Baldone Health Spring

Spring of youth and it is known that in year 1477 or 1478 the Burgermaster (mayor) of Rīga Soltrups was treated here. Baldone was a health recovery destination also for people from far away. They used the sulphur spring water against various diseases and for bathing. Based on these data there is a ground to believe that Baldone is the oldest resort in Latvia. At that time and also later the using of water was associated with superstition, supernatural forces and miracles. This is the reason why the patients, in gratitude for the recovered health, threw jewelry, plants and money in the spring which have in large amounts been found in the spring during the cleaning and reconstruction of the well rings. The earliest coins found in the well date back to the 15th century. Cows appreciated the water as well – the legends say “they drank it as if they were crazy”. Baldone Health Spring is one of the best known ancient health springs of Latvia and was used for treating various diseases; sacrifices were made in gratitude for recovery and there were some reasons why the once well-known Baldone sanatorium was located in a direct vicinity of the spring. Nowadays the spring can be found by the specific sulphuric smell. The spring in the well-looked-after town park is facilitated, countersunk and surrounded by a stone wall and covered by a pergola built on columns. It might be assumed that along with the renovation of the spring site all ancient archeological artefacts connected with it have disappeared, however, the spring itself exists, i.e., it runs and is attractive for the public. Once the spring was marked with a decorative sculpture “Ķirzaciņa” (The Lizard) instead of which now there is a plate with a carving “Sulphuric Spring Ķirzaciņa” under which through a tube there is the discharge point of the spring.