Saulkrasti Municipality – Coast, Nature and Culture

Coast

Saulkrasti Municipality, known as Saulkrastu novads, is located on the coast of the Gulf of Riga in western Vidzeme. Saulkrastu novads stretches 17 kilometres along the coast and 20 kilometres eastwards to the Loja River; there is singing sand near Lilaste. The international Via Baltica highway passes through the area. The area includes Saulkrastu Lauku Teritorija as a directly assigned subordinate area.

The Centrs bathing area in the centre of Saulkrasti has Blue Flag status. The rocky coastal section of Zvejniekciems lies between Skulte Port and Saulkrasti Beach; this coastal landscape is suitable for walks and quiet nature observation. At the mouth of the Aģe River, where it flows into the sea near Skulte Port, there is also a promenade for walking and a marina.

Other destinations: Roja, Inčukalna Novads, Talsu Novads, Ozolnieku Novads, Rūjienas Novads, Tukuma Novads, Sēja Municipality.

Nature

Piejūra Nature Park is a specially protected natural area that includes Saulkrastu novads. It protects wooded dunes, grey dunes, coastal meadows and lakes with oligotrophic to mesotrophic plant communities. The park contains 24 habitat types of EU importance, which together cover 84 per cent of the park's area.

The White Dune is an 18-metre-high sand outcrop overlooking the sea, the mouth of the Inčupe River and the extensive beach. It formed when wind-blown beach sand was deposited over clay sediments of the Baltic Ice Lake. Jūras Park has play equipment, outdoor exercise equipment, a street workout area and a beach volleyball court; the park is also suitable for running by the sea.

Sēja Grand Oak is a Latvian natural monument and a significant tourist attraction in Sējas Parish. The historic Murjāņi ancient burial ground comprises around 60 burial mounds of different sizes and demonstrates that Gauja Livonians lived in the Sēja area in the 11th to 13th centuries.

Trails and Activities

Jūrtaka is part of the European long-distance hiking trail E9; the Latvian section is 580 kilometres long. There are also shorter trails in the area: a 3.6-kilometre forest trail runs along the coast from the White Dune to the Sun Bridge. The Sunset Trail runs from the White Dune to the centre of Saulkrasti, passing sandy beach, foredunes, the Pēterupe River and tall pine trees; along the way, there are views of the river valley and the sea.

The Ķirezers nature trail follows a 1.2-kilometre route around the lake, marked in blue on the trees. In the vicinity of Murjāņi, a walking path runs along the Loja River, where several sandstone cliffs and caves can be found. In winter, a cross-country ski trail is set up around the White Dune.

At the Nature Design Park by the White Dune, there are, among other things, the objects Entrance Gates, Frīda the Hedgehog, Fredis the Rabbit, a beetle trail and a hearing aid. The various trail types therefore range from a marked lakeside trail and coastal paths to the Latvian section of a European long-distance hiking trail.

Culture

The Sauna Museum in Sēja Parish presents traditional Latvian saunas and sauna traditions. It is open year-round; museum visits and guided tours should be booked in advance with the hosts. The Saulkrasti Bicycle Museum houses Latvia's only collection of historic bicycles and displays an early penny-farthing, a bicycle with early pneumatic tyres and a wooden bicycle.

The present-day Pēterupe Lutheran Church is the fourth church on this site and was built in 1856; the first building was erected in 1641. Sēja Manor House dates from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries and was remodelled between 1883 and 1885 with Gothic Revival decorations. A mill begun by Kārlis Vītols and Mārtiņš Brankšs in 1890 was powered by an undershot waterwheel.

Well-known cultural and leisure events in Saulkrastu novads include the Saulkrasti celebrations, the Zvejniekciems Harbour Festival, Saulkrasti Jazz, the Satikšanās Saulkrastos chamber music festival, a folklore festival and Ancient Fire Night. At the annual Medus diena dravā 2026 event, visitors can, from 22 August, taste various types of honey and beekeeping products made there at participating apiaries under the guidance of a beekeeper, as well as learn about the beekeeper's profession.

To the higher-level travel overview: Latvia.