Jurmala

Jurmala, literally "the seaside", is a cluster of former fishing villages along the southern shores of the Gulf of Riga some 15 kilometres from Riga. The seaside resort is the favourite summer outing place for Riga residents. Majori, Dubulti and Lielupe are the most favourite places. Along the over 30 kilometres of sandy beaches, you will surely find your private little spot.
Throughout this century, Jurmala has been Riga's playground, from the elegant days of the 1930's, to the years of occupation when the sands shifted under the feet of thousands of tourists from all over the USSR. Not unlike the U.S.'s Florida, Jurmala was also the ultimate destination for the Soviet Union's elite retirees. Countless military officers collected their pensions on this small peninsula from Lielupe to Vaivari. You too can explore beautiful beaches, soothing spas and seafood restaurants!
For interested parties, there is even a gay beach at Lielupe (after the Lielupe stop on the train, take bus N°1 to the end and walk about 20 minutes north).

The water in the Bay of Riga becomes quite warm in summer, and if it got really clean, Jurmala has a future as a cheap holiday destination for tourists from th Nordic countries. Then the living conditions in Russia improve, perhaps the Russians also will come back. The condition is of course that the environment project succeeds. But despite all efforts, it takes time for the sea to recover. Perhaps we will see Jurmala rise to an important holiday destination in 10 years time.

Average water temperature in summer: 16°C.

On the river Lielupe The yachts club at the railway bridge

Close to the estuary a fishing harbour is situated, but don't stop there! Instead you should follow the winding river all the way to a large crossing railway bridge. There you find the largest yacht club of Latvia. We lacked charts for the river, and to our knowledge there are none. We sailed in the middle of the river, somewhat closer to the "outer curve" in the meanders. Sand banks are often gathered in the "inner curve".

Old sanatorium at the beach

The long beaches of Jurmala

During the period between the world wars, the "bathing culture" expanded. In those days Jurmala was also visited by tourists of the time, among them many Swedes. From this period you still find many wooden houses.

The small villages at the shore of Riga Bay grow together, and the common name for the area became Jurmala.

"Mallorca of the former Soviet Union"

On of the tasks for the trade unions were to run holiday camps and organize the leisure for the workers. The structures at Black Sea and those at Jurmala became the most important "bathing paradises". The tourism grove and huge hotels were constructed. Behind the beach pedestrian streets developed with shops and restaurants. Under it's golden age Jurmala was visited by hundreds of thousands holiday makers every summer. The Black Sea coast were in west called "the rivière of the Soviet Union". If any place should be called "the Mallorca of the Soviet Union", it is Jurmala.

 

Like a stranded carrier, the hotel "Pearl of Riga" stretches over the beach.. Despite that not many years have passed since the fall of Soviet Union, only the burned skeleton of the building remains.

With the growing water pollution, Jurmala got problems. But the final clash came with the fall of Soviet Union. The large state companies stopped to finance the holiday structures of the trade unions, and the social system for leisure eroded over a night. Those who could afford it, turned to new destinations now open in the west for their holiday trips. Others couldn't afford a holiday at all. Few visitors came to Jurmala. The huge hotels closed and the area faced a deep recession.

Jurmala has still not fully recovered, but the citizens of Riga, likes to go here, to walk along the beach, to swim or to visit a restaurant. The commerce and night life are growing, but the empty hotels tell the story of times gone.