If you want to find a city with beautiful nature, unforgettable sunsets, and attractions for all family, then Jurmala is the right choice! Jurmala is the largest resort city in Latvia. It is situated about 20km from the capital – Riga, on the coast of the Gulf of Riga. Jurmala is unique with its 25km long golden sand beach, green woods, and fresh air. From the late 18th, it is also known as a spa destination with a relaxation at the seaside and health maintaining in special rehabilitation centers. Nowadays Jurmala isn’t just a place to relax. This city offers a lot of interesting and beautiful attractions for all of you!

1. IT’S A GREEN, GREEN WORLD

The first thing that you will most likely notice is greenness! About 1/3 of the city area is covered with pine forests and parks. Almost everything is landscaped and are daily maintained. All those woods and parks together with Baltic sea gives fresh and healthy air and you can really feel it.

Dzintari Forest Park is a very good known place in Jurmala, where to relax with your loved ones or do something attractive with your friends. It is located in the heart of Jurmala and gives you a walk through 200-years-old pine trees. It’s a unique and protected biotop worth a visit! In The Dzintari Forest Park you can:

• Take a relaxing walk
• Sit and enjoy the nature
• Slide in a skate park
• Play street-ball
• Drink coffee and eat something
• Play with children in a giant playgrounds
• Go rollerblading (in winter – skiing)
• Take apart in ‘’Jūrmalas Tarzāns’’ adventure park
• Climb up in 33,5m high ‘’The Dzintari watchtower’’

2. LONG WALKS AND CITY TALKS

Jomas street (in Latvian – Jomas iela) is the main and oldest street, also very often called as Jurmalas center. There are no cars allowed, it’s only for pedestrian traffic. Jomas street is about 1km long and full of different restaurants, cafes, bars, shops and even with handicraft market. You can try there Latvian traditional food and beer, buy beautiful souvenirs and Baltic sea amber jewelry, eat Latvian salt caramel, Lavanda or another taste ice cream, enjoy the architecture and different sculptures! And if you are enough interested, you can also attend some of Jomas street festivals and celebrations like ‘’Jomas street festival’’, ‘’Classic automobile parade – Retro Jurmala’’ and others. It’s a very photogenic place with millions of beautiful details.

SMART TIP: You are a pizza lover? It’s also worth to visit Jurmala only to try the best pizza in the world! ‘’Red Bus’’ pizzeria offers it to you! Take 30cm for 2 persons and try my favorite ‘’Hot Pork’’!

In both ends of the Jomas street are placed 2 very important monuments. One of them is a statue of Latvia’s epic hero and freedom fighter Lacplesis (in Latvian – Lāčplēsis). In this statue, you can see Lacplesis fighting with a dragon what always will associate Latvian fight for freedom.

And the second monument is 2 meters wide Jurmalas Globe (in Latvian – Jūrmalas Globuss). It is the biggest globe in Latvia and one of the most famous monuments in Jurmala.

3. GOLDEN SAND, SEA, AND SUN

Translated from Latvian ‘’Jurmala’’ actually means ‘’seaside’’ and it means that without sea, sun, and sand Jurmala would lose its charm. Jurmala is having a 25km long beach with 11 sections. Five of them (Bulduri, Dzintari, Majori, Dubulti, and Jaunkemeri) have received The Blue Flag certificates – proving beach cleanness and safeness.

Jurmalas central section Majori is always the fullest beach because it’s located near Jomas street and 2 biggest city hotels. There are a lot of beach restaurants, bars and good beach equipment (changing cabins, foot beach shower, WC) that attracts tourists.

But we also can’t forget about one of the Jurmalas symbols – The Turtle statue (in Latvian – Bruņurupucis) in Majori beach. The Turtle is a bronze statue watching to beach and beautiful sunsets since 1995. It symbolizes long life and you can see this turtle also on a lot of souvenirs. And I really believe that it’s not just an animal statue. Standing there and looking to the beach you feel a very special atmosphere.

One more very important information that I need to tell you is about water temperature. The average sea temperature in summer can go up till +22 degrees and that’s for Baltic sea gulf is very good! The bad thing is that water temperature can very unexpectedly fall down… yes, even till +6 degrees. And then imagine one hot day in golden sand with ice cold sea. I have experienced that but for those situations, there is another water attraction!

4. WHITE DUNE, YACHTS, AND WAVES

Through Jurmala goes river Lielupe that flows into the Baltic Sea what is one more interesting attraction. The river isn’t changing its water temperature and it’s always warmer than in the sea. Luckily not a lot of tourists are going to relax near Lielupe and that’s why there is always more free space near the river and in the water!

