Riga Seashore

RIGA SEASHORE, a resort area 18 km west of the capital of Latvia, Riga, including summer cottage localities known by the names: Bulli (Bullen-hof), Bulduri (Bilderlingshof), Edinburgh, Majori (Majorenhof), Dubulti (Dubbeln), Melluži (Karlsbad), and Asari (Assern). The peninsula-like territory of the summer cottage localities is 19 km long and 1.5–3 km wide. It is washed by the Gulf of Riga to the north, by the Lielupe River (Courland Aa) to the east and south, and borders the city of Sloka and the Courland forests to the east. A dense coniferous forest stretches along the entire seashore, which extends to the Lielupe River itself and is built up with numerous summer cottages surrounded by gardens. The soil on the seashore is dry and consists of yellow sand. The seashore and the seabed are level and consist of clean white sea sand. The slope of the seabed descends imperceptibly and is suitable for bathing even for small children. Dunes stretch along the entire seashore, in places reaching a height of 15 m and partly overgrown with dense pine forest. The bathing season at the Riga Seashore usually begins in the second half of May and continues until the end of August. The average water temperature in mid-summer fluctuates from 19° to 24°. The climate is of moderate humidity. The winter is mild. The sea freezes in January for a short period and is freed from ice at the beginning of March. A stay at the Riga Seashore is especially indicated for the anemic, rheumatics, those suffering from catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, neurotics, etc. Therapeutic agents include: sea air, sea and river (Lielupe River) bathing, warm sea baths, sun and air baths, etc. Besides numerous summer cottages, there are a number of well-appointed bathhouses and sanatoriums, where warm sea baths, carbonated, coniferous, sulfur, and similar baths, mud therapy (Kemmern mud), electro-light therapy, etc., are widely used. Bulli is the first summer cottage locality of the seashore, 18 km from Riga, near the branch of the Lielupe flowing into the sea; it is a former fishing village, the quietest and least populated summer cottage locality on the seashore. Bulduri is 20 km from Riga and has a large hotel-casino and three bathhouses. Edinburgh is 21–22 km from Riga, with a Kurhaus, theater, and sea pavilion, next to which is located the Edinburgh Sanatorium, which operates year-round. Majori is the center of the Riga Seashore summer cottage localities, 23.75 km from Riga, with a number of bathhouses, boarding houses, hotels (Jurmala), and a large sea pavilion. Dubulti is located 25.5 km from Riga by railway. On the eastern border between Majori and Dubulti is the Marienbad Sanatorium, which operates year-round. Dubulti has two well-equipped bathhouses. Melluži is 29 km from Riga, west of Dubulti, with a large number of strawberry and raspberry plantations and two bathhouses. Asari is 31 km from Riga, west of Melluži, and has a large Kurhaus and two bathhouses. It is a center for strawberry plantations.

L. Goldfail.