Gulbene

Quality 0.50 · 1 view · Updated 2 months ago

Town in Latvia

title: "Gulbene" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["gulbene", "cities-and-towns-in-vidzeme", "1928-establishments-in-latvia", "valka-county", "populated-places-in-gulbene-municipality"] description: "Town in Latvia" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulbene" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Town in Latvia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameGulbene
settlement_typeTown
image_skylineGulbene 035, opravená část zámeského komplexu.jpg
image_flagFlag of Gulbene.svg
image_shieldCoat of Arms of Gulbene.svg
pushpin_mapLatvia
pushpin_label_positionabove
pushpin_mapsize300
pushpin_map_captionLocation in Latvia
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameLatvia
subdivision_type1District
subdivision_name1Gulbene Municipality
established_titleTown rights
established_date1928
leader_titleChairman of the Municipality Council
leader_nameAndis Caunītis
area_total_km2
area_footnotes
area_land_km2
area_water_km2
population_as_of
population_total
population_footnotes
population_density_km2auto
timezone1EET
utc_offset1+2
timezone1_DSTEEST
utc_offset1_DST+3
postal_code_typePostal code
postal_codeLV-4401
area_code+371 644
area_code_typeCalling code
blank_name_sec1Number of city council members
blank_info_sec111
blank_name_sec2Climate
blank_info_sec2Dfb
website
::

| name = Gulbene | other_name = | settlement_type = Town | image_skyline = Gulbene 035, opravená část zámeského komplexu.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = | image_flag = Flag of Gulbene.svg | flag_size = | image_shield = Coat of Arms of Gulbene.svg | shield_size = | nickname = | pushpin_map = Latvia | pushpin_label_position = above | pushpin_mapsize = 300 | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Latvia | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Latvia | subdivision_type1 = District | subdivision_name1 = Gulbene Municipality | established_title = Town rights | established_date = 1928 | leader_title = Chairman of the Municipality Council | leader_name = Andis Caunītis | area_total_km2 = | area_footnotes = | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_metro_km2 = | elevation_m = | population_as_of = | population_total = | population_footnotes = | population_density_km2 = auto | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | timezone1 = EET | utc_offset1 = +2 | timezone1_DST = EEST | utc_offset1_DST = +3 | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = LV-4401 | area_code = +371 644 | area_code_type = Calling code | blank_name_sec1 = Number of city council members | blank_info_sec1 = 11 | blank_name_sec2 = Climate | blank_info_sec2 = Dfb | website = | official_name =

Gulbene (; ) is a town in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is an administrative center of Gulbene Municipality.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Unveiling_ceremony_of_the_monument_to_the_fallen_heroes_during_the_Latvian_War_of_Independence_in_Gulbene,_1929.jpg" caption="Unveiling ceremony of the monument to the fallen heroes during the [[Latvian War of Independence"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Latvian_2nd_battery_of_Latgale_Artillery_Regiment_marches_in_Gulbene_garrison_parade_in_front_of_President_Kārlis_Ulmanis,_1938.jpg" caption="Latvian Army]] parade in front of President [[Kārlis Ulmanis]] in Gulbene"] ::

Historical documents first mention the 1224 land division act between the Order of the Sword Brothers and the Archbishop of Riga. In the 14th century, the Archbishop built a stone castle around which a populated place was formed.

The Evangelical Lutheran church (Brivības iela 13) was built on the ancient Latgalian castle mound in place of the later Middle Age brick castle from 1838.–1843. The church is built in the classical style.

Vecgulbene (Old Gulbene) estate complex was built in the middle and second half of the 19th century not far off the church. The most significant buildings are the White Palace (Brivības iela 12), the Red Palace (Parka iela 1) and the magazine granary (Brivības iela 9). Both palaces have been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Since 1924 the elementary school of the city occupies the Red Palace. Since 2004 Stradu pagasta pārvalde occupies part of the palace.

After the construction of the Stukmani to Valka narrow-gauge railway in 1903 and subsequent broad-gauge line construction during World War I, Vecgulbene was established as an important railway junction, and in 1920 it was given the rights of a small village. During the first period of Latvian independence, besides those employed by the railways, small business, trades and crafts were the most important economic activities in the town. Gulbene was heavily damaged during the last years of World War II. After the war, during the Soviet occupation, Gulbene initially became a district, and later, in 1950, a regional centre. In the 1960s and 1970s branches of several major industrial companies were established in the city. Local enterprise was mainly involved with wood processing.

