Valmiera

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Valmiera (German: Wolmar) is the largest city of Vidzeme region, Latvia with a total area of 18.1 km². It is the center of Valmieras county. As of 2002 Valmiera had a population of 27,323.

It lies on the crossroads of several important motorways, being 100 km from Riga, the capital of Latvia, and 50 km from the border of Estonia. Valmiera lies on both banks of the Gauja River.

[edit] History

Valmiera and its surroundings have been one of the longest-inhabited regions of Latvia. Archeological evidence indicates the site was inhabited 9,000 years ago. Valmiera was first mentioned as a town in a chronicle dating back to 1323. The actual founding of the town probably occurred at least 40 years earlier when the master of the Livonian Order Wilken von Endorp constructed a castle (Wolmar) and Catholic church on the banks of the river Gauja. Valmiera was a member of the Hanseatic League from the 14th-16th centuries. Involvement in the Hansa brought significant trade and movement into the town’s life.

During the Great Northern War Valmiera was destroyed and burned down in 1702. Valmiera largely followed the history of northern Livonia.

During the Cold War it was near Liepas air base.

[edit] Today

Valmiera is the de facto cultural and administrative centre of Vidzeme. It is the only town in the region to have a professional theater, Valmieras teātris, which was established in 1919. In the 1990s, a regional college, Vidzemes Augstskola, was established.

Valmiera's municipality has been involved a variety of projects to improve the quality of life in the region. One of the largest projects is creating a garbage control system in northern Vidzeme. A project for water supply development and the restoration of sewage systems is being realized to promote the modernization of the economic system in Vidzeme. The improvement of the payment system, the construction of a thermoelectric station, and the building of a sports hall for the Olympic Centre are also being planned.

Valmiera is an important industrial center. The dominating economic branches in Valmiera are the food industry (milk, meat, and grain), fiberglass production, metalworking, wood processing and furniture producing.