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The pine is 2.77 m in circumference. One end of the dore pine is still green.
GPS:57.10653, 21.83337

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Steep bank of the Venta river with a beautiful view.
Here grows a plant recorded in the Latvian Red Book - the great black grouse.
On the other side of Venta you can see the parish of Kuldīga region - Padure.
GPS: 57.088078, 21.795892

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The castle mound is relatively large, but now it is overgrown with trees, it is difficult to see. A 3 m high embankment has been created on the promontory between the steep bank of the Venta and the small rolling ravine. The castle mound offers a beautiful view of the Venta arches.
GPS: 57.10472414542, 21.847082613037

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The house is called "Šalkas" and is a former manor hunting castle, forestry at different times.
GPS:57°07'01.6"N 21°52'44.0"E

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According to legend, in ancient times the crying of a child could be heard in the cemetery at night. People called the pastor. He set a stone in the cemetery, recited a prayer and cut a cross. But only when the prayer was recited 9 times and 9 crosses were carved in stone did the crying cease.

GPS:57.099460,  21.892264

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Zlēku pamatskola (slēgta), Skola, Zlēkas, Zlēku pagasts

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Zlēku school (closed), Skola, Zlēkas, Zlēku pagasts

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Zlēku school (closed), Skola, Zlēkas, Zlēku pagasts

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Zlēku School is the oldest school in Kurzeme and the winds of different historical eras have broken over it.
2015/16 school year is the last year and, with the reform of the education system continuing, when the number of students has decreased, the oldest in Kurzeme region
primary school in the county is closed.
In 1796, the first school for servant children was built - a small one-storey wooden building with one room where the students studied, ate and also slept. Later, the building was supplemented with a second floor and now houses a school boarding school, kitchen and dining room. A two-storey red brick building was built in 1884, after which a third floor was built. The gym was built in 1960.
Over time, the school has been run by: Krišs Tīls, Adriāns Blāze, Gustavs Grīnvalds, Arnolds Oškalns, Gunārs Šķlibusts, Uldis Grīnbergs, Izida Dreibe, Maigonis Apse, Jānis Purmalietis, Raisa Leinerte-Neilande and from 2004 to 2016 Astr.

Teachers Gustavs Grīnvalds and his daughter Austra Grīnvalde have made a significant contribution to the work of the school, influencing the whole life of the parish with their pedagogical activities. Under the guidance of teacher U. Grīnbergs, the students learned to love and care for their land. For 26 years, under the leadership of the school's director M. Apse, local history work became an integral part of the school's work, and under his leadership, the school transitioned to the classroom system, and the school territory was improved.

H.Bērziņa, H. Bukolde, A. Grīnvalde, Z. Tellere, I. Dreibe, A. Grīnbergs, M. Apse, Maiga Apse, G. M. Lāce and Agra Tomkalne have contributed unforgettable work to the education of students. It is difficult to weigh the generosity of each teacher's heart in this work, how many generations and how many students have been able to take the contribution of these teachers, but they deserve respect and recognition for their only job - the School School.
Almost all the jumpers have been students of the parish school, the knowledge gained at the school has taken them through various ways of life.

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Zleku tragedijas upuru pieminas vieta, Zlēku pagasts

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Zleku tragedijas upuru pieminas vieta, Zlēku pagasts

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Zleku tragedijas upuru pieminas vieta, Zlēku pagasts

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Piemineklis atrodas netālu no Zlēku muižas ansambļa, Karātavkalna rietumu daļā.  Ap divdesmit laukakmeņu ar nogalināto cilvēku vārdiem veido apli, bet centrā ir ap trīs metru augsts melna marmora obelisks.

Zlēku piemiņas vietā ir pārapbedīti daļa no nogalinātajiem.

1944.gada decembrī Zlēku apkārtnē vācu nacistiskās armijas daļas veica plašu operāciju, kas bija vērsta pret civiliedzīvotājiem.Armiju grupas Nord kaujas darbības žurnālā 1944. gada 9. decembrī plkst. 17.30 izdarīts ieraksts, ka akcijas laikā pretinieka pusē ir nogalināts 161 cilvēks, kas piederējis “Rubeņa brigādei un “Sarkanās bultas” daļām”. Padomju laikā minēto skaitli, attiecinot uz nogalinātajiem civiliedzīvotājiem, acīmredzot pieņēma par Zlēku traģēdijas upuru kopskaitu.