The most architecturally significant building in the area is the passenger building at Gulbene railway station, built in 1926 by the well-known professor of architecture Peteris Feders (1868–1936). It is one of the largest and most magnificent railway station buildings in Latvia. | expand = | framestyle = | titlestyle = | title = Services at Gulbene Station | liststyle = | hlist = | bullets = | |line1=Pļaviņas–Gulbene|left1=Jaungulbene |line2=Gulbene–Alūksne|right2=Birze|note-mid2=Narrow-gauge}}

1999 massacre

Main article: Gulbene kindergarten massacre

On 22nd February, 1999 3 children & a staff were hacked to death & another staff member left with serious injuries after an attack with a meat cleaver by a 19-year-old Alexander Koryakov. All of the victims were Russian speakers. This attack was one of the worst attacks in Latvian history. The trial began on 29 November 1999, and Koryakov was sentenced to life imprisonment.{{cite news |title=Youth held over brutal deaths at nursery school |work=The Baltic Times |date=25 February 1999 |url=https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/4229/ |access-date=3 October 2025}}{{cite news |title=Teacher and 3 children killed – The Irish Times |work=The Irish Times |date=23 February 1999 |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/teacher-and-3‐children-killed-1.155825 |access-date=3 October 2025}}{{cite news |title=Gulbene murder trial begins |work=The Baltic Times |date=2 December 1999 |url=https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/1970/ |access-date=3 October 2025}}{{cite web |title=20 gadi pēc traģēdijas – Gulbenes melnā diena – 22.februāris |website=Dzirkstele.lv |date=22 February 2019 |url=https://dzirkstele.lv/arhivs/20-gadi-pec-tragedijas/ |access-date=3 October 2025}}

Geography

There is one major town in the Gulbene municipality, and the region is separated into 13 smaller rural parishes. Gulbene is being developed as an environmentally-friendly territory.

Climate

Gulbene has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb). Gulbene has a cold and long winter, a warm and short summer, and a fleeting spring and autumn. Winters are often below -25 C. In the cold waves of 1940, 1956, 1978, 1985 and 1987, there were low temperatures below -35 C, and even extremely cold weather approaching -40 C. In mid-summer there will be warm weather exceeding 25 C, and sometimes there will be high temperatures exceeding 30 C. The monthly averages range from -6 C to 18 C, whereas all-time extremes range from -39.0 C on 16 January 1940 to 33.8 C on 11 August 1992. |location = Gulbene (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1923–present) |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |Jan high C = -2.4 |Feb high C = -1.8 |Mar high C = 3.2 |Apr high C = 11.2 |May high C = 17.3 |Jun high C = 20.8 |Jul high C = 23.1 |Aug high C = 21.7 |Sep high C = 16.1 |Oct high C = 8.9 |Nov high C = 2.6 |Dec high C = -0.7 |year high C = |Jan mean C = -4.5 |Feb mean C = -4.6 |Mar mean C = -0.5 |Apr mean C = 6.2 |May mean C = 11.8 |Jun mean C = 15.4 |Jul mean C = 17.8 |Aug mean C = 16.5 |Sep mean C = 11.4 |Oct mean C = 5.6 |Nov mean C = 0.8 |Dec mean C = -2.6 |year mean C = |Jan low C = -7.3 |Feb low C = -7.8 |Mar low C = -4.2 |Apr low C = 1.2 |May low C = 5.8 |Jun low C = 9.9 |Jul low C = 12.5 |Aug low C = 11.3 |Sep low C = 7.1 |Oct low C = 2.5 |Nov low C = -1.6 |Dec low C = -4.8 |year low C = |Jan record high C = 9.7 |Feb record high C = 11.0 |Mar record high C = 17.3 |Apr record high C = 26.8 |May record high C = 30.1 |Jun record high C = 32.6 |Jul record high C = 33.6 |Aug record high C = 33.8 |Sep record high C = 29.8 |Oct record high C = 22.5 |Nov record high C = 14.3 |Dec record high C = 11.3 |year record high C = |Jan record low C = -39.0 |Feb record low C = -37.6 |Mar record low C = -26.5 |Apr record low C = -15.4 |May record low C = -6.0 |Jun record low C = -1.0 |Jul record low C = 3.6 |Aug record low C = 0.5 |Sep record low C = -5.6 |Oct record low C = -13.5 |Nov record low C = -22.8 |Dec record low C = -38.4 |year record low C = |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 46.1 |Feb precipitation mm = 38.1 |Mar precipitation mm = 36.7 |Apr precipitation mm = 34.7 |May precipitation mm = 57.5 |Jun precipitation mm = 78.1 |Jul precipitation mm = 71.8 |Aug precipitation mm = 70.6 |Sep precipitation mm = 53.5 |Oct precipitation mm = 68.1 |Nov precipitation mm = 53.6 |Dec precipitation mm = 47.5 |year precipitation mm = |unit precipitation days = 1 mm |Jan precipitation days = 12 |Feb precipitation days = 9 |Mar precipitation days = 9 |Apr precipitation days = 8 |May precipitation days = 9 |Jun precipitation days = 11 |Jul precipitation days = 10 |Aug precipitation days = 11 |Sep precipitation days = 9 |Oct precipitation days = 12 |Nov precipitation days = 11 |Dec precipitation days = 12 | Jan humidity = 89.0 | Feb humidity = 86.3 | Mar humidity = 76.4 | Apr humidity = 67.3 | May humidity = 67.0 | Jun humidity = 72.3 | Jul humidity = 75.3 | Aug humidity = 78.1 | Sep humidity = 83.1 | Oct humidity = 87.6 | Nov humidity = 90.7 | Dec humidity = 90.9 | year humidity = |Jan sun = |Feb sun = |Mar sun = |Apr sun = |May sun = |Jun sun = |Jul sun = |Aug sun = |Sep sun = |Oct sun = |Nov sun = |Dec sun = |year sun = |Jan percentsun = |Feb percentsun = |Mar percentsun = |Apr percentsun = |May percentsun = |Jun percentsun = |Jul percentsun = |Aug percentsun = |Sep percentsun = |Oct percentsun = |Nov percentsun = |Dec percentsun = |year percentsun = |source 1 = LVĢMC{{cite web | url = https://data.gov.lv/dati/dataset/klimatisko-normu-dati/resource/4ef4a2ac-b439-478a-83b3-cdd39b1eff77 | title = Klimatisko normu dati | publisher = Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre | accessdate = March 27, 2023 | archive-date = January 13, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230113024913/https://data.gov.lv/dati/dataset/klimatisko-normu-dati/resource/4ef4a2ac-b439-478a-83b3-cdd39b1eff77 | url-status = dead | url = https://klimats.meteo.lv/klimats/rekordi/ | title = Gaisa temperatūras rekordi | publisher = Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre | accessdate = March 27, 2023 | archive-date = January 13, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230113024910/https://klimats.meteo.lv/klimats/rekordi/ | url-status = dead |source 2 = NOAA (precipitation days, humidity 1991–2020){{cite web | url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/4.4/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Latvia/CSV/Gulbene_26348.csv | title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020 | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | accessdate = March 30, 2023

