liepaja.inyourpocket.com In Your Pocket editor Martins Zaprauskis visits Liepaja, Latvia's third largest city. It is located in the far southwest corner of Latvia on the Baltic coast only 100km from Klaipeda in Lithuania. Straddling a narrow strip of land between the sea and a lake, it began as a humble fishing village, eventually becoming a major trading port under the leadership of Jacob (or James) Kettler (1610 - 1681), Duke of Courland and godson of England's King James I. The burgeoning city suffered heavily during the Great Northern War when the population was decimated by an outbreak of the plague in 1710. The city only regained its importance as a port and mercantile centre in the 19th century as a part of the Russian empire. Its significance was further buoyed by the creation of the Naval Port from 1890 -- 1904 when it was home to the first Baltic fleet of Russian submarines. Boutique hotels have become the standard, not the exception, in a city where nearly every guesthouse, hotel and hostel provides completely renovated rooms with interesting interior design. Whether it's white sandy beaches and the sea you're after, culture and centuries-old architecture, or extreme sports and even extremer nightlife, Latvia's hippest city has it all. For more on Liepāja go to Liepāja In Your Pocket liepaja.inyourpocket.com

Be the first to comment