Karostas cietums (Karosta Prison)

Lonely Planet review

A detention facility until 1997, ghostly Karosta Prison was used by the Soviets, Nazis and Latvians as a military prison. Graffiti left behind by former inmates reveals the horrors of doing time here. If you're craving punishment, you can be a prisoner for the night. You'll be subjected to bed checks and verbal abuse by guards - a very different experience.

Off limits to everyone - including Latvians - during the Soviet occupation, the Karosta area is the site of a former Russian naval base encompassing about one-third of Liepāja's city limits.

From aging army barracks to ugly Soviet-style, concrete apartment blocks (many abandoned), evidence of the occupation still remains, but the Karosta of today is a vibrant place with a bohemian air. Home to artists, musicians, writers and other free thinkers, this progressive area is worth exploring.