Liepaja

With 70,000 residents, Liepāja is the third largest city in Latvia. During the Latvian War of Independence (1918-20) it was briefly the capital of Latvia.

Liepāja city consists of two main areas of interest: the city center, and Karosta, the northern part of the city, which used to be a secret Soviet military town. The city center and Karosta have great beaches, and you will be surprised how unspoiled and beautiful the central beach is, and how soft and white the sand is. Karosta is essentially another city, because it really has a different history and look from the rest of Liepāja; Karosta is worth a separate visit. In Liepāja there is no "old town", but the center and surroundings are full of beautiful old wooden buildings, small irregular streets, etc. The center also includes the Seaside Park (Jūrmalas parks) area, which has a fantastic white, soft sand beach; the park itself is great, too, with many nice buildings. Liepāja is known in Latvia as "the city where the wind is born", because of the continual sea breeze.

1 Tourism Information Centre (Liepājas reģionālais tūrisma informācijas birojs), Rožu iela 5/6 (near the university), ☏ +371 29402111, +371 63480808, info@liepaja.travel. 1 Apr–30 Sep: Mon–Fri 09:00–19:00, Sat 10:00–18:00, Sun 10:00–16:00; 1 Oct–31 Mar: Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00, Sat 10:00–15:00.

1 Main Bus and Railway Station (Liepājas autoosta), Rīgas iela 71 (1.3 km north of the river), ☏ +371 90006071, +371 63422754, info@lap.lv. Autobus office: Mon–Fri 08:00–12:00 and 12:30–16:30. (updated Sep 2024)

By bus:

Liepāja is connected by bus service with Riga (many times every day, €8.55, 3-3.75 hr), Ventspils, Kuldīga and other towns and villages in Liepāja region, as well as Klaipėda (2 hours) and Palanga in Lithuania. To get from the bus station to the centre, take the tram at a tram stop which is on your right side when you exit the bus station building. Do not cross the railway tracks – this is the wrong direction.

2 Siena tirgus (corner of Kuršu iela / Siena iela). The Liepāja regional bus terminal is in the southern part of the centre. All buses also go to the main bus station. This is also where minibuses and buses go to Lithuania.

By train:

The Liepāja railway station is located in the same building as the bus terminal. The now-daily train to Liepāja leaves Riga at 18:34, arriving in Liepāja at 21:47. However, the return trip leaves Liepāja at an unpalatable 05:02 (too early to catch the first tram to the station), arriving in Riga at 08:13. On Sundays only there is a supplementary service in each direction, allowing for a more civilised eastbound departure time of 18:38. Tickets cost €7.20, or €6.66 if bought online. The train also stops in Skrunda, Saldus, Biksti, Dobele, Jelgava and Olaine.

By car:

There are two main roads to Liepāja. From Riga, the A9 runs westward for 220 km. From Klaipėda in Lithuania, the A11 runs north for 100 km. From Ventspils, on the coast further north, take the P111.

By boat:

A ferry service connects Liepāja with Travemünde (near Lübeck) in Germany once a day. The 3 ferry terminal is in Ziemelu priekspilseta, northwest of the main bus station, and 15 minutes from the centre by bus 10, 11, or 15, or minibus 3. If you have a yacht, you are welcome to Liepāja yacht harbour, located in the centre, in Tirdzniecibas channel.