What to Do in Jelgava and Its Surroundings When Everything Is Closed?

Jelgava is undoubtedly a large and beautiful city where there is certainly no shortage of things to do, and where you can find attractions or walking routes. While the most popular tourist attractions – the tower of the Church of the Holy Trinity, the Caramel Workshop, the Jelgava Palace Museum and the crypts of the Dukes of Courland – are currently closed to visitors, there are many other places where you can experience the charm of Jelgava and its municipality.

Jelgava Palace and its park

One of the associations connected with Jelgava is Jelgava Palace, built in 1738 according to a design by the Italian architect F. B. Rastrelli, who also designed Rundāle Palace. Jelgava Palace is the largest Baroque building in the Baltic states. It has survived several fires and has also suffered the effects of time, but it is well worth taking another walk around its grounds, as restoration work was completed at the end of 2020 and the palace has now regained its vitality and splendour.

Pasta Island

Pasta Island has also undergone changes in recent years, gaining new infrastructure and attractions worth visiting. A walk along the Lielupe promenade to the beach, where you can sit on a bench and enjoy the soothing sounds of the wind and water, as well as a walk to the Jelgava Concert Hall, which opened in 2019, is a favourite route for every Jelgava resident, with the pedestrian bridge and sculptures along the way.

Lielupe floodplain meadows

Right next to Jelgava’s busy centre, just a few minutes’ walk away, are the Lielupe floodplain meadows, where the lively urban environment gives way to a peaceful area inhabited by wild horses. You can also climb the observation tower, which offers views of the city panorama, the horses and the confluence of the Driksa, a tributary of the Lielupe, with the Lielupe.

Svēte floodplain meadows

At the beginning of 2020, wooden walkways approximately 1.6 km long were built in the Svēte floodplain meadows in Jelgava. They are suitable for peaceful walks in the fresh air, above the water.

Ozolnieki

Ozolnieki is located just a few kilometres from Jelgava and is a good place to go for a walk once you have explored Jelgava’s walking spots. In Ozolnieki, you can take a walk by the lake or explore the nearby forests, breathe fresh air and spend time discovering the flora and fauna of the woodland.

Valgunde deer park

Approximately 16 kilometres from Jelgava lies the “Buku audzētava” deer park in Valgunde, where you can see red deer, fallow deer and mouflon. They enjoy cabbage and carrots, which you can bring along when you visit.