In the north of Ventspils, in the direction of Kolka, lies Staldzene — an ancient fishing village where several 19th century fishermen's homesteads have been preserved.
Staldzene is a popular walking and swimming spot for locals and visitors, with an impressive steep seashore. The Staldzene Steep Coastline is one of the highest cliffs in Latvia.
The hill is a typical 4–8 m high abrasion coast, where sediments formed in various stages of the Baltic Sea are exposed for about 400 m. As a result of the erosive action of the sea, the steep bank is washed away. Using coastal monitoring data, it has been calculated that the abrasion bank retreats by an average of 1 m every year, as a result of which the area of the natural monument is decreasing and is currently about 6 ha. Thus, the duration of this outcrop is limited, according to the information source Specially Protected Nature Territories in Ventspils. Over time, the bank has also lost its height – about 50 years ago the steep bank reached as much as 12 meters. The erosion of the steep bank is influenced by several factors, including climatic ones - wind speed and direction, air temperature, sea level, currents, waves, ice formation, etc. The piers of the Ventspils port and the deep shipping channel, which completely interrupt the natural movement of sediment past the port to the north, still have a significant impact.
The steep bank of Staldzene contains protected habitats of both European and Latvian importance: wooded coastal dunes, boreal forests, calcareous sand dunes, and grass-covered grey dunes. There are 8 specially protected plant species found in the territory of the natural monument. Some plants are found only in the area around Ventspils and Pape.
The Staldzene Cliffs are located in the Ventspils county and the city of Ventspils, covering a nine-kilometer stretch of coastline from Staldzene to Liepene. Their height reaches 4–18 m above the sea level.The steep coastline is magnificent and picturesque, revealing a wide variety of sediments. In the longer section, blue-gray rocky loam (moraine) deposited during the Ice Age is visible beneath the layers of coastal dune sand, as well as red-brown clay from a glacial lake.
The steep banks of Staldzene have been recognized as Latvia's 2021 Geosite. At an educational event in honor of the “Staldzene Steep Cliffs” – Latvia’s 2021 Geosite of the Year, information stands were unveiled, one was also installed in Liepene. The geosite’s information stands were unveiled by Dainis Ozols, an expert from the “Nature Protection Board” and the “Ziemeļvidzemes Geoparks” association. The title of the Geosite of the Year is awarded with the aim of drawing public attention to Latvia’s special geological formations, providing information to the wider public, and encouraging site identification, research, and improvement.
The geological and geomorphological natural monument in the territory of the city of Ventspils was established in 2001 on an area of 8,6 ha to protect and preserve unique outcrops of the Courland glaciation moraine, clay from the final phase of the Latvian glaciation, and sediments from other historical stages of the Baltic Basin.
In 2001, after a storm, Bronze Age (7th century BC) jewelry and antiquities were discovered on the steep bank of the Staldzene River, the largest deposit of this type in the Baltics, which is currently on display in the Livonian Order Castle Museum.