Jūrmala

 

Jurmala is located in Latvia. Jurmala is the largest resort city in Latvia, located 25 km from Riga. Jurmala stretches twenty kilometers between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River, and from the west it is adjoined by the Kemeru National Park. Formally, one city, Jurmala is a chain of districts, former summer cottages, which, in general, are completely independent, with their own railway stations, shops , cafes, restaurants and a selection of attractions. The most famous and resort areas of Jurmala are Bulduri, Dzintari, Majori, Dubulti, Pumpuri and Melluzi. Dzintari is considered an elite area; it houses the most famous concert hall, which hosts international festivals and performances by famous artists. The Majori area is famous for its cafes and restaurants on Jomas Street and its surroundings. The beaches of Jurmala are famous for their purest white quartz sand and stretch over a distance of more than 30 km. The beach area starts from the village of Bulduri - the oldest district in Jurmala.

 

Destinations

The central part of Jurmala is literally an Art Nouveau reserve - dozens of buildings, mostly detached villas, are protected by the state as cultural heritage monuments.

Pedestrian street in Jurmala - Jomas (Jomas iela).

Open Air Museum (Jūrmalas brīvdabas muzejs) (Bulluciems). A very small museum - a former fisherman's house, transferred to the state in 1970 - is located in a pine forest near the village of Bulluciems on the eastern edge of Jurmala, near the mouth of the Lielupe. You can see the house with all the furnishings, several outbuildings, also furnished, and various items related to navigation or fishing, for example, nets, anchors or propellers from motors. There is nothing outstanding here, and the museum is easy to see in half an hour or an hour, but it is located in a rather pleasant and little-visited place. From here, about three hundred meters along the path through the forest to the sea coast (and this coast is far from the main Jurmala, and there are much fewer people here), and about the same in the other direction to the Lielupe River. It is impossible to walk to the mouth of the Lielupe along the river, first you have to go to the sea, and then walk along the beach to the east. Bulluciems is located three to four kilometers east of Lielupe and Bulduri stations, it is better to go either by your own car or by bus from Bulduri station.

 

How to get here

By train
From the Riga railway station, from platform 3, an electric train leaves every 30 minutes to Jurmala (direction Tukums or Sloka). Ticket price - 1.40 euros (2015) one way. The timetable does not include the name of the Jurmala station, you must take a ticket to the station or Dzintari, or Majori (the central railway station in Jurmala). The conductors check tickets directly in the carriage immediately after departure. It is possible to buy a ticket from the conductor, but it will cost 50% more.

By car
There is a fee of 2 euros per day for entering Jurmala. If you are coming from Riga, the payment station is located in front of the bridge over the Lielupe River. Technically, you can drive through it and enter the city without paying. In this case, you will most likely be fined. The main road from Riga to Tukums does not enter the main part of Jurmala, and turns in front of the bridge and remains on the right bank of the Lielupe.