Iron bridge over Gauja in Valmiera Infrastruktūra
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It is located in Valmiera, near the Gīme nature trail on Leona Paegles street.
The steel construction iron bridge over the Gauja was built in 1911. It connected the 114 km long route Ainaži-Valmiera-Smiltene, which was last completed in 1971.
After the liberation of Riga, on May 22, 1919, parts of the Soviet Latvian army, without showing serious resistance, retreated along the entire front. On May 26, the Estonian National Army and the Northern Latvian Brigade led by Colonel Jorģs Zemitān occupied Valmiera. "The bigots blew up the railway bridge around six o'clock in the afternoon. At 7:50 both wooden bridges were also set on fire. This did not prevent Estonian troops from entering the city from the side of the Valmiera manor in the evening of the same day* [..]"
Today, the iron bridge is a favorite place for recreation and walking and a section of the "Green Railway" bicycle route.
* The cadet company of the 6th Estonian Infantry Regiment was the first to arrive, accompanied by several armored vehicles.
Panaudoti šaltiniai ir literatūra:
Arrival of national troops in Valmiera. Vidzemnieks [newspaper]. No. 1, 07.06.
