Liepāja is the 3rd largest city in Latvia and the 10th largest in the Baltic States. About 70,000 people call Liepāja their home, their place of study and work.
The city is sandwiched between the Baltic Sea and Lake Liepāja which themselves are connected by the Trade Canal. The single tram line weaves its way through the city as a meandering thread. It is the oldest electrical tram in the Baltics.
Liepāja has historically been an industrial city as well as a closed military territory, however, over the years the city’s residential, recreational and business environment has seen ongoing improvements put in place. It has become a modern city with a global outlook, but at the same time retaining the comforts typical of a small town.
Liepāja has a rich history of culture, art and sports. There are events taking place all year long that cater to any taste – from exhibitions of local artists to performances by internationally recognized artists, from classical music concerts to grand beach festivals, from amateur sports competitions to European championships.
Featuring as the centrepiece of most events is the recently built concert hall “Great Amber” – a genuine cultural and architectural treasure. It is the venue for high quality culture and art events. Music lovers particularly enjoy the outstanding acoustics which enable them to hear even the tiniest nuances of sound. The concert hall is home to the oldest orchestra in the Baltics – Liepāja Symphony Orchestra.
Liepāja is a favourite travel destination, enticing many with its unique tourist attractions in the former military garrison – Karosta; enchanting people with a city centre rich in cultural and architectural treasures, as well as tempting with its spacious beach where beachgoers revel in the unusually fine white sand. Notwithstanding its compact size, the city combines everything necessary for a complete and memorable vacation.
The most developed business sectors in the city are metalwork, textile industry, manufacturing of building materials and food processing, ship building and freight transport. The Port of Liepāja is the third largest in Latvia by volume of shipped freight. The city has embarked on developing robust industrial centres suitable for creating new businesses or expanding existing ones.
Besides the capital, Riga, Liepāja is the only city in Latvia to provide transportation via air, land, and sea. In addition to the traditional rail and road transport, the airline “airBaltic” offers regular flights between Riga and Liepāja, thereby providing connections to more than 60 worldwide destinations. Ferries make several trips a week to and from the city of Travemünde in Germany. Those travelling by yacht can berth it in the Trade Canal at the very heart of the city.
Liepaja combines global reach with benefits of a small town.
We are a modern, contemporary 21st century city with a global reach proven not only by the large number of international competitions and performances by local and international artists, but also the modern and innovative companies and services that they provide.
Liepaja is the only city in Latvia, except Riga, that has mainland, air and sea transport access.
Liepaja is easy and free – we can allow ourselves to be informal, peculiar, creative and free from brackets of stiffness. If need be, we can laugh about ourselves with sarcasm and self-irony.
Liepaja is direct and rebellious – we are never completely satisfied with ourselves. We challenge things and opinions created and held both by us and by others to create even better results.
Liepaja is confident and optimistic – we are positive, with our spirit and actions we entice others.
Liepaja combines opposites and creates new things – we can turn defects into effects. We enhance reality with a bit of magic and craziness.
Liepaja is tasteful – we always keep up with the times and are stylish. Liepaja often promotes tendencies and experiments with aesthetics and design.
Environment and mentality offered by Liepaja allows to empty one’s mind, to develop and reach new thoughts and ideas. It does not matter if the ideas are big and world-changing or personally small and aimed to improve one’s day. Here people can “let off some steam”, see things from a different point of view, recharge, experiment and create something new. This phenomenon is enhanced by wind for which Liepaja has been well-known for many years.
However, it is not only the physical phenomenon that constantly brings something new and promotes creation of something meaningful. It is the mentality that always makes us adapt, rebel and have an untraditional point of view. Besides, it also makes us to spitefully finish everything that we started, and not rebel just for the sake of rebellion.
Plan your trip to Liepāja and, afterwards, come back to see us again!