Vartaja, Latvia

The Vartaja is a 64 km long right bank tributary of the Barta River; it starts at Sepene Lake. The final 29 km of the river, beginning from Virga, is suitable for paddling; here the valley of the river is relatively large compared to the size of the river itself.
The first 8 km behind the bridge Virga must be simply paddled. The shores are thickly overgrown with osiers; one turn is followed by another turn. Many of them are so sharp that the river creates wide backflows and extensions. On the straight sections the navigable path is merely 50 cm deep; the rest hides under a thickness of reed mace. In many places the beavers have threaded the earth as hard as clay floor. Here and there beaver dams also appear, which brings interesting changes to the monotonous landscape.
A good landmark, when 8 km has been paddled, is the former railway bridge supports; there the peculiar and wild beauty of Vartaja begins. It seems that the large trees only here have realised that they can also grow on the banks of the Vartaja. The landscape becomes much more interesting, the river deeper and paddlers no longer need to worry about the lack of water. From time to time the river rolls some rapids here and there; the rippled, clayed and sandy banks are replaced by pebbles and marl.
In less than 2 km the Lukuzi concrete bridge emerges at Paplaka, followed by a camp site for water-tourists “Ineses” on the left bank of the river.
The next 10 km until the bridge Mazkaleti is divided into two equal parts – one interesting and one monotonous. After "Lukuzi" bridge [b] the river continues to meander through deciduous forest and after 400 m the paddlers are surprised by lively rapids for a distance of 100 m with a low dolomite step at its end and a large boulder right in the middle of the river. The white sand detrition here is a real discovery because it is a mystery where the river finds almost white sand of the sea.
A couple of bends later, behind the rapids the largest tributary the Virga flows into the Vartaja. From now on the Vartaja can justifiably be called a medium-size river. After a further 4 km it does not disappoint - beautiful bends, meadows and large trees follow one another, until a section damaged by a dredger and overgrown with osiers begins again until Mazkaleti bridge
The last 9 km behind the Mazkaleti Bridge to the Vartaja estuary in Barta is the most popular and the most beautiful section of Vartaja. River bends return and the riverbed is scattered with stones. It is recommended to end the route on the river at Barta, by paddling 700 m to Langeris , where you can easily get out, or 6,6 km to Barta bridge (route P113).