Holiday apartment in Saulkrasti Municipality on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Riga

Saulkrasti is located on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Riga and offers a 17 km-long stretch of coastline with protected landscapes, historic sites and unusual natural experiences. Saulkrasti is located about 50 km from Riga. The internationally important VIA Baltica highway also runs through Saulkrasti Municipality.

Coast and nature

A central landscape feature of the area is the “Piejūra” Nature Park. Founded in 1962, the protected area serves to preserve coastal ecosystems as well as protected habitats and species, while also supporting educational and recreational opportunities. The nature park contains a high proportion of protected habitats and great biodiversity. Developed paths and rest areas are available for pedestrians and cyclists; there are also car parks and information boards.

The 18 m-high White Dune on the right bank of the Inčupe near its mouth into the sea offers a particularly beautiful view of the Gulf of Riga. The Sunset Trail is approximately 4 km long and runs from the White Dune towards the centre of Saulkrasti. Along the way, it passes a wide sandy beach, the foredunes, the Pēterupe and tall pine trees. The approximately 1.2 km-long Ķirezera Trail runs around Lake Ķirezers; it is a nature trail marked by blue signs on the trees.

Other distinctive landscape features complement this coastal scenery: The 26 km-long Lojas River is a right-bank tributary of the Gauja in Saulkrasti Municipality. Sēja Oak is considered one of the largest oaks in Latvia and the Baltics. There is singing sand on the coast near Lilaste.

Trails, cycling and water activities

Saulkrasti Forest Park has wide paved paths that are considered safe and unobstructed for cycling. The Saulkrasti bicycle track includes the Velozinis course, which recreates typical conditions and obstacles of an urban traffic environment for children learning to cycle. Water sports and other water-based leisure activities are possible at Lake Pabaži; suitable equipment can be rented.

History and culture

The Saulkrasti Bicycle Museum houses Latvia’s only collection of historic bicycles. Its collection includes technically interesting examples found in Latvia from the history of bicycle development. Guided tours are offered at the museum in Latvian, English and Russian; they last between 20 minutes and 1.5 hours.

Architectural history is also present in several places in Saulkrasti Municipality. The first building of Pēterupe Lutheran Church was erected in 1641, while the fourth church building, which has survived to the present day, dates from 1856. Sēja Manor House dates from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries and acquired neo-Gothic decorative elements during renovations from 1883 to 1885. Sēja Manor Water Tower was built in 1903 and is a rare neo-Gothic engineering structure of Latvian manor architecture; it has the status of an industrial monument of regional significance.

Construction of Sēja School began in 1914. The school was inaugurated on 26 November 1922. In the centre of Saulkrasti, Saules Square hosts evening open-air concerts and film screenings in summer.

Historic coastal settlements

The history of today’s coastal area dates back to the time of the first summer houses. At the beginning of the 19th century, Baron Karl von Reutern of Lēdurga had the first summer houses built and established a new seaside resort called Neubad (Neibāde). By the middle of the 19th century, Neibāde had developed into a spa resort.

Zvejniekciems emerged in the 19th century as a fishing village on the coast of Skulte. The Saulkrasti Tourist Information Centre is located at Ainažu 13b in Saulkrasti.

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More destinations

More places in the same destination:

Stopiņu Municipality, Krustpils Municipality, Aglona Municipality, Cēsis Municipality, Kocēni Municipality, Skrunda Municipality.