There’s a ton of forest in Latvia. It’s a very flat and green country.
I was pretty privileged to be in Latvia for 4 days, and so I had some time to explore this country sandwiched between Estonia and Lithuania. My couchsurfing host told me about Kemiri National Park, when I took a look, I was amused. I saw a landscape that I hadn’t seen before. Something magical.
How to Get There
You’ll need a car. And then key in Kemeru or Kemeri national park. But don’t rely on your GPS entirely. When you see a brown sign saying Kemeru National Park, follow that sign even though your GPS tells you something different!!! Also don’t bring a bike. You don’t want to find yourself stranded with a stupid bike.
Entrance Fee
It’s free! No parking fee, even.
What to Do There
Allow 2-hr there. There are two walks to choose from. Long and short route. But there’s no point to take only the short route as you’re not going to see what you come here for…. the bog and mini lakes!
The Walk
From the parking, you are going to find yourself surrounded in the forest. It’s very green. And suddenly, you are on short route. You kinda know as the road becomes smaller. Still stunningly beautiful.
There’s one thing very interesting about Kemeri National Park…. the bog!
It looks like…. the soil from another planet. Seriously! I had no idea what it was. And I stepped on it… it was so soft! If you put too much weight then you’re gonna get yourself stuck! And that was the time I understood why we were walking on a walkway.
For your information, this chart might explain the formation of bogs.
And as you continue, you start to enjoy the beauty of nature. You find yourself surrounded by dozens of mini lakes/swamps. It’s just so pleasant to take a walk here.
And if you see this in front of you, wouldn’t you be just amazed? With all the colors combined in one picture, it’s just breath-taking! Oh, and did I mention there’s no entry fee?
The highlight of this park is definitely the lookout point. You HAVE TO get to the top and take a look of this amazing landscape. This picture definitely doesn’t represent the actual beauty I saw, but yeah, I didn’t have a good camera. It’s a beautiful park and you must see it in panorama (and not a flat picture like this!).
Final Word
Bring water, and snacks. Use washroom (in the parking lot, though it’s a composting toilet) before your walk. And bring insect repellent with you.
If you have to choose between Jurmala and Kemeri National Park, definitely go for Kemeri!
Traveling Mega
