All 5 in 3 days here: ~60%
Gauja National Park
🇱🇻 Latvia
Europe, Latvia 363 spp. recorded
Gauja National Park in northern Latvia protects a classic temperate forest landscape of mixed pine and oak, winding river valleys, limestone cliffs and open meadow patches. Trails wind through shady woodlands and along the Gauja River, offering a glimpse of the region’s natural mosaic.
57.277° N 25.021° E
🦜 Nature
187 Species sighted
13,854 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
+ 226 more species with insufficient data
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Gauja National Park
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
13Jan
13Feb
23Mar
32Apr
32May
30Jun
27Jul
25Aug
24Sep
21Oct
18Nov
19Dec
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Woodland in River Gauja valley
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Cesis Castle and town
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Sigulda Castle (old & new)
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Entrance
Free
Tourism
Medium
Typical stay
1–2
daysTrails
Easy
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Moderate
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
2.1
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 278
🐒 Mammals 65
🦎 Reptiles 9
🐸 Amphibians 11
363 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
9 Threatened 45 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
2.9
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
65% 📊
Coverage (100 species at ≥5% of 363 in the inventory)
28% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 1 amphibian, 1 reptile)
39% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
71 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
5 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
19 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.3
Climate Harsh Low
Entrance Free High
Tourism Low High
Trails Easy High
World Heritage No —
What visitors say
One reviewer mentioned, “We saw the bear, deers, wild boar etc ad promised.” It’s less about spotting animals through a zoo’s fence and more about understanding their roles in Latvia’s ecosystem.
During a recent trip to Latvia, I had the chance of spending a few days in Gauja National Park.
Instead, I took myself off for a day trip to Cesis, the neighbouring city in the centre of the Gauja National Park.
We knew we should hit the Gauja River, so anytime we saw water, we followed it downstream.
Before you go
What animals can you see in Gauja National Park?
363 species
Gauja National Park has 363 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Great Tit (about 90%), Hooded Crow (about 90%), Eurasian Jackdaw (about 80%), Eurasian Magpie (about 70%) and Eurasian Tree Sparrow (about 70%). Among reptiles, the most-seen is grass snake (about 50%); among amphibians, European Common Frog (about 70%).
When is the best time to visit Gauja National Park for wildlife?
December to May
In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 50% in August.
Can you see a European Common Frog in Gauja National Park?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a European Common Frog sighting in Gauja National Park on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July and August (about 80%).
Can you see a Black Swan in Gauja National Park?
Yes
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Black Swan sighting in Gauja National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April (about 60%).
Where in Gauja National Park is wildlife easiest to see?
Around Woodland in River Gauja valley
The richest sighting zone is around Woodland in River Gauja valley, followed by Cesis Castle and town and Sigulda Castle (old & new), ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.
Is Gauja National Park good for wildlife watching?
2.8 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Gauja National Park rates 2.8/5: 306th of 316 parks worldwide and 27th in Europe. 24 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
