| Smiltene Municipality | |
| Native Name: | Smiltenes novads |
| Native Name Lang: | lv |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Established Title: | Formed |
| Established Date: | 2009 |
| Established Title2: | Reformed |
| Established Date2: | 2021 |
| Seat Type: | Centre |
| Seat: | Smiltene |
| Leader Title: | Council Chair |
| Leader Name: | Edgars Avotiņš |
| Leader Party: | NA |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Image Map1: | Smiltenes novads 2021.png |
Smiltene Municipality (Latvian: Smiltenes novads) is a municipality in Vidzeme, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging the town of Smiltene with the rural parishes of Bilska, Blome, Branti, Grundzāle, Launkalne, Palsmane, Smiltene and Variņi. During the 2021 Latvian administrative reform, the previous municipality was merged with Ape Municipality and Rauna Municipality.
The administrative centre is in the town of Smiltene. The population in 2020 was 11,985.[1] It borders Estonia.
Smiltene Municipality is located in the northern part of the Vidzeme Highland[2] on the banks of the river Abuls (Abula). The largest natural lake is Lake Klievezers (3.3 ha[3]) in the southern part of the municipality.[4] In the municipality there are three artificial lakes (reservoirs) created on the river. The largest (10 ha) and most popular is just east of the town.[5]
In 1904, Baltic German Count Paul Lieven (Pauls Līvens) built the first hydroelectric power plant in the Baltics on Lake Teperis.[6] [7]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Latvia.
Donnery, France
Drohobych, Ukraine Lviv, Ukraine
Navapolatsk, Belarus
Pincara, Italy
Písek, Czech Republic
Porkhov, Russia Pustomyty, Ukraine Rovigo, Italy
Steinkjer, NorwayThe coat of arms and the flag used until the 2021 administrative reform were abolished after the changes in the boundaries of the municipality, with new sketches presented for an online vote in August 2022.[9] The sketches will need to be approved by the Heraldry Commission of Latvia before use.