Discovering Riga and Jurmala

Jurmala

When you are in Riga but at the same time you want to escape the city in order to relax and find peace and tranquility Jurmala is the perfect place where to go. It is just 20 minutes by train from the city and it is the most famous resort town where Latvian and Russian people love to spend their time in summer. Indeed, Jurmala is very well known worldwide for its Spas, Russian saunas, and treatments and once you are there you can not miss the opportunity to try it and feel relaxed.

            Jurmala is full of beautiful hotels which are both near to the beach and to the town center and there you will be surrounded by old romantic wooden houses, the typical resort houses used by local people when the weather starts to improve.

            The town is very small and there is one main pedestrian street where you can find several restaurants and cafés to enjoy local food with friends. There you can also find the famous Latvian restaurant Lido if you are looking for something typical at a good price.

Just 5 minutes walking from the center you can reach the beach: the huge gulf

of Riga, characterized by very long and sandy beaches, in particular 33km of white and soft beaches.

During winter the wind can be very cold and strong, there can be snow on the beach and the water is as cold as ice but it is still worth it. In winter you can also find the bravest people swimming in the water, after that they restore themselves in the Spa.

            When summer is approaching, of course the landscape is completely different: on the beach, they start to build small restaurants and cafés, volleyball and football pitches; the beach is more crowded and the weather is warmer, even though the wind can still be cold. It’s all about time and when it is summer there are lots of activities to do, such as water sports as well as festivals and concerts also in Russian language. The concert of the singer Vera Brezhneva, on 14th of July, is an example as well as international concerts like the English Rock Band Smokie, on 27th of July, and the Italian singer Zucchero, on 28th of August.

In summer it will be also possible to take a swim in the Baltic Sea because the water will be warmer and the sun will be hotter to sunbathe lying on the beach. Moreover, it will be a great moment to visit Jurmala and to enjoy the northern sunset very late at night.

In Jurmala you can breathe pure air and enjoy nature, still being very close to the capital city of Latvia, a very nice place which I recommend to visit both in winter and in summer to relax and take a break after a tour around the city!