Rata Hill Infrastructure

The highest point of the inland dune massif, located west of the village of Tomes, is Rata Hill (67.8 m above sea level). Light pine forests tower in its vicinity, allowing a good view of the backs and slopes of the impressive dunes. Rata Hill is easily reached on foot (0.6 km) from the Latvian State Forests (LVM) recreation area “Sēņotāju māja”. On both sides of the small forest road, along which we follow towards the hill, more than 40 similar-sized rectangular pits and three trench-like trenches about 50 m long are visible in nature (and on LIDAR maps). It is possible that during the First World War there was a German army warehouse here, surrounded on three sides by the nearby dunes. It is believed that the concrete structures at the highest point of Rata Hill are the remains of a former fire observation (or triangulation?) tower, the wooden parts of which were attached to concrete poles. An article about a ski trip to Rata Hills can be found in a Soviet-era periodical. An annual mushroom picking championship is held in the vicinity of Rata Hills.