Akcijas gaita daļēji ir dokumentēta vācu 16. armijas pretizlūkošanas daļas priekšnieka 1944. gada 31. decembra ziņojumā. Tajā paskaidrots, ka no 5. līdz 9. decembrim augstākā SS un policijas vadītāja Ostlandē SS obergrupenfīrera un policijas ģenerāļa Frīdriha Jekelna vadībā norisinājies plašs pasākums Eichensumpf (“Ozolu purvs”), kas ticis vērsts pret “Sarkano bultu” un ģenerāļa Kureļa grupas pārpalikumu pie Abavas.
(Informācija iegūta :https://militaryheritagetourism.info/lv/military/sites/view/603?0  )

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Zleku muižas ansamblis, Zlēkas, Zlēku pagasts

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The park of Zlēku manor with outbuildings, an alley and the nearby church forms a unified architecturally landscape ensemble, and today it is an example of the cultural landscape. From 1561 Zleek was the birthplace of Baron von Behr. This manor ensemble differs from the generally accepted layout of other manor centers built in Kurzeme. Ulrich von Behr started to build the park of Zlēku manor, which stood in this cultural and historical ensemble for almost 200 years.
The railing of the railing of this manor house, which is currently located in the Ventspils Sea Fishing Open-Air Museum, is one of the most luxurious wrought iron in Latvia from the beginning of the 18th century. According to legend, the devil himself helped the manor servants to make the lattice.
The manor buildings included not only cattle and bird barns, but also horse stables, a manege and a hunting dog house. But over time and over the centuries, the manor ensemble has suffered greatly, leaving walls. Various foreign trees and shrubs grow in the manor park itself. Several ponds have been created in the park, which covers an area of ​​8.5 ha. A heron colony has settled in the park. In the 1940s, a new, very luxurious castle was built by order of Baron Karl von Berl of Zlek.

Legend about the iron stairs of Zlēku manor:
A proud lord lived in Zlēku manor, who sometimes didn't even have a kopeck for his soul. The Lord has been a great debtor to the Devil since the days of his fathers. Therefore, whenever money appears to the lord, the little devil is present and demands that the money be returned. Here suddenly the gentleman thought that he could be in front of others with a ladder that no one had. But what's up? Suddenly one day a small man appears here, promising to dig up a ladder that no one has, and he is forging himself alone and on the varnish while the forging takes place, no one can go and watch. During the day, the smithy was completely silent, but as soon as it got dark, it began to sneeze, the anvil sang, and the blacksmith sang and groaned, and blue, green, and red sparks and flames began to fire around him. It went on for a while until the gentleman could no longer wait and went to ask when the stairs were ready. To which the blacksmith so refused, "There will be, there will be." The Lord could not wait, and went again to the blacksmith, saying, "If the ladder is not visible in the morning or in the morning, then the door of the smithy shall be broken." So the blacksmith took it all night that no one could close his eyes from the noise. In the morning the stairs were ready. They themselves came out like a black mist at the master's door. When the mist was gone, the gentleman saw a ladder sprinkled like silver with a diamond. Since then, the Lord has been able to boast of his stairs, for they are not found all over the world. And if a smith boast about his work, he saith unto him, Hast thou seen the ladders of Zechu? He immediately closed his mouth.

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Zlēku watermill is one of the oldest in Kurzeme. Built in the second half of the 19th century. Dzirnavu lake (6.8 ha), from which flows Dzirnavupīte, which flows into the Venta near the bridge. The mill operated until the early 1990s, and a guest house is now open there.
The mill is located in a very beautiful place, so Zlēka has been chosen as a "filming area" by cinema people. In 1972, the film "Vella's Servants in the Vella Mill" (dir. A. Leimanis) was made here, in 2005 the film "The Limit of Height" (dir. U. Celma).
Accommodation is currently available here:
Guest house «Vella mill»
Address: Dzirnavas, Zlēkas, Zlēku parish, Ventspils region
Phone: +371 26405793
E-mail: kalmeta@apollo.lv

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Zlēku Karātavu kalns, P122, Zlēku pagasts

