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Valmiera (population 27,323 as of 2002) is the largest city of Vidzeme region, Latvia with a total area of 18.1 km². It is the center of Valmieras county.
It lies on the crossroads of several important motorways, 100 km from Riga, the capital of Latvia and 50 km from the border of Estonia. Valmiera lies on the both banks of the Gauja River.
History
Valmiera and its surroundings have been one of the longest inhabited regions of Latvia – the first people have lived here already 9,000 years ago. Valmiera was first mentioned as a town in a chronicle dating back to 1323. But the true founding of the town probably occurred at least 40 years earlier when the master of Livonian Order Villekin fon Endorp started to build catholic church and castle on the banks of the river Gauja. Valmiera (Wolmar) was a member of the Hanseatic League from the 14th till 16th century. That brought a great animation and movement into the quiet but still active town’s life.
In the 1702 during the Northern War Valmiera was destroyed and burned down. Valmiera survived the depredations of war experienced several rules and after all became an important administrative and trading centre.
Today
Valmiera is a de-facto cultural and administrative centre of Vidzeme. It is the only town in the region to have a professional theater, Valmieras teātris, established in 1919. In 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 garbage – control system in Northern Vidzeme. A project about water supply development and 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 thermo electric station and a project of the Olympic Centre – a sports hall are at the beginning stage.
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.
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