Saunags is at same latitude as Gothenburg and the same longitude as Turku, both important ancient regional trading and cultural centres. Although far from large towns and sparsely populated, this coastal area had strategic importance in many wars because of its proximity to Irbe Strait, the main sea route to Riga. As a result, the nearby seabed is dotted with medieval to modern ship wrecks. During the Crimean war the British navy landed and burned down a military outpost of the Russian Empire. In the First World War the Russian navy placed a large number of naval mines off-shore - largest such emplacement at that point in Baltic Sea history. This lead 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. After World War II, this area become the Soviet western border. There remains a USSR border guards tower, projector light and small security house. An old road, located behind the dunes parallel to the coast, connects Dižsaunags with the former lighthouse. This historic forest road is still used occasionally by local residents. According to a local legend, there is a Medieval burial ground on the outskirts of the village in the direction of Vaide, however archeological works conducted in 2012 did not find any burials there. Next to this site lay the ruins of the first Soviet military base built by troops of Baltic Military District soon after World War II. Although situated in a coastal environment, Saunags is home to a very large lime tree on Niglini estate, and a group of very large black alder trees on Kalnbunkas estate. According to a Latvian registry listing all great or largest trees, Saunags is the only locality with two species large trees in one place. The village can be accessed from the main asphalted road or via the old forest road connecting Saunags with Vaide and Pitrags. There are signs on the forest road marking the borders of Saunags.
Former and present landowners
Most of land in this area, as well as neighbouring areas, for many centuries until 1918 belonged to the BaronOsten-Sacken family, a fairly important local Baltic-German noble dynasty. Their main seat was Dundaga Castle. After 1905 upraising local fishermen were gradually allowed to acquire land plots and their houses from the baron. In 1731 Dundaga manor book stated three estates in Saunags: Buncke Pritiz, Melcke Ans and Walke Angeck. According to local elders, it is likely that Bunke Pritiz is the first and the oldest settlement on the whole Livonian coast. It is supported by the fact that this is location of the oldest trees as well as that the house itself is located at the highest point in the area. Curiously, the nearby forest opening, plot of land between Jaunpakalni's sauna building and Akacijas, was well known area for all local Liv celebrations for centuries. In the past, Saunags was mainly populated by fishermen and farmers; today, historic wooden properties are mainly used as summer houses. Akacijas estate is the site of former local fish processing and salting plant owned by Kārlis Tilmanis, well known canned fish brand in Latvia between two World Wars. Tilmanis family fled by fishing boat to Sweden in 1945. Only an ice storage inside dune and skeleton wooden pier still remain. The other large estates are Jaunpakalni, Krumini and Niglini. There is a small private Ethnographic Museum on Jaunpakalni estate, which include restored old boat "Pakalni" used for fishing for over 50 years in local waters. Former fishermen barn, there all chandlery was kept, as well as winter repair wharf, were located symmetrically on the left and right side accordingly of Kalnbunkas' private approach road. Only foundations now remain, although there are plans in place to re-construct them together with the timber pier.
700th anniversary
In 2010 Saunags celebrated its 700th birthday. To mark this anniversary some local summer residents followed old Livonian routes by sea on motor yacht "Kolka" from Riga via Ruhnu and Saaremaa islands and Kolka to Saunags, where they disembarked from anchored boat. Memorial sign "DIŽSAUNAGS" was placed on the top of a sand dune nearby, between the two access roads to the beach.
