defender in retirement"
The embankment in the city of Liepaja is not like the azure resort beaches of Riga and Jurmala . You will not find here noisy water parks and landscaped private beaches with umbrellas and sun loungers.
Historically, the seaside in Liepaja was designed not for recreation, but for more serious purposes. In the XIX century, by order of Emperor Alexander III, a military port with the Sea Fortress was built here. One of the elements of this military-strategic complex was the Northern Mol. It is a hydraulic structure that acts as a blocker. The purpose of building a stone embankment is to protect the shore from waves and excess sand.
The erection of the mole took 2 years (from 1891 to 1893). It is located in the northern part of the city. If you walk along this improvised pier deep into the sea, you can note that he really courageously coped with his task for many years. There are sections of the mound, which mercilessly stormed powerful waves. Now and then on the way there are chopped stones and sticking pins. However, it is not worth worrying, walks in the mall during the calm are absolutely safe. In a storm, it is better to observe the beautiful opposition of the natural elements and man-made checkpoint from the shore. The spectacle is really incredible.
Often in the mole area you can meet unusual guests - graceful white swans. It turns out that these majestic birds live not only in ponds and lakes. They also chose the Baltic Sea.
Going to the North Prayer in Liepaja, do not forget to pick up the windbreaker, even if the weather is warm and clear. On the coast it is almost always windy.
Design Features
The northern pier is one of the most famous of its kind. And the reason for that is its scale:
- the length of the mole is 1800 m;
- the width of the structure is 7.35 m;
- The mass of concrete blocks used in the construction is 7110 and 36000 kg.
For the construction of an additional line of protection, special breakwaters made of concrete of triangular shape were made. Previously, such constructions were not used.
Treasure of the Emperor
August 12, 1893, at the final stage of the construction of the North Pole, Liepaja visited the All-Russian emperor - Alexander III. At his request, a niche was pierced in one of the concrete blocks. There the ruler ordered to place the package he had prepared, in which was a silver plate engraved with the date of the construction of the mole, coins of the imperial court (gold, silver and copper), which were struck out specially for this occasion, as well as the Russian flag and personal standard. After that, Alexander III himself walled in a niche and ordered to drop this block at the very end of the breakwater into the water. Local fishermen are still hoping to catch valuable artifacts from the imperial hiding place, thinking that the stormy sea has long been blown up by that concrete block.
How to get there?
From Riga you can reach Liepaja in three ways:
- by car (220 km) along the A11 highway;
- railway transport (trains run on Fridays and Sundays, travel time - just over 3 hours);
- by bus (they go daily, but it's hard to leave on Sunday, to go longer than on a train - 3,5-4,5 hours).
You can get to the North Pole in Liepaja by bus number 23. You need to take a bus stop "Central Market" (Peterturgus) and go to the end.