Demographics

Within existing limits, according to CSB data.

Population changes

|title= |source= Latvian Geospatial Information Agency |align=none|cols=2 | graph-pos = right |1935 |3819 |1959 |7178 |1970 |8722 |1979 |9484 |1989 |10346 |2000 |9620 |2011 |8314 |2021 |7040

Tourism

The Gulbenes Regional History and Art Museum displays one of the most valuable relics of Latvian museums – a chair designed by Julius Madernieks (1870–1955) made in the 1920s. Julius Madernieks was the founder of Latvian professional applied art born in Vecgulbenes parish and being notable person in city Gulbene.

Sports

The Gulbene municipality's biggest rivers (Gauja, Tirza and Pededze) are currently popular locations for nature tourism and water-sports, but once these were famous places for harvesting river-pearls. Cycling is enjoyed on local country paths.

Gulbene has a basketball team, Gulbenes Buki, playing in the higher division of the Latvian basketball league.

Media

The Gulbene region is served by a newspaper, Dzirkstele.

Gallery

Gulbene raudteejaam 01.JPG|Gulbene Railway Station Red castle of Gulbene - panoramio.jpg|Red Castle of Gulbene Gulbene Rīgas iela, 2013.jpg|Building on the Vidus street in Gulbene Gulbene War of Independence Monument, 2013.jpg|War of independence Monument in Gulbene Gulbene church.jpg|Lutheran church Gulbene, Church of the Most Holy Sacrament.JPG|Church of the Most Holy Sacrament Gulbene veetorn.JPG Gulbene politseimaja.JPG|Gulbene Police Station Gulbene park.JPG|Park with a fountain

Twin towns

Notable people

References

References

  1. "Gulbenes novads – Gulbene Municipality".
  2. "Discover Gulbene! {{!}} Your tourist guide to Gulbene District!".
  3. "Gulbene".
  4. (2023-03-27). "Iedzīvotāji pēc dzimuma un vecuma grupām reģionos, novados, pilsētās, pagastos, ciemos (atbilstoši robežām 2023. gada sākumā), apkaimēs un blīvi apdzīvotās teritorijās (eksperimentālā statistika) 2000 – 2022". [[Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia]].
  5. "Gulbenes novads".
  6. "Laikraksts Dzirkstele".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

gulbenecities-and-towns-in-vidzeme1928-establishments-in-latviavalka-countypopulated-places-in-gulbene-municipality