Balvi is a town in Latvia and the administrative center of Balvi Municipality, in the Latgale region. It is situated in the eastern part of the country, in a region historically shaped by the cultural and linguistic traditions of Latgale.
The town's name is derived from the stream Bolupīte and the adjacent lake. Balvi served as the administrative seat of the district of the same name beginning in 1949. Before the occupation of Latvia, the area formed part of Abrene County.