Latvia is a small country, but it has lots to offer. Besides the medieval capital Riga, Latvia has dozens of beautiful towns worth visiting, and Jelgava is one of them. Situated only 40km from Riga, Jelgava is that perfect one-day trip you were looking for! Remarkable for its rich history and natural beauty, tourists love how quickly they can see what makes this city unique. Luckily, one day is quite enough to get to know this place.
About Jelgava
Jelgava, formerly known as Mitava or Mitau, located about 40 kilometers from the Latvian capital Riga, is the fourth biggest and one of the greenest cities in Latvia. For the first time Jelgava (then Mitava) was mentioned in the 13th century, but only in 1573 did Jelgava acquire the rights of the city and the Coat of Arms and soon after became the capital of the united duchies of Courland.
Since those times and until today, Jelgava has always been known as a center of economy, culture, and education. One of the largest multidisciplinary universities, The Latvia University of Agriculture, is situated in the city center, therefore Jelgava is also known as Students' City. It hosts different local and international festivals, concerts, and celebrations regularly. Jelgava never sleeps, instead, it grows and develops without losing its history and naturalness.
How to get there
Jelgava is situated in central Latvia, about 40km from the capital Riga, which makes Jelgava a perfect one-day trip! You can get there by car or public transport. If you want to go there by public transport, I suggest going by train. From Riga Central Station to Jelgava Station it takes only 45 minutes and till the center, you will need to take a 15-20 minute extra walk. I do not recommend traveling by bus, as it runs relative slowly and irregularly.
Going by car will take around 50 minutes, but you can park your car wherever you want and would like to begin your trip. I would recommend the parking spot next to Pasta Island, cause from there you can easily reach all the most important attractions and must-visit places.
Adress: Pilssalas iela 1, Jelgava, LV-3001.
How to spend one perfect day in Jelgava
As I went to Jelgava with a car and parked the car near Pasta Island, I started my trip at Driksta Riverfront – one of the most beautiful places in Jelgava. In the famous Tea House, you can take a coffee and cake, have a little breakfast pause, and enjoy the view. On the Riverfront, you will find also Driksas lighthouse and trees for marriage keys, but at the shore is moored a ship, that works as a restaurant and banquet hall.
After crossing a small bridge, you will step onto Pasta Island - a multifunctional place for relaxation and cultural and social activities. On the island, you can find several playgrounds for children, picnic locations, an amphitheater, public ice skating in winter or beach in summer, an outdoor exercise area, and many more. On Pasta Island, two major festivals of Jelgava every year take place and invites people from all over Latvia to visit them - the Ice Sculpture and Sand Sculpture Festival. In summer you can visit there many outdoor concerts.
The next place I recommend visiting is the Fireclay Sculpture Park (Šamota Skulptūru Parks). It was opened in 2013 and was the first park of large-format fireclay sculptures. All sculptures are made by world-class and Jelgava's talented and well-known ceramicists. In the park, you will find more than 20 masterpieces that are changing every year. The entrance is free and you can have a wonderful walk, make beautiful pictures and relax on the banks with a view of sculptures or the river.
Whether you choose to explore the whole of Pasta Island or just a part of it, the next stop after the island is the Pedestrian Bridge Mitava, which connects the island with a city center. From there you can have a nice view over Pasta Island, River Driksa, and the pedestrian promenade.
After crossing the Mitava Bridge, you will meet a ''Student of Jelgava'' with whom I fell in love! The ''Student of Jelgava'' (Jelgavas Students) is a 2.25-meter high sculpture – fountain, which symbolizes Jelgava as the student capital of Latvia. The belief says that the handle of the Student's umbrella has a special power - you have to make a wish and touch the handle, then it will come true.
Behind the sculpture, you can go straight down the street to the promenade, where several boats are moored. Here you can choose, which boat you like the most and for a very diplomatic price (between 5€ and 10€ for a person) go on a river trip. We took a small motor yacht "Jerry" (Džerri) and were almost the only persons on board. The river trip took around 40-50 minutes and we enjoyed it so much!
On the river trip, we went around Pasta Island and saw Jelgava Palace, Lielupe Floodplain Meadows, the lookover tower, various houses, small docks, and many more. The Latvian flag at the end of the ship added a special atmosphere to the trip, maybe because I'm Latvian, I don't know, but it was very special.
After the boat ride, I would recommend exploring the center of Jelgava and visiting places like St. Simeon and St. Ann Orthodox Cathedral, Cathedral of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Jelgava History and Art Museum, St. Trinity Church, and Monument to Janis Cakste. In the city center, you will also have many restaurants and cafes, where you can have a nice lunch or take a coffee with you.
If the day isn't over yet, I recommend also visiting Jelgava Palace, its park, and the Tombs of the Dukes of Courland. But taking the road along the river, you can also go to the Lielupe Floodplain Meadows and the lookover tower. From the tower top, you can have a nice view of the river area and some of Jelgava's landmarks. But down below, you can meet some wild horses grazing on the floodplains.
And that's all about it. One perfect day trip from Riga, where you can see many different parks, statues, and amazing historical buildings, take a river boat trip, have a nice walk on the promenade, relax and maybe meet wild horses. Jelgava, thank you for your welcome, I will definitely come back one day!
BUT THAT’S ALL FROM ME TODAY!
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