Ventspils: Beach, Culture and Leisure

• The Blue Flag has flown at Ventspils Blue Flag Beach during the bathing season since 1999.
• Livonijas ordeņa pils is one of Latvia’s oldest medieval fortresses still standing today.
• Piejūras brīvdabas muzejs was founded in Ventspils in 1954 as an open-air museum of maritime fishing.
• Leisure activities include a water park, a science centre and a 580-metre summer toboggan run.

Ventspils Blue Flag Beach is an obvious choice for travellers who want to include some beach time in their trip. Each beach access walkway has a number, a water temperature reading and a sign indicating whether swimming is permitted or prohibited. This lets you check the current swimming status on site rather than assuming the same applies to all areas. The Blue Flag has flown there during the bathing season since 1999.

Jūrmalas Park also offers opportunities to relax and take walks outdoors. It is spacious, well equipped and close to the sea. Its focus on relaxation and walking appeals to travellers who want to spend time outdoors as well as enjoy the beach and other activities. The park also displays 35 different types of anchors from the 152 anchors at Piejūras brīvdabas muzejs. This lets you combine time in green surroundings with a look at a range of anchor designs.

Livonijas ordeņa pils represents the city’s medieval history. After restoration and renovation work was completed in summer 2012, the chapel, chapter house, the room where the order’s brothers slept and the refectory were opened to visitors. These rooms provide tangible historical context for the fortress; their opening is described here as an event following the work in 2012.

Piejūras brīvdabas muzejs explores everyday life on the Courland coast. Its exhibition presents the lives of Latvian and Liv people who farmed and fished. The museum was founded in 1954 as an open-air museum of maritime fishing. Those interested in coastal culture and traditional ways of life will find a different focus here than at the fortress.

The “LATVIJA” Concert Hall is a centre for music, art and cultural education in Northern Courland. Its distinctive instruments include a pipe organ made by the German organ-building company “Johannes Klais Orgelbau” and the world’s largest piano, made by Latvian-born piano builder Dāvids Kļaviņš. Guided tours for adult and children’s groups are available for up to 10 people.

Piedzīvojumu parks is a sports and active leisure complex offering recreational and sporting activities for individual visitors, groups and families throughout the year. Its specific attractions include a 580-metre summer toboggan run that operates year-round. Visitors can rent wakeboarding equipment on site at the wake park, which is located on the southern slope of the Adventure Park hill “Lemberga hūte”.

Ūdens piedzīvojumu parks includes a wave pool, a warm-water pool and a children’s pool, as well as slides and a lazy river. There are also spa baths and a sauna. The range of pools and other areas makes it a much more varied offering than a single swimming pool. At Zinātnes centrs VIZIUM, meanwhile, the exhibition is divided into seven galleries and features more than 80 interactive exhibits. Science shows, laboratories and technology and creative workshops are available to visitors. Ventspils therefore offers both active pursuits and opportunities to explore scientific and technical subjects.

The excursion boat Hercogs Jēkabs offers a 45-minute trip. Along the way, you can see the mouth of the Venta, the Old Town, the industrial area of Ventspils Freeport and the sea gates. The trip thus offers views of different parts of the city, including the river mouth and the industrial area. An exhibition along the Venta on the Ostas Street Promenade presents 14 buoys and channel markers. Each one has an information board explaining its purpose.

If you want to compare other destinations, you can also find Miķeļtornis, Ziras, Užava, Pasiekste, Ventava, Usma and Dzirnavas.

Since when has the Blue Flag flown at Ventspils Blue Flag Beach?

It has flown there during the bathing season since 1999.

Which rooms in Livonijas ordeņa pils were opened to visitors in 2012?

After restoration and renovation work was completed in summer 2012, the chapel, chapter house, the room where the order’s brothers slept and the refectory were opened.

What can you see on the 45-minute trip with Hercogs Jēkabs?

During the trip, you can see the mouth of the Venta, the Old Town, the industrial area of Ventspils Freeport and the sea gates.

For the broader travel overview: Ventspils.

Useful information for planning your trip:

Ventspils: Port City, Beach and Baltic Coast | poezdka.de.