Valka and Valka district



Valka is a town in northern Latvia, on the border with Estonia.

Valka and the Estonian town Valga are twins, separated by the Estonian/Latvian border but using the slogan "One Town, Two States". The border dividing the Livonian town of Walk was marked out in 1920 by an international jury headed by British Colonel Stephen George Tallents. With the expansion of the Schengen Agreement and abolition of the Estonian/Latvian border in 2007, it was announced that common public bus transport would be established between Valka and Valga. Also, all border crossing-points were removed and roads and fences opened.

The town of Walk (in German) was first mentioned in 1286 and from 1419 was the seat of the Landtag of the Livonian Confederation. City rights were granted by the Polish king Stefan Batory in 1584. However, the town gained its importance only at the end of the 19th century when the Vidzeme teacher's seminary was operating here.

On November 15, 1918 the decision to proclaim the independent Republic of Latvia was made in Valka. The red-white-red flag of Latvia was raised here for the first time . On July 1, 1920 the town was divided between the newly-born Latvian and Estonian states.

The distance from Valka to Riga is 160 km.

Valka area occupies 14,36 km2.

Inhabitants – 6276.

Valka district is one of 26 administrative districts in Latvia. Total area of the district is 2440 km², number of population on January 1, 2006 – 32 089.

93 rivers cross the district’s territory, 41 of those are longer than 10 km. The largest river is the Gauja (about 100 km in the district’s territory); other rivers are Abuls, Seda, Palsa, Nigra, Rauza and Vija.

Valka district is not rich with lakes. There are 133 lakes with total area of 850 ha. Those are mainly small lakes with area of under 10 ha. The biggest lakes are Salainis with 77,8 ha territory, Lizdoles – 53,9 ha, Vēderis – 50,8 ha, Vadainis – 49,6 ha. 22 lakes are bigger than 10 ha.

The biggest territory consists of forest land with 1296,71 km2 that makes 53 % from the district’s territory. Second largest territory is farming land - 786,46 km2.

Valka town council

Address: Semināra iela 29, Valka, LV – 4701
Phone/ Fax: +371 64707617
Website: www.valka.lv