Hotels near Jurmala or Sigulda Day Trip

Two very different day trips both leave from Riga Central Station on the electric suburban train and both make an easy escape from the city. Jurmala is Latvia's classic seaside resort - a 25 km stretch of white sand and pine forest on the Gulf of Riga, backed by a stock of Latvian-Russian wooden dachas from the late 19th century. The Majori stop is the visitor centre; walk out on Jomas iela (the pedestrianised main street) then down to the beach. Free to visit, the sand is fine and shallow, and the water reaches swimmable temperatures in July and August.

Sigulda offers the opposite - a densely forested valley of the Gauja river with three medieval castles (Sigulda, Turaida, Krimulda), sandstone caves, a cable car across the valley and Latvia's oldest bobsleigh track. Turaida Castle museum reserve (Turaidas iela 10, LV-2150) is the main draw with a 42-metre red brick tower open for climbing and 26 hectares of open-air ethnography. Both trips take a full day; combining them is not sensible - pick one based on weather (beach if 25+ degrees, forest if cooler).

Pro Tip: For Jurmala buy the 3 EUR return train ticket at the Central Station ticket window, not from the driver - the on-train fare is doubled. For Sigulda rent a bike at the station (10 EUR/day) to reach all three castles without walking.