The historical region of Vidzeme is situated to the north-east of Riga. The beautiful Vidzeme coastline stretches along the sea. Along with Jurmala, Saulkrasti is a summer resort that is popular with the inhabitants of Riga. However, differently from the shallow beaches of Jurmala it only takes a few meters into the sea for the water to get deep in Saulkrasti.
Saulkrasti receives a lot of visitors at the end of July when the Annual International Jazz Festival Saulkrasti Jazz is held in the town.
Salacgriva is situated further north-east along the seaside closer to Estonia. It is know for its fishing industry, the largest shore meadows in Latvia, and the country's only biosphere reserve. It is best to visit Salacgriva at the beginning of July when the traditional Fisherman's Day is celebrated there.
Limbazi is an old town which was once a member of the Hanseatic League - the confederation of North European trading cities. The stone castle of Lemzal dating back to 1223 is worth a visit. Limbazi is often referred to as the capital of cod insofar as fishing industry is fairly well developed in the town.
How to get there
You can reach Saulkrasti either by taking an electric train leaving every 45-50 minutes (the timetable is available on the Latvian Railway's website) or by bus leaving every hour (the timetable is available on the bus station's website, LV, EN, RU, DE)
You can get to both Limbazi and Salacgriva by bus as well. Buses run regularly in both directions; the timetable is available on the bus station's website.
Tourist Information
Tourist Information Centers:
Saulkrasti: Ainazu iela 10, Phone: +371 795 26 41, Fax +371 795 26 43, e-mail: tic@saulkrasti.lv
Salacgriva: Rigas 10a, Phone/Fax: +371 404 12 54
Limbazi: Burtnieku 5, Phone: +371 407 06 08, Fax: +371 407 08 94
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