Jurmala

Overview

Jurmala, without any exaggeration, has always been considered the best resort and has hosted the richest Lithuanian nobles, the highest military echelon and representatives of the elite. Today, it has become much more accessible, but it has not lost its decent appearance at all.

Jurmala is a unique combination of three recreation areas — marine, forest and cultural. Those who are attracted by the mild climate, the healing sea air, the combination of ample opportunities for restoring health with a variety of entertainment rest here.

History

In the 30s of the XVIII century, the first bathers appeared in the village. At first, connoisseurs of sea bathing settled in fishing houses, but with the development of communication, and especially with the advent of the railway in 1877, large-scale cottage construction unfolded on the Riga seaside, the first sanatoriums and establishments with heated seawater baths appeared.

In 1834, the so-called Divel Hotel was built in Dubultah, which became the center of the surrounding social life, and in 1847 the first courthouse was opened. There was no local government on the Riga seaside at that time, so the vacationers themselves created bathing societies (Badegesellschaft), who took care of the improvement of the baths, hired doctors for the season and orchestras for balls and concerts.

The rise of Jurmala's convenience was the construction of the Riga–Tukums railway. The convenience of communication dramatically increased the influx of visitors even from remote parts of the Russian Empire. The railway stops in Jurmala corresponded to the location of the baths, which developed on the site of ancient fishing villages.

What to see and do

The environment of Jurmala seems to be created for a variety of forms and manifestations of outdoor activities. Everything is most suitable for walking, jogging and Nordic walking along the water's edge, along forest paths or between dunes, volleyball or football on the beach, and for extreme athletes and wind catchers – water skiing and wakeboarding. Many places offer boat rentals, kayaks, SUP boards and wakeboards, as well as boat trips, yachts and an antique sailboat.

In winter, Jurmala beach turns into a snow-covered 20-kilometer ski run along the beautiful coast and pine forests.

History lovers will be interested to visit the Jurmala Museum, which houses more than 60 thousand objects telling about the life of the resort from the end of the 19th century to the present day, as well as old postcards of Jurmala, works by famous artists.

How to get

Trains, buses and taxis run from Riga to the coast. Commuter trains of Latvian Railways depart from Riga-Passazhirskaya railway station to Jurmala 1-3 times an hour. The city is strongly stretched along the coast, and the train makes 10-12 stops there.