9 things to do in Jurmala, Latvia, besides the beach

No trip to Riga, Latvia is complete without visiting Jūrmala, the seaside resort. First of all, it is close to Riga and easily accessible by train in half an hour, and secondly, its white sandy beaches are just incredible. If next summers will be as hot as the one of 2018, it could become an excellent beach and swimming destination in the near future. In the years before, the sea was not warm enough for swimming most of the time. Jūrmala offers not only white sand beaches and pine woods next to them. There are many things to see and do apart from that, so here is my list of things to do in Jūrmala besides spending your time on an excellent beach.10 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530492

1 Walk Jomas street

Jomas street is one of the oldest and central streets of Jūrmala with restaurants, summer terraces, hotels, and cafes. The name of the street in Latvian means parallel lines in the sand of dunes. A bit more than one kilometer long Pedestrian Street is well worth walking it all.10 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153048811 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153049812 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530500Jomas Street Festival takes place every year in July. Guests are entertained with theatre plays, musical performances, and a special program for children. 

2 Attend a concert at the Dzintari concert hall

One of Jūrmala's highlights is the Dzintari Concert Hall. It dates back to the end of the 19th century when it was known as the Edinburgh Concert Hall. Today it has an open summer stage known as the large hall and the recently renovated small indoor hall. In the summer the large hall is busy with performances every day so you can find a concert or event for your taste quite easily, for example, Ballet stars in Jurmala, Guidon Kremer and Chamber Orchestra Kremerata Baltica, Festival Summertime of Inese Galante, Opera Festival, as well as concerts of many Latvian performers. 21 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153046522 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153047323 dzintari concert hall thesanetravel.com 128042325 dzintari concert hall thesanetravel.com 1280437

3 Visit the summer house of Mr. Morberg

The house was built at the end of the 19th century and was owned by Latvian architect and patron Kristaps Morbergs. His summer house is a monument of the neo-Gothic wooden architecture of that time. The current owner of the building is the University of Latvia. The spectacular interiors of Morberga seamlessly combine the styles of Gothic, Renaissance and Art Nouveau. It features high ceilings, large windows, ornate stained glass, terraces, and towers. 30 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153042131 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153040732 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153040833 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153041834jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530419You can order a tour or rent all or part of the premises. Guests can prepare their meals in the modern kitchen equipped with all the necessary facilities. A dining room with a TV is also available and breakfast is prepared by the summer house’s MasterChef.

Address: Dzintaru prospekts 52/54.

4 Be active at Dzintari Forest Park

Two hundred year old pine trees and the bilberry bush are the greatest treasures of Dzintari Forest Park. The park is intended for the fans of both active and relaxing leisure activities. Infrastructure objects are located evenly throughout the park and are connected with a wooden board footpath raised above the ground.40jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153069641jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153070042jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153070443jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153070544jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153071345jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530716I used to skate on a skating track in the middle of the park for a few years. I can say that it is excellent for skaters. A pedestrian bridge separates skater and pedestrian paths. Cross-country skiing is available in winter. The viewing tower of the park with a platform at a height of more than 30 metres offers awesome views of Jūrmala. The park is open all year round. It is free of charge during the open hours of the forest park.

5 Visit Aspazija's house even if you don’t know anything about her

During Latvia’s first period of independence, Rīgas Jūrmala was the home of Latvia’s most famous literary couple, poet Rainis and his wife, feminist writer Aspazija. She spent the last 10 years of her life in this two-story wooden summer house (1933-1943). The building is a national architectural monument built at the beginning of the 20th century. The museum helps to experience the spirit of the last century, via household items and interiors and also projected holograms and interactive educational games, including many holograms of cats, I promise. The entrance is free of charge. 50 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153062551 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153062252jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153056153 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153057754 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153058055 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153058556 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153059057 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153059458 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153059760 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530609Address: Z.Meierovica prospekts 18/20, Dubulti

