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Aluksne

Alūksne
Town
The New Castle of Alūksne
The New Castle of Alūksne
Flag of Alūksne
Flag
Coat of arms of Alūksne
Coat of arms
Alūksne is located in Latvia
Alūksne
Alūksne
Location in Latvia
Coordinates: 57°25′N 27°3′E / 57.417°N 27.050°E / 57.417; 27.050Coordinates: 57°25′N 27°3′E / 57.417°N 27.050°E / 57.417; 27.050
Country  Latvia
District Alūksne municipality
Town rights 1920
Government
 • Mayor Aivars Fomins
Area
 • Total 14.2 km2 (5.5 sq mi)
Elevation 217 m (712 ft)
Population
 • Total 9,308
 • Density 655/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code LV-430(1-2)
Calling code +371 643

Alūksne (German: About this sound Marienburg ) is a town on the shores of Lake Alūksne in northeastern Latvia near the borders with Estonia and Russia. It is the seat of Alūksne municipality. Alūksne is the highest elevated Latvian city, located in East Vidzeme Upland at 217 m above sea level. The high elevation of the city affects the social and physical arrangement of the place.

The region around Lake Alūksne was originally settled by Finnic-speaking tribes, and from the 8th-12th centuries by Latgalians. The date of settlement at the current location of the town, then known as Olysta, Alyst, and Volyst, is given in the chronicles of Pskov as 1284. The later name "Alūksne" comes from the Latgalian word olūksna, meaning a spring in the forest.

The Latgalian inhabitants of the settlement were conquered by the German crusaders of the Livonian Order in 1342 . They built a castle named Marienburg (after Mary, the mother of Jesus) on a nearby island, which served to protect trade routes from Riga to Pskov. The town which developed near the castle also became known as Marienburg.


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Wikipedia

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