Valmiera

Valmiera 

a city; center of Valmiera Raion, Latvian SSR. Located along both banks of the Gauja River (which empties into the Gulf of Riga). Has a railroad station on the Riga-Valga line. Population, 19,900 (1969). Industry includes fiberglass and firefighting-equipment plants, meat and dairy combines, and a furniture factory. There is a branch of the Riga Polytechnic Institute. There is also a drama theater and a museum of local lore.

Valmiera came into being during the 13th century along the trade route from Riga to Pskov; in 1785 it became a district city of the province of Livonia, with the official name of Vol’mar. The Lichi sanatorium, with water and mud-bath therapy for patients suffering from diseases of the digestive organs and nervous system and metabolic disorders, is located 9 km from Valmiera. A monument to the Komsomol heroes who perished in December 1919 in the struggle for Soviet power is also located in Valmiera.