Doles Sala

Daugava Museum in Doles Sala
Geography
Location	Daugava River, Latvia
Coordinates	56°51′30″N 24°14′00″E / 56.85833°N 24.23333°E / 56.85833; 24.23333
Area	1,044 ha (2,580 acres)
Administration
Latvia
Demographics
Pop. density	4/km2 (10/sq mi)

Doles Sala is a peninsula in the Daugava River, near the borders of Riga. There is an old mansion on Doles Sala, which now serves as the Daugava Museum.

History

There is a theory that German knights settled in Doles Sala even before the city of Riga was founded, but this is unproven.

There once was a great-oak on Doles Sala^[when?]. It was the third biggest oak in Latvia.

Doles Sala was previously an island, and also larger, until construction of Riga HES flooded it. Some sources list it as the second largest island in Latvia,^[1] with an area of 1044 ha.^[2] However, Riga HES made Doles Sala into a peninsula.

President of Latvia Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga planted a linden tree on Doles Sala in 2004 on the day when Latvia became European Union member state.^[3]

Geography

There are rare dolomite outcrops in Doles Sala, which were made by the now not existing river Lebjava.^[4]

Parks and museums

In 1987, the Doles Sala national park was founded.^[5]

There is an old mansion on Doles Sala, which now serves as the Daugava Museum.