Fortifications of the Daugava River Mouth
Infrastruktūra

The fortifications of the Daugava River mouth are the oldest structures on Mangaļsala. Here you can see the entire 400-year history of the island's military heritage, as well as examples of military architecture from several periods - the Swedish era, the Tsarist era, the era of free Latvia and the Second World War. The first gun positions on ancient maps in this area appear as early as the 17th century with the construction of the Daugavgrīva fortress, but later the fortifications were gradually expanded and renovated. During the Swedish era, dolomite was transported here by barges along the Daugava from the Koknese quarries for the construction of tunnels and gun positions. In the mid-19th century, piers began to be built in the Daugava. About twenty or thirty years later, red brick bunkers began to be built here. Two of the reinforced concrete gun positions were built already during the period of the Independent State of Latvia - in 1934, as evidenced by the engraving made with a finger or a branch in the concrete. Moving east, you can see anti-aircraft gun positions built by German troops during World War II. This is the only place on Mangalsala where real hostilities took place – during the Crimean War in the mid-19th century, the British fleet attacked Riga, but thanks to the fortifications of the Daugava estuary, the attack was not very successful. Half a century later – on July 2, 1919 – during the Latvian War of Independence, Estonian gunboats from the coast successfully fired on the positions of the German Iron Division on Mangalsala. During World War I, the fortifications of Daugavgrīva were so formidable that Riga was the only city on the Baltic coast that the German fleet avoided launching hostilities against. So, these Daugavgrīva fortifications have protected the port gates for centuries, preventing the enemy from entering Riga.

Attention! To protect hibernating bats (all species are protected), do not move underground and inside bunkers from October to April.