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Zlēku Karātavu hills, P122, Zlēku pagasts

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Zlēku Karātavu hills, P122, Zlēku pagasts

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It was once a place of ancestors - a place of idols. In ancient times, this place was a castle mound. In later times, the Crusaders and landlords turned it into a place of punishment to scare people away from it with their terrible actions. Mighty big trees grow on the hill. Cultural monument of national significance. A recreation park with environmental objects Phoenix and the Eye of the Universe has been created (author of environmental objects - artist Ivars Asnis) Zlēku recreation park has been created as a monument to people with special abilities.
Legend about Karātvkalns:
Many hundreds of years ago, lived the old Veckušķis, who was a great magician. The old Veckušķis for Christmas, when the snow was on the hubs, rode in shirts to church, the horses were in the same foam, but for Midsummer he went to the church in a sleigh, wrapped in thick fur, the horses were frosted.
The lord of Zlēku could not stand his spell, so he decided to take revenge on the old Veckušķi and had him captured and taken to Karātava hill to be burned. When the peasants came after him, he did not flee, but said to the peasants, "Blind me, and lead me to Mount Karatah. The people were from the old Veckušķi and counted the owners.
Old Veckušķi, as he led past the fields to Karātava Hill, closed his eyes, but when thrown in pink, the poor woman felt sorry for her scarf. Deprived of it, threw in a pink open eyes. Nine sharp firewood was burned in pink, but the old Veckušķis was still alive. The nine days were tormented by the people, and therefore he said, "Go to Kraukļi cemetery, count the nine stages of the fence, take the ninth card from the ninth stage and bring it here, then you will be able to burn me." The people brought the ninth card of the ninth stage from Kraukļi cemetery, the old Veckušķis, laying this card on the fire, immediately burned it.

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Zlēku luterāņu baznīca, Zlēkas, Zlēku pagasts

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Zlēku Evangelical Lutheran Church, Zlēkas, Zlēku pagasts

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Zlēku Evangelical Lutheran Church, Zlēkas, Zlēku pagasts

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Zlēku Evangelical Lutheran Church, built in 1645 due to its luxurious interior, was once called Zlēki Cathedral. The current stone building of the church was built in 1645, but the church tower was built in 1834, in the tradition of the Gothic style with stair-shaped contractions. The interior of the church is magnificent and of high artistic value, especially the altar made by the wood sculptor Hofenstadt from Bremen around 1650 with the altarpiece "Blasphemy of Christ" and the pulpit, which is considered to be one of the brightest examples of Mannerism in Kurzeme.
The altar is built according to an old tradition, only covered with a wooden plate. Two centuries later (in 1875), a baroness gave the altar two beautifully embroidered altarpieces, red and black, which still adorn the church today. The altar includes two reliefs of the Lord's Supper and the Garden of Christ in Gethsemane, while the upper part is a painting of the blasphemy. The tomb of the family of Baron von Behr of Zleku was built under the altar.
There are also peculiar paintings on the ends of the pews, which preach Christian teachings in the language of symbols. To the left of the altar is the richly ornamented oldest bench in Latvia (end of the 16th century), to the right is the 17th century bench.
The first organ of the Church of Zlekys was made by Raneus, the father of the renowned organ builder Raneus. The organ has not survived to this day. The current organ (1875) was made by Liepāja organ builder K.Hermanis.
Legend of the Church of the Assumption:
When my grandfather got married, the baron had to be removed. If the baron allowed it, he could get married. My grandfather was lucky then, got permission and went home whistling. Look here: clouds above the church itself. "When you don't fall into the church tower so much," the old father thought. A terrible thunderstorm sounded, and behold, the church tower is already on fire! Soon the baron was present with the people of the manor for the erasure. They brought a lot of tubs with milk. In the past, there was a belief that thunder could only be extinguished with milk. They extinguished it and extinguished it with 'but the tower was gone. The new church tower has been made much lower so that the thunder does not fall. Since then, the Church of Zlekys has a low tower.
(The story of Ķērstas Šķēle, born in 1861, was written down by the participants of a folklore expedition in the 1950s.)
Inspection of the interior of the church is possible by prior arrangement with the church president by phone. +371 29203640 (Gunita)