Vestiena is protected landscape in Ērgļi Municipality and Madona Municipality, approximately from Ērgļi Parish in the west to village in the east. The territory was established to preserve and protect the Vidzeme Highlands landscape and natural diversity.AIJA MELLUMA, MĀRTIŅŠ LŪKINS, RONALDS KRŪMIŅŠ Cultural and Natural Heritage: the Case Study of Vestiena Landscape Protected Area in Latvia In: Sustainable Planning Instruments and Biodiversity Conservation (ed. Līviņa, A.). University of Latvia Press. Pp. 57–63 This is a Natura 2000 site.Vestiena Lauku celotajs.
Geography The Vestiena Protected Landscape Area includes the central part of the Vidzeme Highlands with the highest peak in Latvia - Gaiziņkalns - as well as other surrounding large hills, the height of which exceeds 270 meters above sea level (, , and others). The territory includes both scenically and biologically valuable group of Vestiena lakes - , , lake Ilziņa and others.
The territory includes Gaizinkalns Nature Park, nature reserves Lake Ilzina and Kala lake islands, nature monuments , as well as Vestiena manor alley.
Flora A large number of protected plant species can be found here: broomrape (), hairy agrimony (Agrimonia pilosa), gladiolus (Gladiolus imbricatus), early marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata).
Fauna Protect fauna species can be found here: beetle (Graphoderus bilineatus), large white-faced darter (Leucorrhinia pectoralis), butterfly purple emperor (Apatura iris), land snail (Ena montana), spined loach (Cobitis taenia), European bullhead (Cottus gobio), brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri), lesser spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina), corn crake (Crex crex), European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), woodlark (Lullula arborea), barred warbler (Sylvia nisoria), Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), pond bat (Myotis dasycneme).Nature Protection Board. Vestiena
See also List of protected areas of Latvia
References