Saunags

Saunags (Livonian: Sǟnag) is a populated place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia, located from the Cape Kolka, within the borders of Slītere National Park. The name derived from Livonian Sǟnag – pike perch (Sander), a local fish. First mentioned in documents in 1310, Saunags is the oldest of the twelve Livonian villages along the Livonian Coast. The settlement comprises two parts — Saunags and Dižsaunags (Great Saunags), the latter being the older and better preserved. Located on the shore of the Baltic Sea, the village was historically inhabited by the Livonian people.

== History and local landmarks == Saunags is located at the same latitude as Gothenburg (Sweden) and the same longitude as Turku (Finland), both of which were important ancient regional trading and cultural centers. Although remote and sparsely populated, this coastal area held strategic importance in many wars due to its proximity to the Irbe Strait, the main sea route to Riga. As a result, the nearby seabed is scattered with shipwrecks dating from medieval times to the modern era, a testament to many past battles. During the Crimean War the British navy landed and burned down a military outpost of the Russian Empire here. During the First World War the Russian navy placed a large number of naval mines offshore, the largest such emplacement at that point in Baltic Sea history. This led to many German ships being destroyed here. During the Second World War, German guns located here and opposite at Saaremaa island controlled the Irbe Strait.