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From ancient times, people have come here to regain health and get rid of melancholy, which is so widespread, especially after the darkness of northern winter.

Hiking in fresh air

Spring is a perfect time for a hike across the Riga gulf beach. You can walk for kilometers, you can grab your sticks and do some Nordic walking, which is quite popular in Latvia. And you do not have to worry about walking too far because you can catch train or bus and get back to the center of Jurmala anytime. Although Riga gulf is a part of Baltic sea, in reality, is more like a giant lake, calm and mild. Water is not so salty as in Baltic sea and the beach has the finest sand you will ever see. It is natures made promenade, which covers all 466 kilometers long coastline of Latvia, of which 24 kilometers are located in Jurmala.

For those who seek unique landscapes, Great Ķemeri Bog is the place to go. There are several trails available for tourists, and sunrise or sunset is the best time to go on a hike there. The unique Ķemeri national park is located near town Ķemeri and you can get there easy by train or bus.

Improve your health

Already in the 18th century, people were using the local hydrogen sulphide mineral water springs, peat and sapropel mud for medical purposes. Healthy maritime climate, mineral waters and medicinal mud help to solve multiple medical issues. Mud therapy relaxes muscles, improves blood circulation, maintains metabolism, rendering positive impact on digestion. Medical mud therapy is useful in conditions of inflammation or swelling and relieves pain. After all, mud is a good hair conditioner, useful in a condition of stiff joints and is good for skin.

Medical mud treatment in Jūrmala is available from several SPA hotels and sanatoriums each of which offers different types of treatments – starting from Dead sea mud applications on skin, till bathing in the bath, full of a hot mix of mineral water and medical mud from Ķemeri peat moor.

Enjoy wooden architecture

It is fun to get lost on Jūrmala streets. Each corner can hide an aesthetic discovery. It is quiet here and beauty of hundred years old houses makes you want to stay here and spend days in a sun-lit veranda, eating strawberries.

Although the first inhabitants of Jūrmala were fisherman, in the end of the 19th-century town was crowded with summer guests who wanted to enjoy swimming, sunbathing and pine forest freshness. Those were romantic times and it reflected in the architecture of town – classical Jūrmala consists of mainly wooden buildings with rich decorations influenced by Art Nuveau, Art Deco and national romanticism.  In nowadays some of them have received a full restoration, some just a facelift of a new coat of paint, and some others are still waiting for their true owner to come for rescue. May be this rescuer could be you?

Simple relaxing

If mud therapy sounds too complicated, why not to enjoy some simple relaxation in Jurmala SPA centers? Every largest hotel has one and if you stay here for a week, you can go to different SPA center every day, including one of the largest water parks in northern Europe with slides and saunas. Some of the SPA centers has mineral water pools, some will invite you to bathe in warm sea water, most of them will offer all possible kinds of saunas, salt rooms, amber rooms and different SPA rituals, starting from ayurvedic, Korean and Thai, and ending with traditional Latvian sauna rituals offered by Kurshi hotel & SPA.

Family fun

Jūrmala is a family friendly place. And it does not matter, what is the age of your kids – are they still in the baby carriage or you have teenagers with their own opinion on things. Jūrmala will have it covered. Waterpark Līvu Akvaparks might be the heavy artillery, but will leave everybody satisfied – attractions are available for all ages and moods, starting from kids pools for non-swimmers and ending with extreme slides for adrenaline junkies.

Leasure time park Dzintaru Mezaparks is a large open air park with one of the best roller-skating tracks in Latvia, sight-seeing tower and multiple zones of children attractions for different ages. If the weather is good, you can get lost here for hours.

Jurmala open-air museum is the place, where you can witness lifestyle of the 19th-century fisherman. There is a reconstructed fisherman’s yard, an authentic boat collection, special buildings for smoking fish, repairing fishing nets and twisting ropes. You can order guided tour and degustation of smoked fish and Latvian beer, upon prior notice.