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HISTORY
After Latvia regained its independence, Aiga and Māris Ķikuri regained their family land on the shores of Lake Zvirgzdu.
At first, people simply asked for permission to settle by the lake, but this is how the idea of creating a recreation area gradually emerged.
The lake peninsula was cleaned up, tent and campfire sites, a sports field, and amenities were installed.
Crayfishing once attracted many visitors, but later, thanks to the care of the owners, juvenile pike-perch were released into the lake, restoring the fish stocks.
Over the years, guest houses have been built, the first of which was “Akmens māja”, later also “Jaunā māja” with a sauna. A volleyball and basketball court, a gazebo with a fireplace and a heated tub have also been created in the territory. After the harsh winter, the footbridge was replaced with a more durable one, and modernly equipped showers, toilets and a kitchen are also available to guests. Ezermaļi has become a popular recreation spot for both families and corporate events, attracting guests from all over Kurzeme, Riga, Jūrmala and now increasingly also foreign vacationers.
FAIRY TALE
The legend of the origin of Lake Zvirgzda
Once upon a time, in the place where Lake Zvirgzdu now lies, there was a large meadow. One summer, around the time of Midsummer, local women were gathering hay. The hay had almost been harvested in stacks when a large, black cloud appeared in the sky. And at the same time, somewhere, somewhere across the meadow, a white horseman rode on a white horse and shouted: “The Zvirgzdi are coming, the Zvirgzdi are coming…”. The horseman disappeared from sight, but the cloud loomed ominously over the meadow, and a heavy rain fell, the likes of which the locals had never seen in their lives. The women ran everywhere, fleeing from the rain. But one of them had left her baby on a stack of hay in her haste and could no longer be saved, because the water rose steeply and the child drowned.
Thus, Lake Zvirgzdu was formed. Legend has it that the baby turned into a lake spirit, which protects swimmers to this day. Locals say that the spirit of Lake Zvirgzdu can sometimes be seen on the shore of Lake Zvirgzdu during laundry time, on dark November evenings.
Another legend about the creation of Lake Zvirgzda
Once upon a time, in the old days, there were large meadows. It was lunchtime. People were raking hay. One rode a white horse and shouted: “The wolf is coming, the wolf is coming!” People fled wherever they could, and one woman left her child on a haystack. Then water came from the air and shone like gold in the sunlight. Thus a lake was formed. The child swam to the shore with the entire haystack and did not drown. (M. Skuja, Ēdole)
FACTS
- Today, Lake Zvirgzdu is called the pearl of Suiti region.
- Depth and dimensions: average depth is about 6.3 m, maximum – 12.3 m; lake area ~74.7 ha, length about 2 km.
- Deep-water sources: the water body is supplied by through-flow sources and streams (4 ditches, 2 streams), ensuring good water quality and oxygen.
- Rich fauna: several species of fish are found - pike, zander, bream, perch, etc., as well as the lake being famous for crayfish in the 1990s.
- Rebuilding the effects of the crayfish collapse: after a massive decline in crayfish, 15,000 juvenile pike-perch were released in 2008.
- Movie legends: In 1976, "Lake Sonata" was filmed by the lake, and in 1992, cameraman Juris Podnieks drowned there. The TV series "House by the Lake" was filmed there.
- The Latvian Toponymy Commission has recognized 2 correct names for the lake: Lake Zvirgzdu and Lake Zvirgzdene.