Jūrmala

Introducing Jūrmala

Latvia's version of the French Riviera, Jūrmala (Seashore) is the name of a string of small towns and resorts stretching 20km along the coast west of Rīga. Vehicles clog the roads on summer days when it seems everyone from day-tripping Rīgans to families on holiday from far-flung country villages descends on Jūrmala for serious fun in the sun. In fact, beautiful fresh air and a relaxed atmosphere have drawn vacationers in droves since the 19th century. In Soviet times 300, 000 visitors a year from all over the USSR flooded in to boarding houses, holiday homes and sanatoriums owned by trade unions and other institutions. Today Jūrmala's long, sandy beaches backed by dunes and woods of pine and its shady streets lined with low-rise wooden houses are only slightly less packed. Although once polluted, the beaches at Majori and Bulduri have been cleaned up in recent years; the water, while quite cold, is safe for swimming.

During Soviet times the Rīga-Jūrmala highway, Latvia's only six-laner, was dubbed '10 minutes in America' because local films set in the USA were always filmed on it.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009