Ventspils

Ventspils is the Latvian flower capital and is adorned with flowers from spring till autumn. Even the City Festival on the first weekend of August is a time when florists from the Baltic States cover Promenade of Ostas iela with carpets of flowers.

Ventspils is a modern summer and sea resort city, which has all the amenities to spend a summer week at the beach and exploring the surrounding places. Its roads and sidewalks are made up of various kinds of cobblestones. Ventspils is famous for its artistic spirit and its numerous cow statues all over the city from the 2002 Cow Parade.

Due to immigration of many workers from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine in the past, about 1/3 of the population of Ventspils is from those countries.

1 Tourism Information Centre, Dārza iela 6, ☏ +371 63622263, +371 63607664, fax: +371 63607665, tourism@ventspils.lv. Information about sightseeing, events, recreation, transport and accommodation. Guided tours with the certified guides of Ventspils. Tourist maps and brochures.

There are bus connections from Riga, Liepāja and Kuldīga. The closest railway stations with passenger service are in Tukums and Liepāja, approximately 120 km east and south of Ventspils, respectively; Ventspils has no passenger services. There is a ferry from Nynäshamn in Sweden

By bus:

There are regular bus services from Riga (2½–4 hr, €7.55), Liepāja (2 times a day, 3 hr, €5.50), Kuldīga (about €3) several times a day. All buses arrive at the central Bus Station on Kuldigas iela 4. Schedules can be found on 1188.lv.

1 Ventspils Bus Station (Ventspils autoosta), Kuldīgas iela 5, ☏ +371 63622789.

By car:

The most commonly used routes are from:

Riga, 190 km on main highway E22 (A10)

Kuldīga, 60 km on highway P108

Liepāja, 120 km on highways P111, P108, and P110

By ferry:

Stena Line ferries run between Nynäshamn in Sweden and Ventspils, an 11- to 12-hour journey. These are mainly used for transport of HGV's to Sweden but passengers and small vehicles can use the service. Tickets can be purchased from an office at Ventspils Ferry Terminal.

By yacht:

2 Ventspils Marina. In the summer season Ventspils Marina offers 50 berths for yachts and motor yachts.

By plane:

3 Ventspils International Airport (VNT IATA) (some 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of the city). The airport mostly serves general aviation and has not seen commercial flights in years. Despite the grandiose name the flights it did see some time around 2008 were domestic ones (from Riga).