Jurmala is called the pearl of the Baltic. This resort area consists of 15 villages located between the Lielupe River and the Gulf of Riga. The Baltic Sea is considered by many to be cold and inhospitable, but this is not about Jurmala. Due to the mild climate, wonderful sandy beaches, comfortable hotels, villas and apartments, as well as hydrogen sulfide springs and attractions, this resort has become a favorite vacation spot for many tourists. However, people come here not only for beach vacations, but mainly for positive emotions, for participating in interesting festivals and competitions, concerts and performances. Do you know what else attracts Jurmala? Sights (photos can be seen in the article) of this wonderful resort town, although not numerous, are worth it in order to be in the spotlight of tourists.
Jurmala: location and general characteristics
This Latvian resort, which is better known in Russia as the capital of cultural festivals, is located only 25 km from the capital of Latvia, Riga. The city does not have its own airport, and in order to get here, you need to fly to the Riga airport, and then drive to the coast by road. The flight time from Moscow to Riga is 1.5-2 hours, and another half hour is needed on the highway. As a result, you can drive to Jurmala in 2-2.5 hours. You can also travel from the Russian capital to the Baltic coast by train, only this journey will be long (16 hours), but cheaper, and along the way you can see plenty of beautiful landscapes.
When is the best time to go to Jurmala?
This town is beautiful at any time of the year: in winter, and in spring, and in autumn, and, of course, in the summer, although most tourists come here in the hot season. For Jurmala, the heat is +22 +24 degrees, and the sea can not be called warm. Tourists, however, are more attracted by the opportunity to participate in various festivals: New Wave, Golden KiViN, Jurmoline, etc., which take place in the famous Dzintari concert hall, as well as meetings with celebrities. However, connoisseurs of these places know that not only this can be attractive to Jurmala. Sights of the city, both architectural, historical and natural, can be visited at any time of the year.
The nature of Jurmala is especially beautiful in late autumn. At this time, you can "catch" the inspiration for the creation of artistic and literary masterpieces. And in winter, especially on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, it is also extremely beautiful and fabulous here. During this period, tourists can visit the sights of Riga and Jurmala and get double pleasure from the snowy view of these cozy European cities. By the way, Jurmala is also rich in mineral springs, and in its hospitals you can undergo a course of treatment at any time of the year.
The main attractions of Jurmala with addresses
There is a street in this town that everyone knows. She is the hallmark of the resort. This is Jomas Street. It prohibited the movement of cars and other vehicles, but you can meet whole crowds of pedestrians. Jomas has a variety of restaurants, cafes and bars, museums and galleries. In the immediate vicinity of it is the central beach of the resort, as well as the largest water park in the entire Baltic.
No less interesting attraction of Jurmala, which is located at Dzintaru Av., 50, is the cottage and the Botanical Garden of Kristap Morberg. The date of creation of the cottage complex is 1883. Of greatest interest to tourists is a wooden house - a wonderful example of neo-Gothic wooden architecture. Its main features are magnificent stained-glass windows, verandas and battlements with weathervanes, etc. During the Soviet era, the building housed a sanatorium. The interior here is also quite remarkable: antique hand-painted wallpapers and ceilings, tiled stoves, stained-glass windows, etc.
But this museum, which is not yet 15 years old, from the day of its foundation is one of the most remarkable places in the city of Jurmala. Sights - something for which the founding date is not important, the main thing is that they are worthy of attention. So, in this museum, at Omnibusa, 19, there is a unique exposition of luminous paintings by contemporary artist Vitaly Ermolaev. His creations are made in the original Inner light style, which means "inner light". The theme of his paintings is space, soul, Earth, etc. With special lighting, a three-dimensional effect arises and it seems that an invisible new one begins to appear from under the upper image. In his work, the artist successfully combines reflective paints and the oldest technology of wax painting, which is more than 2000 years old.
Open-air museum
What else is remarkable for Jurmala? Sights that relate to the historical past of the area are always of particular interest to tourists. This Baltic resort has an ethnographic museum, which is located directly in the air, it is called: "Museum under the open sky." Here, on a certain coastal territory, the living conditions of the Latvian fishing village are recreated. At the dawn of the last century, on the site of this fashionable resort was located the fishing village of Jurmala. His "sights", of course, were limited to dilapidated huts and houses in which the inhabitants of the village, fishermen and fishermen lived, fishing tackle, boats, etc. The organizers of the museum managed to collect everything that was preserved from this village: household utensils, simple pieces of handmade furniture, various devices for processing the catch, for example, smokehouses, various anchors, etc. And everything that could not be found was recreated artificially. Here, on the territory of the museum, at the end of the tour, tourists will be treated to fish dishes and a concert of folk songs and dances will be arranged.
Holy places
Latvia is a Catholic country, but here you can find both Orthodox and Lutheran churches. One of the significant architectural monuments in Jurmala is the Lutheran church of Dubulti. She has a very severe and massive look, but she does not at all spoil the overall picture of the city. The Orthodox Peter and Paul Church is located in the picturesque town of Kemer, which is a national park reserve. Near the church is a source of sulphurous water, which in ancient times was considered a saint.
Jurmala: attractions, reviews of tourists
Fans of sightseeing tours are often disappointed with Jurmala. After all, there are practically no ancient monuments of architecture. But a lot of natural attractions. What are the beautiful botanical gardens and coastal scenic area ?! Local flora and fauna are of great interest to fans of ecotourism. An incredible number of unique species of birds, such as white-backed woodpeckers, as well as many wild animals, live in the forests.
Conclusion
Jurmala can rightfully be considered the summer capital of Latvia. However, among holidaymakers in the hot season you can hardly meet Latvians. They prefer to spend their summer holidays in places warmer and more comfortable in terms of weather conditions. The bulk of tourists, of course, are Russians. Among them there are many representatives of bohemia who come here to participate in festivals.