My own little corner

We went to Bauska last weekend, about 40min by car from Riga.
The city was almost empty, and quiet, but with cute 1-2 floor old houses.
What's funny, I never saw so much raven in the city. they all gathered in some other birds jacks, since they doesn't make their own, and every tree in the city has 2-5 ravens :)) Quite noisy.


This is a funny peace too, "Bauskas Life"(Bauskas Dzive Laikraksts) - newspaper.
It say's: New editions header "Teens drunk. What to do?"


Bauskas wooden bridge,and Bauskas castle, which is on reconstraction now, so you can't get in :( The middle picture is how it looked before, and next how it looks now.




Bauska is a small picturesque town with the population of 11,700 and it covers 8 km2, the territory of the town is 634.4 ha.

Bauska is situated on Via Baltica, 66 km from Riga, the capital of Latvia.
Bauska lies in the south of Latvia, not far from the state border. Owing to fertile soil of the Zemgale plain and favourable weather conditions (mean temperature in January is -5o C and in July +17oC) Bauska district has developed into a typically agrarian region. The length of the vegetation period is 185-190 days.
In ancient times its territory was inhabited by ancient Latvian tribe called the Zemgali.

The town was granted municipal rights in 1609. In 2009 Bauska is going to celebrate its 400th anniversary.

History
Bauska is situated in the Southern part of Latvia. It borders with Lithuania. Town is on the Via Baltic, the Motorway A7. Number of residents: 10361 Area: 6.2 square kilometres. Distance to Capital City Riga: 64 km

Town has both ancient traditions of culture and it is dynamically developing today.

Archaeologists have found evidences for the possible settlement in the confluence of the Rivers Musa and Memele.

In this settlement people lived about 3500 years ago. In 1594 there was built the first known concrete building in the Town – the Church of Holy Spirit what at that time belonged to the German congregation.

At the end of the 16th century and in the beginning of the 17th century Bauska grew rapidly as a centre of merchants and craftsmen of the Dukedom. There formed the street planning of the present Old Town.

The year of granting the rights of a Town for Bauska is not known and most often as the foundation year of the Town is considered the year of 1609 when the Duke Friedrich made a present of seal with the picture of lion to Bauska. During the time of the Duke Friedrich Bauska obtained all the attributes and privileges characteristic for towns of that time: in 1615 – the privilege to construct the Town Council Building, in 1635 the Rules of Order.

Breath of ancient history and the heritage of culture in the Old Town is to be felt even today because there have remained many historical buildings.

Nowadays after the restoration of the independence of Latvia in the Town there have occurred many changes. Bauska buildings have got back their landlords. The reconstruction of Bauska Castle begun in the second half of the 80-ies. In 1999 the Town obtained its flag. In 2000 there was made wider the bridge over the River Memele, in 2000-2001 there was realized the project on the improvement of traffic through Bauska reconstructing Zala and Kalna Street.

Today Bauska has engaged in several International projects that are turned towards the development of the Town’s infrastructure.

Development of tourism is considered as important as other fields of development.