Big boulder of Nicgale is the biggest known boulder in Latvia. It is situated deep in the forest, approximately 6km to the East of Nīcgale railway station, but it is easily reached due to arranged indicators and earthroad. The stone is situated on the crossing of forest paths.
There are preserved stories narrating that on the flat surface of the stone there were located seats and a table. Kalupe, Līksna, Vārkava and other districts’ landlords gathered together around the stone to take a rest and to refresh themselves when they were hunting. V.Gavars, who in 1930s was a forester and being a young man he himself participated in landlords’ organized hunting as a beater, remembers local landlords’ doings connected with the hunting. Here were celebrated different holidays such as Līgo and, as older people narrate, on the surface of the stone was held dancing.
In 1938 A.Jotsons, a forester of Nīcgale Forestry, ordered a forest worker Lauskis to carve in stone 3 steps, and paid 5 lats for each. Still nowadays tourists set their feet on these steps.
Dimensions of the boulder (1991):
| length | 10,5 m |
| width | 10,4 m |
| height | 3,50 m |
| girth | 31,1 m |
| volume | 170 m3 |
Freely available to visitors every day.
Free of charge.
Tales and legends
A tale narrated by A.Smagars, the inhabitant of Līksna municipality
“Devils decided to obstruct Daugava. They found a huge stone and were bringing it to Daugava. Altogether there were 12 devils and they were bringing the stone all night long, but in the morning they heard a crowing cock, so they threw the stone into the marsh on the border of Nīcgaļa and Kalupa forests. Right there the stone lies till nowadays.”
A tale narrated by A.Vāverāns, the inhabitant of Nīcgale municipality
“In a forest in Latgale, in Kalupe municipality there was a huge stone, although in that region there are few stones. Once the devil was bringing the stone and wanted to throw it into Daugava in order to obstruct it. But the stone was too heavy and it fell out of his hands. The stone fell in Kolupe forest. There it may be seen nowadays.”
A tale narrated by E.Paukšs, the inhabitant of Līksna municipality
“Once the devil envied the fabulous and great flow of Daugava. He decided to put a stop to it, to fill up the river in the territory of Latvia. Somewhere in the North he filled his worn-out sieve with the stones and ran to Daugava. Not far from Daugava he noticed that all the stones had spilled, except the huge one which couldn’t fall out through the worn-out sieve. Then he in anger threw the huge stone out of the sieve. The stone had been fallen down in the Nīcgaļa marsh not far from Daugava. This stone to this very day lies in the same place, raised it humps and covered with moss.”