‘Ķiberkalns’ hill
The stone house located on the ‘Ķiberkalns’ hill might have given Līgatne its name, as it was originally known as ‘Ligat’. This house was the oldest and the only one that had survived in the area after the Great Northern War. Following 1815, when the paper mill of the paper factory was established, the building was restored and served as the factory’s office and storage.
At that time, the only mode of transport was horse-drawn carts. Every day, 60 to 70 carts travelled the 70 km distance to Riga carrying the produced paper, and they returned with raw materials needed for the paper mill. The journey there and back took 2 to 3 days. To transport the heavy loads, the factory had to maintain around 200 horses. Since stables were necessary, the factory executives decided that the most suitable location would be next to the warehouses on the ‘Ķiberkalns’ hill. When the Riga–Valka–Tartu railway opened in 1889, freight began to be transported by rail, but horses continued to be used in the construction works in Līgatne. With the onset of World War I, construction in Līgatne ceased, and the need for horses decreased. Instead, a paper mill auxiliary farm was established on the ‘Ķiberkalns’ hill with a horticulture section, a dairy farm, and a pig farm. In 1967, after reconstruction, a fiberglass workshop was set up, producing helmets for motorcyclists and pilots, as well as boats and other products until 2002. Since 2020, the oldest brick building in Līgatne has been included in the ‘Zeit’ creative district, where visitors can enjoy art and concerts, visit a café, hold seminars, stay in a design hotel, and have fun in the treetop park in the adjacent forest. Another historic building, known as the ‘Old Manor House’, is situated on the ‘Ķiberkalns’ hill at Parka iela 1. Constructed in 1818, it initially served as the residence of Karl Kyber, the first owner of the Līgatne Paper Mill. Despite several renovations over time, it has survived to this day.
