The plankway of the black alder swamp forest is one of the shorter trails in the Ķemeri National Park (600 m), and it is located right next to “The Forest House”. Here, in a very focused and concentrated way, you can learn about wet broad-leaved tree forests – swamp forests. You can observe how some tree species have adapted to survive on swampy banks of Vēršupīte, enjoy a fresh shade of canopy on a hot summer day, and carefully listen to bird calls. The swamp forest has been chosen as suitable for settling by nearly all types of woodpeckers living in Latvia, including the park symbol – the white-backed woodpecker. The walk takes about half an hour. The plank way is intended for walking. Please be careful – planks are slippery during rain.
In the course of a short walk the path takes you to a wet broadleaf forest – the Black Alder swamp on the banks of the river Vēršupīte.
The boardwalk is located in a pristine natural alluvial forest around the river Vēršupīte mostly dominated by black alder with some mixture of aspen, oak and ash.
The swamp is basically a result of the floodwaters of the river Vēršupīte. Every spring, in April or May, the river overflows and the forest remains flooded for several weeks.
The boardwalk is made of wooden boards of an average width of 100 cm, minimum width being 85 cm. In some areas (for sightseeing) the boardwalk has been extended to a width of 190 cm.