The protected landscape area “Veclaicene” was founded in 1977. This area of 20892 ha has been included in the network of the special nature protection areas of the European Union Natura 2000. The area contains the nature reserve “Spring forest”, “Dēliņkalns” and “Korneti-Peļļi”. According to the administrative division, the territory is located in the Jaunlaicene, Mārkalne, Veclaicene and Ziemeri rural districts of the Alūksne region as well as in the town of Ape with the rural territory in the Ape region. The area was formed to preserve and protect the cultural landscape characteristic for the northern Vidzeme and its natural values. The geomorphological natural monument – the Grūbe dolomite rock outcrop is located there. In the protected landscape area there are such protected biotopes like forests of slopes and ravines, virgin raised bogs, transition bogs and mires, species-rich fallow meadows, black alder swamps and others, as well as a lot of plant and bird species which need special protection. From the top of the hill one can see the highest peak in Estonia, Munamägi (in the Haanja Upland) that rises 318 metres above the sea level.
