It’s hard to find another relatively small city that offers such a wide range of recreational opportunities, high environmental quality due to its proximity to unspoiled nature, and a diverse cultural offering. These qualities form the foundation for human physical and emotional well-being. To fully prepare for the darkest time of the year, Jūrmala offers various opportunities during the autumn season to make use of its unique resources, enjoy the unforgettable atmosphere, and rejuvenate body and mind.

Did you know that Jūrmala was the first city in Latvia to be awarded the prestigious “Healthy City” status by the World Health Organization? Jūrmala has held this title since 2005, but health has been a key part of the city’s lifestyle since the early 19th century when it, rich in healing resources, developed alongside other now-legendary European spa towns.

This historical foundation continues to shape Jūrmala today. The city preserves and develops its historical qualities that promote health and well-being—proximity to the sea and forests, high air quality, and the balneological resources (healing mud and mineral waters) found in its territory. Additionally, modern Jūrmala is home to high-quality rehabilitation and spa centers, expanding health and wellness care opportunities. In addition to medical treatments and therapies, Jūrmala offers various recreational options—whether peaceful or more active, they are all energetically revitalizing and promoting well-being.

Healing and Rehabilitation

Did you know that Jūrmala’s underground hides valuable mineral waters that have contributed to the rich formation of therapeutic peat mud and sapropel mud in the city’s lakes? And did you know that Jūrmala is the only place where these healing resources are extracted, making it a special destination for those seeking healing and rehabilitation? Furthermore, Jūrmala stands out with its wide range of healing and rehabilitation services provided by highly qualified medical professionals. This may be an opportunity you don’t want to miss!

One of the unique treatment destinations in Jūrmala is the  Resort Rehabilitation Center “Jaunķemeri”. Surrounded by the Kemeri National Park, this rehabilitation facility continues to uphold the city’s historical spa treatment traditions, offering authentic mud and hydrogen sulfide baths. Meanwhile, the National Rehabilitation Center “Vaivari” provides multidisciplinary medical rehabilitation focused on strengthening and preventing health issues. Modern technology, such as the LokomatPro gait robot and the Mirarehab virtual reality system, plays an important role in the center’s operations, but above all, it’s the professional team of doctors who provide effective and personalized care. The “Dzintari” Clinic specializes in improving psychological health with various therapies such as art therapy, movement therapy, and EMDR therapy, helping individuals uncover and release the emotional causes of anxiety. The State Social Integration Agency (SIVA) offers some of the most modern social rehabilitation options in the Baltics and is an excellent choice for those seeking effective and holistic rehabilitation.

Read more about treatment opportunities in the “Sanatoriums and rehabilitation” section.

SPA Services

An essential stop on the path to body and mind relaxation, health improvement, and overall well-being is a visit to a SPA. For example, Baltic Beach Hotel & SPA offers an exclusive experience with three relaxation areas, including a pool with purified seawater and ten different saunas. The extensive range of massages, including exotic Thai, Indian, and Chinese massages, is particularly noteworthy. Hotel Jūrmala SPA offers more than 100 procedures, ranging from traditional to modern approaches, including various massages, facial and body treatments, water therapies, and relaxing saunas and steam baths. Lielupe by Semarah Hotels offers a natural and ecological approach with Latvian rituals, exotic treatments, and a salt room. Kurshi Hotel & SPA stands out with its Hammam rituals, oriental steam baths, and custom-made scrubs, along with effective facial and body treatments.

Read more about treatment opportunities in the “SPA and beauty” section.

Outdoor Activities

Jūrmala is both a balneological and climatic resort. The mild coastal climate, combined with pine forests rich in phytoncides (biologically active substances that destroy microorganisms), provides unique value for health-promoting walks or cycling activities in a vast and seemingly endless area, making them not only enjoyable but also particularly beneficial for health. Additionally, Jūrmala, with its urban development in harmony with nature, offers a variety of outdoor activities, complemented by cultural and historical experiences.

You can always choose walking routes within the city (see the “City Routes” section) or venture into the peaceful depths of nature on one of the nature trail routes (see the “Nature Trails” section). The Kemeri Resort Park, with its historical pathways and bridges, offers a romantic walk through Latvia’s oldest public garden outside Riga. One of the most remarkable nature trails is the Great Kemeri Bog Boardwalk, which winds through the wilderness of an 8,000-year-old bog. This 3.4-kilometer wooden trail leads through the bog landscape, offering views of elongated lakes, pools, mossy clearings, as well as a world of bog pines and rhododendrons. For a truly surreal walking experience, try bog walking with bog shoes.