6 Visit Dubulti Evangelical Lutheran Church

The famous Baltic-German architect Wilhelm Bockslaff designed the Dubulti Lutheran Church, which is a fine example of Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) architecture and one of the tallest and most monumental buildings in Jūrmala. Dubulti church can accommodate more than 700 people. Its size and details clearly show the tradition of national romanticism that may be seen in the rich sculptural elements of the building, decor of ornamental sculptural details, as well as the diversity of the facade decoration. Check the concert calendar of the church.70 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153043871 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153042371jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153042572jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153042873jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530429 Address: Baznīcas iela 13, Dubulti

7 Make a selfie at one of the signs of Jurmala

You will find several interesting and maybe strange objects of art in Jurmala. They are quite popular with visitors and the choice is yours as to where you would like to take your selfie. So here you go. At the junction of Turaidas and Jomas streets, you can find "Globuss", the oldest large globe in Latvia. Globuss was set up in the early 1970s and is a symbol of this time, as confirmed by the territories of the countries marked on the globe map.75 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530486Another one is the bronze statue of a turtle, symbolizing longevity, and it has been watching over the beach from its elevated position since 1995. It’s now one of the most recognised symbols in Jūrmala and it’s become somewhat of a tradition for tourists to have their selfies taken next to it or, in some cases, on top of it.76 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530529 Address: Tirgoņu iela 1, Majori

8 Admire the architecture of villas and private houses

Wooden architecture is one of the distinguishing features of Jūrmala, in particular, quaint homes with decorative tower lets and glazed verandas. They were built in the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, most as summer villas. These buildings' characteristic traits are ornate and imaginative carvings that decorate window frames, facades, and roofs.83jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530462

Address: Juras iela 57, Dzintari

84jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530430

Address: Baznicas iela 6, Dubulti.85 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530435

Address: Baznicas iela 4, Dubulti87 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530516

Address: Pilsonu iela 8, Majori89 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530523

Address: Juras iela 33, Dzintari. Currently almost not visible from the street.

New villas want to compete or stand out from this rich architectural heritage.80 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530724

Address: Bulduru prospekts 112, Lielupe.81 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530729

Villa Marta. Address: Bulduru prospekts 16, Bulduri.

9 Stay at Hotel MaMa

This small boutique hotel with 7 rooms reflects the tendencies of contemporary architecture and charmingly fits into the landscape of Jurmala. The interior can be characterised as unusual, touched by elegant irony and a contemporary lifestyle where the dreams of happy human beings are enacted in the interplay of different forms of design.90 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153062791 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153066992 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153063693 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153064694 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 153064995 jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530658Address: Tirgonu iela 22, Majori

And, of course, do not forget the beach!99jurmala latvia thesanetravel.com 1530469

Like it? Pin it!No trip to Riga, Latvia is complete without visiting Jūrmala, the seaside resort. It is close to Riga and easily accessible by train, and its white sandy beaches are just incredible. Check my list of things to do in Jūrmala apart from staying at the beach. #travel #travelblog #Europetravel #visitLatvia #visitJurmala #Jurmala #travelphotography #seasideresortWhat did you think? Have you been to Latvia and Jurmala? Or perhaps you’re thinking of visiting there in the near future? Either way, I’d love to hear from you so please add your comments below.

  • Updated by Anita on November 26, 2023
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    Author: Anita Sane

    Anita 03 18

    About the author
    Anita is a part-time traveller, passionate photographer and a retired career woman from Latvia, 
    travelling mostly solo for more than 15 years. She is a skilled travel planner who plans and executes her travels by herself. Anita wants to show you how to travel the world and open your mind to new experiences. Follow her on FacebookInstagramPinterestTwitter and Bloglovin.

     

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    Sam
    I loved doing all of these things in Jurmala, except the museums were sadly closed on the day I went. Thanks for such great recommendations .
    Gravatar
    I went to Jurmala in 1987, and I saw only snow and one major shop in the center of the city. It was wooden one supported on wooden columns, do you have its photo. I describe it my book champansky campaign, thank you
    Gravatar

    Incredible photos, looking at them, I kind of was there. Thanks for this opportunity! I'm impressed! Very beautiful architecture! Generally a very beautiful place!

    Gravatar
    Обязательно посетите природный музей в Юрмале под открытым небом!
    Gravatar
    Jurmala looks like a beautiful place to explore..that turtle statue is so cute. Love it

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