By-law of the Specially Protected Cultural and Historical Territory Abava Valley

Issued pursuant to
Section 16 of the law On Protection of Cultural Monuments

[15 January 2002]

1. The specially protected cultural and historical territory Abava Valley (hereinafter - the Abava Valley) is a complex of cultural monuments having particular cultural, historical, scientific and artistic value.

2. [15 January 2002]

3. The Abava Valley was designed to prevent the degradation of the cultural and historical environment and nature and also to preserve the cultural and natural heritage for future generations, to promote the balanced development of the territory, the development of education and tourism, and scientific research work. The activity in the Abava Valley covers the research of the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the region and the development of artistic traditions.

4. The Abava Valley includes the historic part of the town of Kandava and also part of the civil parish of Kandava and Matkule in the municipality of Kandava, the town of Sabile, the civil parish of Abava and Ģibuļi in the municipality of Talsi and the civil parish of Renda in the municipality of Kuldīga.

[17 June 2009]

5. The Abava Valley incorporates an aggregate of cultural, historical and natural heritage formed from 2000 BC to the 20th century: the Abava Valley with cultural, historical and natural monuments, archaeological, architectural and artistic monuments, a cultural and historical landscape and natural monuments - the Chambers of Māra, the waterfall Abavas rumba, the Īvande waterfalls, the Sudmaļi waterfalls, the Imula dolomite cliffs, the Kalnamuiža cliffs, the Čuži sulphurous mineral waters, the Devil's Cave, the historic centre of the town of Kandava, the historic centre of the town of Sabile and the Pedvāle manor house complex.

6. A public consultative authority operates in the Abava Valley - the council. The council shall be composed of one representative each from the councils of the municipality of Kandava, the municipality of Talsi and the municipality of Kuldīga, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Regional Development and Local Government Affairs, the State Inspection for Heritage Protection and the Pedvāle Open Air Art Museum.

[17 June 2009]

7. The by-law and composition of the council shall be approved by the Minister for Culture.

[15 January 2002]

8. [15 January 2002]

9. [15 January 2002]

10. Cultural and natural monuments, other objects of cultural and historical significance, historical buildings, the fragments thereof, historically important spatial planning and land use systems (historic cities, cultural, historical and natural landscape, an environment suitable for monuments and historical road network, forest, meadow and rural historical borders), the natural and historic coastal landscape, historical hydrotechnical structures, historical views recorded in works of art and elsewhere, specially protected nature territories, historical traditions and legends, the uniqueness and identity of the region shall be preserved in the Abava Valley.

[15 January 2002]

11. A common territorial plan shall be developed for the Abava Valley in order to ensure the development and preservation of the values significant for the public. In the Abava Valley, cultural monuments, fields, meadows and forests shall be used for economic purposes in accordance with this territorial plan in such a way as not to decrease the quality of the cultural and historical environment.

[15 January 2002]

12. The construction of new objects shall be permitted in accordance with the territorial plan. The construction of economic and manufacturing buildings shall be located in places where this would not be in contradiction with the protection regime of the cultural and historical territory.

[15 January 2002]

13. The following is prohibited in the Abava Valley:

13.1. any activity which changes the peculiarities of the cultural and historical environment and specific landscape elements or decreases the biodiversity and ecological stability, is in conflict with the objectives of the establishment of the Abava Valley and the nature park Abava Ancient River Valley or causes undesirable changes in the development of natural processes and also in the spatial structure of the cultural and historical environment and landscape;

13.2. the construction of new objects degrading the environment and the extension of structures degrading the environment;

13.3. the damaging and destruction of the cultural and historical landscape, cultural and natural monuments;

13.4. the construction of new objects in the area of the bluff landscape and the modification of historic land terrain;

13.5. [15 January 2002];

13.6. the destruction, damaging or modification of important landscape elements from a cultural, ecological and aesthetic point of view;

13.7. [15 January 2002];

13.8. [15 January 2002];

13.9. [15 January 2002];

13.10. [15 January 2002];

13.11. [15 January 2002];

13.12. [15 January 2002].

[15 January 2002]

14. Any construction in the Abava Valley shall be co-ordinated with the State Inspection for Heritage Protection and the regional institution for environmental management.

15. The required, permissible and prohibited activities in the nature park Abava Ancient River Valley, in addition to the requirements of this Regulation, shall be determined by the laws and regulations laying down the requirements for the protection of cultural monuments and specially protected nature territories.

[15 January 2002]

16. The specially protected cultural and historical territory Abava Valley shall be re-organised or eliminated by the Cabinet.

Prime Minister A. Šķēle

Minister for Culture O. Spārītis

Translation © 2021 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)