Another natural wonder is the Black Alder Swamp Boardwalk (Melnalkšņu dumbrāja laipa), which takes you through the floodplain forest of the Vēršupīte River – a natural forest, minimally impacted by human activity, where black alders dominate alongside aspens, oaks, and ashes. For those who wish to get even closer to the healing power of nature, the Lūžņu Grāvis Sulfur Spring Trail offers a 3.1-kilometer walk through the forests around Kemeri, introducing visitors to the most potent healing sulfur spring in the area. The Sulfur Ponds Boardwalk is another exceptional place where you can witness a rare natural phenomenon in Latvia – sulfur water springs surfacing and forming ponds as the water flows out. An equally fascinating option is the Sloka Lake Trail, which winds along the shores of a lake rich in waterfowl and through the surrounding forests. Meanwhile, Ragakāpa Nature Park offers visitors two nature trails that allow for exploration of the ancient pine forest, dune landscapes, and the protected plant species found there, while also revealing the park’s unique ecosystem.

In Jūrmala, you can always find a forested or marshland trail to explore, not to mention the 20-kilometer coastline that can be walked almost entirely through the dunes. For those not ready for the “long road through the dunes,” there is a specially designed, well-maintained Wellness Trail (Labsajūtas taka) – a stretch from Baznīcas Street in Dubulti to Amata Street in Pumpuri, approximately 2 kilometers long, where you can relax, learn, and engage in physical activities. For those who prefer activities by the expansive sea horizon, the endless white sand beach offers numerous possibilities (see the “Beach Guide” section). Here you can walk, run, Nordic walk, or cycle (see the “Cycling Routes” section). Additionally, Jūrmala is part of the 1,200 km long Baltic Sea Coastal Hiking Route “Jūrtaka”, which stretches from Nida near the Lithuanian border to Tallinn. However, always remember – you can find your own unique Jūrmala route simply by walking and following where your inner intuitive wellness compass leads you.

Art and Music Healing Power

Did you know that since 2019, the World Health Organization has actively highlighted that art significantly reduces the burden on healthcare by promoting disease prevention, health improvement, and treatment? Thousands of studies confirm the positive impact of art—why not give your emotional well-being a boost and explore the subconscious through art?

Alongside the beautiful historical architecture of Jūrmala, whose harmonious facades seem to bring balance to the mind, the city offers a range of museums and galleries where you can be inspired, connect with the experiences and emotions of others, and enrich your emotional journey.
Jūrmala City Museum offers a changing exhibition program, often showcasing the work of Jūrmala’s own artists. Until the end of this year, the museum is hosting the memorial exhibition of painter Ansis Artums titled “∞ Moment” (16/10–29/12). Meanwhile, Art Station “Dubulti” features contemporary art exhibitions in a unique modernist building reminiscent of ocean waves, and for the autumn/winter season, it presents the exhibition “The Beautiful in the Ugly and the Ugly in the Seemingly Beautiful” by the Swedish photographer Lars Thunbjerk (25/10–26/01). Bulduri Exhibition House showcases both works by Jūrmala artists and international creators, along with the opportunity to view the studio of Valdis Bušs (1924–2014), one of Latvia’s most prominent landscape painters. This autumn, the Exhibition House is displaying Astra Šēnberga’s contemporary ceramics exhibition "It's All in Your Head" (11/09–02/11) and hosting the competition exhibition “How Much Is It Worth?” (06/11–28/12), which addresses personal, national, and global themes. Additionally, Vitaliy Yermolayev’s Painting Theater “Inner Light” offers a glimpse into the depths of magical painting.
No one is unfamiliar with the healing powers of music. The century-old musical traditions of Jūrmala continue today at the Dzintari Concert Hall, which is included in Latvia’s cultural canon and is one of the largest open-air concert halls in the Baltics. Every year, about 150 high-quality events are held here, attracting approximately 150,000 visitors from Latvia and abroad. Before the end of the year, be sure to catch some of the noteworthy events on the concert program: “Two Osokins” (12/10), featuring Andrejs and Georgijs Osokins performing works by Haydn, Beethoven, Debussy, and Ravel; “VOICELESS: The Magic of Cellos” (19/10) with a performance by the Lithuanian cello ensemble playing classical and contemporary compositions; “Film 'Amadeus' with Vestards Šimkus” (10/11), where Vestards Šimkus will perform along with the screening of the film “Amadeus”; Riga Cathedral Boys' Choir Christmas Concert (27/12); and “New Year’s Eve Concert and Viennese Waltz” (31/12).

Read more about cultural opportunities in the “Art and Culture” and “Events” sections.

Culinary Well-being: The Richness of World Cuisines

An excellent meal is also an important part of well-being, and Jūrmala offers a chance to enjoy a variety of world cuisines in one place. From the flavors of the Caucasus and Central Asia to Eastern European traditions, Mediterranean dishes, and exquisite interpretations of Latvian national cuisine. During the autumn season, the city offers a special opportunity to sample the tastes of the world as part of Jūrmala Restaurant Week (19/11–01/12).

Read more about gastronomic opportunities in the “Eat and Drink” section.