Page 176 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

174  LA T VIA REGION B Y REGION

8 Jaunpils Castle
Jaunpils pils
Road Map C4. Tel 6310 7082.
Open 10am–6pm daily. & -
∑ jaunpilspils.lv
Built by the Livonian Order in
1301, with its distinctive round
tower added in the 15th century,
Jaunpils Castle was owned by
the German von der Recke
family from 1561 to 1922. On
24 December 1905, the castle
was burned down by
revolutionaries (see p139), and
the current structure is almost One of a dozen bridges across the Vēršupīte river, Ķemeri Park
entirely the result of subsequent
reconstruction. The small 9 Ķemeri Ķemeri Park, encompasses an
museum inside includes replicas Road Map C3. @ from Rīga. Orthodox church, pavilions and
of weapons and armour, as well n Meža Māja, 6773 0078. 8 canoe bridges across the Vēršupīte river.
as some interesting photographs trips & wildlife tours arranged at Ķemeri is also the entry
of the castle before 1905. Across visitors’ centre. ∑ daba.gov.lv point to Ķemeri National Park,
the courtyard from the museum which has rivers, lakes, mea-
is a pub, and the castle also has A popular resort in the early 20th dows, inland dunes, sulphur
eight atmospheric hotel rooms century, Ķemeri is consi dered springs and forests. A 3-km
(see p301). Guided tours also take part of Jūrmala, although it has (2-mile) wooden pathway
in Jaunpils town’s Evangelical not seen the same scale of traverses the park’s 6,000-ha
Lutheran Church and the early rejuvenation experienced further (14,830-acre) bog, which
19th-century watermill. east. The town’s main attraction, attracts bird-watchers.
q Jūrmala

Literally meaning “seaside” in Latvian, Jūrmala is an attractive
stretch of beaches, pine forests and small towns alongside
the Gulf of Rīga. During the 19th century, the area became
famous for its medicinal mud and sulphur-rich spring water.
Jūrmala soon grew into a popular resort and it became
fashionable to own a summerhouse here. The wooden houses
as well as older sanitaria still dot the area, standing alongside
modern guesthouses and upmarket spas.
Jomas Street in Majori is a
Jūrmala pedestrianized strip that forms the Bulduri LIELUPE
heart of Jūrmala. It is lined with a
Beach
Area of Lielupe large number of outdoor cafés,
Gulf of Rīga main map ME Ž A PRO SPE KT S
Dubulti restaurants and hotels, as well as Dzintari B U L D U R U P RO SPEK TS
Majori a variety of shops. Beach
Kaugari
Vaivari Jaundubulti Gulf of
Sloka Rīga DZINTARI E DI NB U RGA S PR O SP E KT S BULDURI
Marienbāde
Sanitarium was Majori D Z INTA RU
built in 1870. Beach P R O S P E K T S
J Ũ RA S I E LA
JO MAS IE LA
JŪRMALA
Aspazija House was Z M E I E R O V I C A P R O S P E K T S MAJORI
the last home of one of Lielupe R Ī G A S I ELA
Latvia’s most famous
poets, Elza Rozenberga DUBULTI
(1865–1943), DUBULTU
nicknamed PROSPEKTS
“Aspazija”. The Jūrmala City Museum charts
house is now a S LO KA S I EL A the growth of the seaside
branch of the resort from the early 19th
Jūrmala Town Museum. century to today.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp301–302 and pp322–4
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