Best Tourist Places to Visit in Jelgava, Latvia, Europe

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Jelgava, Latvia, Europe

Jelgava is a city situated in the central part of Latvia between 56°38′54″ N latitude and 23°42′50″ E longitude. It belongs to the region of Zemgale holding a population of 64,000 inhabitants. The Rastrelli Palace and the Academia Petrina are the major landmarks in Jelgava.

Geography of Jelgava:

Jelgava is situated on the right bank of the Lielupe River at an elevation of 3.5 meters, about 40 kms southwest of Riga, the capital of Latvia.

History of Jelgava:

Jelgava derives its name from the Livonian word ‘jālgab’ (town on the river) and the German name of Jelgava is Mitau. During the 10^th century, the settlement of Jelgava originated between the Lielupe and Driksa rivers. Jelgava served as the capital of the combined Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, and the Courland Governorate until the dissolution of the Russian Empire in 1918.

How to reach Jelgava?

The Riga International Airport is the closest airport to Jelgava, situated about 45 km away from Jelgava taking around 40 minutes by bus and costing 1,5Ls. This airport is the major airport of Latvia operating flights to and from Eindhoven, London, Moscow, Manchester, Brussels, Minsk, Helsinki, Hamburg, Rome, Frankfurt and many other important destinations.

Jelgava is connected to Riga by train costing about 1,45Ls and taking around 50 minutes.

Trolley buses are ideal for local travel and also tourists can use taxi to get around.

Culture and Food in Jelgava:

The Gederts Eliass Jelgava History and Art Museum is the main cultural centre in Jelgava describing the rich history, art and culture of the region.

There are food corners abundant with both traditional and international dishes. Tourists can also visit inbuilt restaurants of the hotels.

The major food corners in Jelgava are listed below:

Hercogs
Madara
La Tour de Marie

Must see in Jelgava:

Academia Petrina:

The Academia Petrina or the Jelgava Gymnasium is the symbol of Jelgava as Latvia’s oldest higher educational institution. The Duke Peter von Biron was the founder of the Academia Petrina, founded in 1775. Now it has been converted as the Gederts Eliass Jelgava History and Art Museum.

Rastrelli Palace:

Located in the centre of Jelgava, the Rastrelli Palace was constructed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli in the 18^th century. Now it is used as the Latvian University of Agriculture.

Baroque church of St. Anne:

The Baroque church of St. Anne is a historical church located in the Jelgava city known for its beautiful construction.

List of other places of interest in Jelgava includes:

The Villa Medem
Trinity church tower
Jelgava History and Art Museum
Virgin Anna Roman Catholic Cathedral
Simeon’s and St. Anna’s Orthodox Cathedral
Holy Transfiguration Poustinia
Rundale Palace Museum
Tervete Nature Park
Dobele Castle
Bauska Castle
Zviedru Cepure
Cinevilla
Bauska Town Hall
Dobele Evangelical Lutheran Church

When to visit Jelgava?

Throughout the year is best, especially the summer months are best to trip Jelgava.

Where to stay in Jelgava?

As like many Latvian cities, Jelgava houses less accommodation centers and for better hospitality services, tourists can refer the hotels of the Riga city which is around 40 km away from Jelgava. In the below list, first 4 hotels in are in Jelgava and the remaining hotels are in the neighboring towns of Jelgava. The prominent hotels in Jelgava include: