Description

The name of Mālkalns (lit. Clay Hill) originates from the fact that the foundation soil is clay-based. Formerly, a view opened up from the hill (62 m a.s.l.) onto the city lake and skyline. Jelgava Street winds along the hillside, taking commuters to the town centre. A water mill and Mālu tavern once stood at the foot of the hill near the lake, where the dairy plant now sits.

In 2010, to mark the 77th birthday of the poet Imants Ziedonis, a cherry garden in the honour of Imants Ziedonis was planted on Mālkalns with 77 decorative cherry trees; another year later 60 low-hanging sour cherries, in May 2013, another 100 and, in 2014, approximately 200 more cherry trees were planted. For many years now, we know the lines composed by the poet: “Let me approach the world of beauty, like cherries blossoming in Tukums!”