I like to search for the best picnic and swim places near the river. And I like it not only because water is warmer, but because going closer to the sea, nature becomes more and more beautiful and interesting. River costs have beautiful pine forests with smaller and bigger dunes, but the most beautiful and popular is Jurmalas White Dune (in Latvian – Baltā kāpa). It is 15 – 20 meters high unique natural formation near the place where Lielupe flows into the sea. It’s a perfect place for families because children love to play in golden sand, run up the dune and feel like conquering the world! In the evening there are very romantic sunsets but in the afternoon you can watch smaller and bigger yacht and bout movement.

Beside picnic and swimming, Jurmala offers many different bout tours and interesting options – you can rent a yacht or motorboat, take bout tour through Jurmala or between Jurmala and the capital Riga, you can sail through the river, go to the place where the river meets the sea or jump out at White Dune and take a swim. What to choose depends on you!

SMART TIP: Best yacht tours are in the sunset, where the river meets the sea. The view is unforgettable. And take with you some blanket or jacket. On board can be windy, even if on land it was sunny and calm.

But for those who don’t love seas, rivers, lakes and so on – there is the third option where to swim, relax and enjoy the day. And especially, if the weather is bad!

5. WATER FUN, RELAX, AND SLIDE

And really, if the person doesn’t like the sea/river water or maybe just the weather is rainy and cold Jurmala has Livu Aquapark (in Latvian – Līvu Akvaparks). It is one of the biggest multifunctional water parks in Northeastern Europe. It is opened since 2003 and gives various relaxation and entertainment choices for all family. There are more than 10 indoor and outdoor pools, more than 20 different slides, hot tubes, sauna area, salt chamber, food service, a bar on water and more… I have been in Livu Aquapark more than 5 times and every time I enjoyed with all my heart! Every person can find there what he/she likes more – something extreme, relaxing or maybe a little bit from everything.

SMART TIP: If you want to enjoy this waterpark without rush, then take not less than 4-hour ticket! With 2 hours there is nothing to do (at least for me, haha)!

6. SING YOUR SOUL, DANCE AND FEEL

Not far away from Jomas street, The Dzintari Forest Park and the Gulf of Riga stands Dzintari Concert Hall (in Latvian – Dzintaru koncertzāle). This concert hall is very good known in many countries like Lithuania, Estonia, Rusland.. place where world-famous artists like Enrique Iglesias, Joe Cocker, and Nelly Furtado have performed. It’s a home for several music and dance festivals and competitions. But tourists aren’t visiting Dzintari Concert Hall just to hear that wonderful acoustic but also to feel the history! The story of this beautiful concert hall starts at the end of the 19th century. And in more than 100 years Dzintari Concert Hall has maintained its original architecture, designed a beautiful park and popularized itself in the whole world!

7. SUNSETS TO LIVE AND DIE FOR

No matter how far or where I have traveled, but the most beautiful sunsets always were, is and will be in Jurmala, near the sea. It’s totally impossible to describe Jurmalas sunsets. Every evening they are totally different – in contrasting colors, with or without colorful clouds and mirroring at the sea water and waves. It always feels surreal.. it can’t be a reality, right? Without photo filters and extra colors… I am officially telling you – Jurmalas sunsets are the best sunsets I have ever seen in my life!

SMART TIP: Take with you a warm blanket, tea, and snacks and make a picnic in the sand. It will be a very romantic and beautiful evening. And you know, Jurmalas sunsets makes also men speechless!

SUMMARY

I haven’t only visited Jurmala several times as a tourist, but I have also lived there. Maybe that’s why it was so hard for me to write this post? It felt for me like opening my soul and showing you my most favorite places and secret things about this amazing city. And all 7 headlines are also not a random word mix. I made them with few easy sounding words, that immediately gives you the right association. Jurmala is a very colorful, fresh, lively and surprising city. It’s worth to visit! And yes, there really are sunsets to die for!

If you are interested to know about me more, see my daily life, read about my travels, experience stories and tips, you are more than welcome to follow me on my other social platforms below:
My blog ''My Small Travel Guide'' has all that you want and need to know about traveling in Europe without quitting your job and taking credits. Travel tips. Cheap flights. Good food. And more in https://mysmalltravelguide.com/
My daily life in Berlin, what I do and what I like you can see in my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sandra.ans/
Newest posts and actual information about my blog in twitter https://twitter.com/small_guide/
And also don't forget to follow my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/mysmalltravelguide/