East Sea Ships

Latvia is a European state, which is situated on the coast of Baltic Sea. One of the three Baltic states, Latvia is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, Belarus on the south east, and the Baltic Sea on the west. The most famous travel spot is the capital Riga, a World Heritage Site. There are also many other great places to see, both urban and rural, such as Liepaja with its unique former secret military town of Karosta and a magnificent beach. Kuldiga with Europe’s widest waterfall and Cesis with its medieval castle ruins are also interesting. Tourists can also enjoy the wild beauty of Latvia's unspoilt seacoast, which is 500 km long and consists mainly of white, soft sandy beaches. Forests, which cover approximately a half of Latvia's territory, offer many nature trails and nature parks.

The stamp on this maxi card is one of a set of three which formed a set which was a Joint issue between Latvia and Lithuania Post, and was issued on May 10, 1997. My friend Merja sent me this extremely pretty maxi card. The ship shown on the card Battle-ship Das Wappen der Herzogin von Kurland (17th century). Shipbuilding flourished in the former Duchy of Kurland in present-day Latvia under Duke Jacob (1642-82). Ships were built at the Ventspils and Kuldiga shipyards, at first by German and Dutch, craftsmen invited by Duke Jacob, and later by local shipwrights. During Duke Jacob’s rule ships of all kinds of ships were built in Kurland, and not only for local needs but also for England, France, Spain and other countries. The biggest battle-ship built for Kurland itself, Das Wappen der Herzogin van Kurland was a four-decked three master armed with 72 naval guns and capable of holding 400 sailors and 100 soldiers. The ship was modelled after the English battleship Sovereign of the Seas.