• Go “Behind Bars” for the night for the ultimate Soviet prison experience
• Enjoy live performances, bustling cafes and beer gardens in the beach side Jūrmalas Parks
• Detour via Kuldīga where quaint castles, manors and gardens meet the waterfalls, forest and caves of the striking Kurzeme landscape

You will travel to Liepaja via Ventspils, the access point for Latvia from Estonia via ferry. It is one of the oldest cities in the country with its 13th Century Livonian Order Castle.  Continue along the Baltic coast to Liepaja, one of the most spirited cities in the country, rich with culture and entertainment. 

Located in between Liepaja Lake, Tosmars Lake and the Baltic Sea, Liepaja’s beginnings as a fishing village come as no surprise.  It is now one of the most important ports of the Baltic coast due to its “ice free” status.  It even rivals Riga as a trading hub.  The first mention of Liepaja was in 1253 when the city was divided in two.  One half was occupied by the Livonian Order and the other by the wealthy Duke of Courland.  When the Livonian Order fell apart in 1560, the city was promised to Prussia and in 1625, was given independent city rights.

Tsar Alexander III ordered the construction of the 8 kilometres of fortifications at Liepaja at enormous expense at the end of the 19th Century.  However the fortifications were never attacked.  They were eventually destroyed before WWI in a peace agreement that was signed between Germany and Russia.  Today, visitors can explore what remains of the fortifications as they gradually disappear into the Baltic Sea. 

The fortified area now called Karosta, was utilised by the Soviets after WWII.    During this time, the economy of Liepaja was boosted by the construction of large Soviet style factories, still a blemish on the waterfront landscape today.  One third of the city was a Soviet Naval base with up to 26,000 military members at its peak.  The city was closed at this time and even locals needed a permit to enter.  Karosta contains a Navy prison which has been used Soviets, Nazis and Latvians.  Until 1997, the prison was still functioning.  Visitors can take a tour, see a reality show or even participate by going “behind bars” where they are locked up and become prisoners for the night, experiencing all the ill-mannered treatment.

All along the coast you will find the fine white sand of Liepaja’s pristine beaches.  Relax on the beach or stroll along the promenade to the huge hourglass filled with amber, not sand.  Baltic Sea beaches are very special to locals since the majority of the coastline was used for military purposes for 45 years until 1991, and beaches were inaccessible.  Just behind the beach are the Jūrmalas Parks.  Created in the 1870s by the wealthy families who built their grand wooden houses here, it is now a bustling area with cafes, beer gardens and live performances in the summer.

Perhaps the heart of Liepaja is the Rožu laukums (Rose Square).  Created in 1910, 500 rose bushes were planted and it has been the main meeting place for young people ever since.  Another feature of the city is the Sv Trisvienibas luterāņu baznīca (Trinity Lutheran Church).  Built in the mid 18th Century, with its unusual baroque façade and intricate rococo interior, it has an organ with a colossal 7000 pipes. 

Drive to or from Riga via Kuldīga.  Located by the Venta River, the town’s quaint castles, manors and gardens are woven around the Aleksupite stream, with a splendid backdrop of waterfalls, forest and caves of the Kurzeme landscape.  There is also Ventas rumba, Europe’s widest waterfall at 110 metres wide.  Continue towards Riga via Sabile, the worlds northern most open air vineyard with winemaking traditions dating back to the 16th Century.

Closer to Riga, Jelgava and its luminescent 18th Century blue and white Jelgava Palace, designed by Italian architect Rastrelli, is also an interesting detour on the way to or from Riga. Another option is to travel between Cēsis and Riga via RundālePalace, in the town of Bauska.  The palace was built in the mid 18th Century as the summer residence of the Duke of Courland.  Well worth the detour, the palace is a spectacular example of Baroque and Rococo art in Latvia.