Saulkrasti is a small Latvian town with a population of just over three thousand people. It stretches along the coastline of the Vidzeme coast of the Gulf of Riga at 17 km. Its name translates as "Sunny Beach", and this is justified. It is believed that there are many more sunny days in Saulkrasti than in other settlements of Latvia . The main tourist destination of the city is a beach family vacation.
Natural attractions
Saulkrasti has a number of attractions, they are interesting for their picturesque natural objects, some of which have historical value. So, here there are two limes that were planted by Empress Catherine II herself in 1764 in Katrinbad. Other interesting natural attractions include:
- White dune . Near the small river Inchoupe is the famous landmark of Saulkrasti - the White Dune. Its height is 18 m. The white dune is nothing more than a hill formed from white beach sand brought by the wind, which has been tamped over the years and has become solid. In the old days, the White Dune was a reference point for sailors, but this hill was white some hundreds of years ago. The winds began to inflict earth on him, and in 1969, the raging hurricane washed away part of the dune. After this incident, the slopes of the hill were strengthened to prevent further destruction. Now the White Dune has a yellow color, but this does not stop her from collecting a large number of tourists at her foot.
- Sunset trail . From the White Dune follows the Sunset trail, which has a length of 3.6 km. It passes through the forest along the sea, and ends in the center of the city. Walking along it, tourists enjoy the view of an unusual form of pine trees, which have double peaks, and their branches are twisted by spirals. On this trail grows a birch, which has five trunks, and closer to the coast there are pine trees with bare roots, which are called "Pine Werewolf".
Cultural Attractions
Once in Saulkrasti, you can improve your cultural level by studying various cultural attractions, the main of which are:
- In Saulkrasti there is an ancient Peter Lutheran church . For the centuries of its existence, it has replaced three buildings. At the very beginning of its existence it was wooden, and built in the form of a prayer house. He was given the name in honor of St. Peter. Now around the church estate and the church, the village of Peterupa was formed.
- Latvian Museum of Bicycles . The owners of the unique collection of old bicycles in Latvia are Janis and Guntis Sereginy. They started collecting their exhibits in 1977. In addition to bicycles, the exhibition also includes other things related to their use, with ring bicycle races, with organizations for cycling and making bicycles.
- At 8 km from the city of Saulkrasti is located the fascinating museum of Müngausen , the very so fond of all children of an inventor and adventurer, a German baron who lived in the eighteenth century and gave many years of service to the Russian army. The museum is located in the manor of the baron, and the interior is associated with stories about him. In the walls of the estate there is a collection of wax figures depicting famous Latvian figures. In addition to the exposition in the estate, the museum has the largest ship in the Baltic States with a length of 30 m. The tourists are also presented with the longest wooden road, its length is 5.3 km, it stretches from the museum to the sea. Along the road are several dozens of wooden figures depicting the heroes of the stories of Münhausen.
- The estate of the priest in Peterup , for the first time the mention of him appears in historical written sources in the XVII century. To date, preserved buildings of the estate. Also, the local attraction is the park, which is a lime avenue planted by pastor Janis Neilands in 1879. Another famous local object is the ancient oak, which was planted in 1869 by Johann Wilhelm Kniim.
- The Roman Catholic Church of the Grace of God , which includes 300 seats. Its architectural design was carried out by Janis Schroeders, the date of its erection is 1998. Feature of the temple is the altar picture, which depicts the image of Christ, the creation belongs to the artist Ericksu Pudzens.