Lēdurga Dendropark

The Lēdurga Arboretum is one of the largest and most plentiful of its kind in Latvia. Gardener Arvīds Janitens (1923–2009) founded the park in 1973 and lovingly tended it throughout his life. He was an extraordinary man who was self-taught in botany, plant biology, ecology and dendrology and created one of the largest collections of woody plants in Latvia. The Lēdurga Arboretum is a specially protected natural, cultural and historical area.

It covers an area of about 10ha and is home to approximately 1,000 different varieties of woody plants and ornamental shrubs. Arvīds Janitens himself cultivated and potted more than 250 plants from seeds, cuttings and grafts. The approximately 450 varieties of non-native woody plants are the park’s greatest asset. The park is magical in every season – the magnolias, rhododendrons, robinias, bird cherry trees, weigelas and mock oranges bloom in the spring, whereas the hydrangeas, European smoketrees, walnut trees, and different maple trees enchant visitors in summer. The witch-hazel blossoms are a pleasant surprise in winter, as is the depth of colour of the Manchurian cherries, the spruces, thujas and junipers. Many tropical and subtropical plants have also made themselves at home in the park.

Lēdurgas or Mudurgas Dižakmens (the great Lēdurga or Mudurga Boulder) is shrouded in myths. It lies on the territory of Lēdurga Arboretum and is over 2m high and 4m long with a circumference of 13.5m and a volume of 19m3. People have enjoyed gathering and celebrating here for decades and a recreational area has now been set up next to the boulder.

Since 2012 the park is under the care of the Krimulda County Council.