Mazirbe Boat Cemetery

Boats overgrown with plants lie abandoned within these woods. In the summer, when the grass grows tallest, they’re difficult to spot.

The Mazirbe boat cemetery is located in a forest near the seaside of Mazirbe, Dundaga County. Years ago, many of these boat cemeteries were built across the coast of the Baltic Sea. But nowadays, this graveyard is the only one of its kind in the area.

The boats have been here since the 1960s and ’70s, when the discarded vessels were abandoned in the woods. Sadly, their time here appears to be running short, as the wooded graveyard is expected to be lost in about 10 years as nature continues reclaiming the site.

Visiting the boat cemetery makes for an interesting walk along the seaside, complete with a touch of history. On a trail, you’ll spot wooden poles with barbed wire. These are markers of a time when the area was closed and civilian movement was restricted.