The ancestors of our family used to live in the territory of Latgale. My father, Oskar Zablockis, always dreamed of having a house in these lands, so that his children and grandchildren could spend time in nature, feel their connection with the Motherland, animals and remember their roots.
He was looking for a house closer to the homeland of his mother, who was born and raised in the village of Rūkmaņi, near Lake Rāznas - but nothing suitable was found. And my maternal grandfather was born and raised on "Antonovka" farm in the Aglona region, then moved to Riga, worked at VEF, met my grandmother there and lived his life. They often went to Latgale for summer holidays and the idea of returning to rural life never left them.
In 2002, my father decided to build a house for them on the family land of the "Antonovka", they laid down a bathhouse, dug a pond.
My grandparents moved there, and my sister and I spent the most carefree and rustic summer holidays there. Then my father thought that this place did not have enough water - in order to go to the lake we had to drive. The search for a new land began, the most picturesque peninsula surrounded by a lake in the Carmanis Natural Park seemed to be waiting for us. Thus, at the beginning of 2006, the land was purchased, and by the end of the year constructions on a new house for the grandparents began. Next to the current guesthouse "Jumis" was an old abandoned house of former residents, the foundation of which now serves as a flower bed, and the historical cellar has been preserved. By the end of the summer of 2007, the “Jumis” guesthouse, a bathhouse, woodsheds (now “Ūsiņa”) and a stable for animals were built. Then the construction of the main master house on the hill began.
All houses are built from ecological wood, neither glue nor synthetics were used during the construction. The roofs are covered with cane which helps the rooms to "breathe" naturally. In the fall of 2023, a solar park will be installed, at the entrance to the territory it will be seen that solar energy is being generated here.
We also have a backup power system - generators for emergencies. In winter, we heat with firewood, which we take out of the forest, cleaning it. Not a single tree is cut for firewood, only trees that have fallen, broken or damaged by beavers are used! We try to keep the environment at the highest level as much as possible!
How did the name Locu Sala came about?
According to legend, in the middle of the 19th century, not far from the territory of our present complex, a young man lived. He went to work in Norway, worked there as a sailor, became a pilot of fishing vessels (in Latvian- "locis"). Having worked for over 40 years and having accumulated a decent amount, being content with only the modest needs of life on a ship, he returned to his homeland. He bought land from the current Locu Sala peninsula to the Dubna River (about 100 hectares) and distributed it, apparently according to an unclear principle, to ordinary people. From Latvian ‘locis’ is translated as a pilot of fishing vessels. This is probably why our land was historically called Loci. And we just added a bit of a romance, Locu Sala = “pilot's island”. This man's name was Oskar Zawatski. This is a truly unbelievable story!
Today, our farm is operating as a guesthouse and can accommodate up to 34 guests. There are plenty of things to enjoy while staying. We offer a range of water amusement from SUP boards and water trampoline to kayak rafting. Our guests often choose to relax in a sauna and an outdoor hot tub. Our farm produces ecologically clean fruits, vegetable, honey and eggs, as well as we purchase home-made bread, flour and dairy from our partner farms. Therefore, everything served to the guests at the table is farm grown! Nature is our priority here. Locu Sala is the soul of our family, we maintain it with love and are open to share our gorgeous place with all of you :)
Yours,
SMM and customer service specialist at Locu Sala