Ventas Rumba *****
GREATEST WATERFALL IN LATVIA
Height: 1,8 - 2,2 meters - no one would say exactly because
the height is differing in different places and seasons.
Width:
The width is fantastic - 270 - 275 m - measuring along the face of cliff.
Thus it seems that the Venta waterfall might be the widest in Europe.
The width of
Rhine
waterfall
in
Switzerland
(measuring
the direct distance between distal sides of the waterflow) is 150 m. After
seeing
both waterfalls
in nature I have got serious doubts whether Venta waterfall is two times
wider than that of Rhine - would be interesting to find it out more precisely.
River: Venta
Location:
Kuldiga district, Kuldiga, Venta river above the city (brick) bridge.
Availability: Very simple, the centre of Kuldiga town.
Description: In a way Ventas Rumba is the second centre
of the beautiful Kuldiga town. The pedestrian street and central square
in last years
are becoming more busy. Ventas Rumba and the brick bridge just one kilometer
away still makes the impression of idyllic, placid provincial town.
Ventas Rumba does not possess the thrilling, savage beauty of the great
waterfalls of the world. It looks just like low rapids when looking from
the bridge. You can value the genuine beauty of falls devoting at least
ten - fifteen minutes to walk down to the falls on one or another bank.
Venta is falling here over hard dolostone. This dolostone developed from
Devonian formation - in a way similar to very ancient barrier reef. This
ancient reef causes several more falls to form around Kuldiga town.
Below this formation there is less hardy rock - it is washed out by the
stream. Now and then fall down pieces of overlying dolostone and thus the
waterfall slowly steps back against the stream. Most likely this fall would
become in far future less high and less marked.
At the waterfall one can see exciting sight - vimba (species of fish) is
making here fabulous leaps. The fish is trying to reach the upper course
of Venta. It is quite clear - to the fish the waterfall seems far less exciting
than to the people. The waterfall was crossed in earlier times also by bigger
fish - salmon and sturgeon. Unfortunately this fish is not seen here today.
The view on the waterfall from the brick bridge - distant falls resemble low rapids. September 2000. (46 kB)
There is much water even at the end of summer. In foreground are seen cut-out channels - there it is more easily
to catch a fish. September 2000. (53 kB)
Floodtime - the view at the might of water is fascinating. It is
a pity that you can not see leaping fish - at that time it was
making
desperate jumps upstreams. March 2002. (53 kB)
Small step in the river below waterfall. August 2002. (57 kB)