The village of Lielirbe (Livonian- Îra) is located in the territory historically inhabited by the Livonians (Livonian - Līvõd Rānda) - there is a rope bridge over the river Irbe. It is the only cable-stayed bridge in Northern Kurzeme and connects Miķeļtornis with wider active tourism routes, promoting the development of tourism in the region.
The territory of Lielirbe is adjacent to the Ovīšu nature reserve, several culturally and historically significant tourist objects are nearby - Ovīši Lighthouse, Miķeļbāka and the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center. The bridge is the only way to cross the river in the village of Lielirbe. Its restoration ensures the accessibility of the historic village of Lielirbe on the Livonian Coast. The bridge ensures the flow of pedestrians and cyclists along the historical nature trail "Līvzemes Mazbānīša taka", connecting natural and cultural heritage objects in Tārgale parish.
As part of the project, a 112 m long and 1.2 m wide pedestrian bridge was rebuilt. It is made of a cable-stayed structure with two bank pylon supports. The sidewalk is made of galvanized grid, the railing is made of galvanized rope with an additional fence for safety. The rope bridge is an important tourist and infrastructure object near the former Lielirbe Station, providing pedestrians and cyclists with more comfortable and safer movement.
The bridge is included in the international Baltic Coastal Hiking Route "Jūrtaka" and is available to everyone who likes to relax in the open air. "Jūrtaka", which connects all the Baltic States, now marks the bridge that it can be used safely. Previously, hikers had to make a detour, exiting on the highway and only then returning to the sea, but now this section of the road is shorter. Even before the restoration work on the bridge, it looked quite scary and unsafe.
The bridge can also be used by the international cycling routes EuroVelo 13 and EuroVelo 10.
The bridge can be visited at any time of the year and at any hour of the day. There is also a resting area next to the bridge, where you can have a picnic at the tables, grill sausages in the fireplace, swim and otherwise enjoy nature. Also, when you cross the bridge, you will find yourself in a forest where you can walk different trails.
The project "Preservation, exhibition and development of the cultural and natural heritage of Northern Kurzeme" was implemented thanks to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The total cost of the project is 168 069.00 EUR, of which 112693.72 EUR is ERDF funding and 55375.28 EUR is state and municipal funding. The project was implemented by the Ventspils Region Municipality.
