🌅 24 hours in Jurmala: the perfect route for a day trip 🚶♂️
Yur-ma-laaaa! We sang the name of this cozy resort on the shores of the Gulf of Riga and immediately came up with so many associations, right? Stretching over 32 km in length, the city was once famous for hosting numerous festivals, concerts and competitions. The life of summer Jurmala did not calm down for a minute. Now this coastal place is more like a calm harbor where you can come, be in your thoughts, take a breath from the big race of life and, of course, enjoy the beautiful nature. Please note that to travel to Latvia you will have to open a Schengen visa.
How to get to Jurmala?
Let's assume you ‘ve read our ideas of what to do in Riga. And then we decided to spend another day in Jurmala. Getting to it from the capital will not be difficult. Trains, buses – choose what you want. But if you are planning to go by car, be prepared that there is a fee to enter the city – 3 euros. Stop, stop, stop. We hope you haven’t started to get indignant, because when you take your first breath of air, you understand what you paid for. This marine aroma mixed with the smell of coniferous trees… You feel as if you are on a walk through the territory of a sanatorium. This is exactly the impression Jurmala makes in the first minutes of your stay there. The resort, by the way, is famous for its health resorts.
Sea
It’s not hard to guess where the first place to go in Jurmala is. You feel the sea air immediately, even if you don’t see the sea yet. The Baltic is beautiful at any time of the year. Locals take a promenade along the coast even in February, despite the rather cold wind. On the other hand, clean sand, cafes, restaurants, a wide strip of shore – it seems that this is exactly what a weekend dream looks like! Lyrics aside! We only have a day to get everything done.
JURMALA and Majori
Let's go further and be sure to take a photo with the letters JURMALA and the owner of the Majori beach – the turtle. It has stood continuously in one place since 1995. Some say that the bronze sculpture symbolizes longevity, others say that the turtle is as leisurely as the measured resort life of the town.
Having walked along the shore to your heart’s content, on the way back don’t forget to look into the Dzintari hall and be surprised that in real life it is quite small.
Private sector of the Maiori district
Continuing to explore Jurmala, let’s take a look at the private sector of the Majori district – this is another attraction of the wonderful town. Many houses here are built in different styles. Among them are both modern cottages and buildings with several apartments. There are also objects of wooden architecture – from classicism to neo-Gothic. The details of Art Nouveau style, national romanticism , historicism and functionalism coexist harmoniously here.
When walking, be careful: maybe Laima Vaikule is relaxing in one of the areas or a famous oligarch is riding a bicycle. It's common here. The fact that rich people live in Jurmala is noticeable everywhere: roads, villas, apartment buildings, cars… Either a Bentley will slowly pass by or vice versa – a Bugatti will rush somewhere in a hurry.
By the way, only after visiting the city do you understand why rich people so want to buy a house by the sea in this very place: a feeling of calm, regularity – as if you were transporting back to your childhood at your grandmother’s dacha. Here you can just look at the pine trees, walk along the beach, ride a bike along the edge of the coast. And in the evening, go out to the sea to admire the sunset. And the air! What air!
Jomas Street
Okay, we've breathed enough – now let's go to people! Let's take a walk along the local Arbat – Yomas Street – this is the center of tourist attraction. On both sides there are countless cafes, restaurants, shops, and souvenir shops. The end point is the Jurmala globe. Despite its massiveness, it easily rotates like a real globe.
Park “Dzintari”
And then there is the entrance to the Dzintari park. In summer you can spend time here in the skate park or sports areas, and in winter you can go on the ski slopes. Even just a walk in the park will be nice too. If you are not afraid, be sure to go up to the unique observation deck. From it you can simultaneously see the sea and the silhouettes of the outskirts of Riga, and also admire Jurmala. The height of the tower is about 38 meters, but there is a caveat… It sways a little at the top! There are no security issues. The design is reliable. The slight swaying at the very top is the idea of the architect, who decided that simply height would not be enough for adrenaline.
Jurmala City Museum
If you still have time, then welcome to take a look at the Jurmala City Museum. It's free. The exhibition tells how the city developed from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day. The exhibition in the halls is not quite typical. For example, here you can see a collection of swimsuits, postcards and other interesting finds that were recovered from the bottom of the sea.
So we wait for our vacation, add ” book a plane ticket ” to our plan and fly to see beautiful Latvia!