Jelgava (Latvia)

Tourism office website: www.visit.jelgava.lv

Jelgava is the second city to have the most students, people come to visit it notably for its ancient palace, for the view from the Saint Trinity Tower, or for the student atmosphere if it’s nice out, and you want to explore your surroundings. I have to confess that it was one of my least successful part of my trip, because it was raining a lot, and therefore, I wasn’t really able to enjoy being outside, which made a big different, because the city is usually very lively when it’s nice out (on the two river banks that go through the city: the Lielupe and the Driska, parks, young people, etc…)

Check out 716’s Jegalva photo album 

Don’t miss the “Jelgava Student” statue, the city’s emblem.

Jelgava is first mentioned in writing in 1265 when the Livonian Master of Order, Order Konrad von Mandern, ordered the construction of the castle for the Teutonic knights on the island between the Lielupe and Driska rivers. The city used to be called Mītava, which comes from the word mīt, mainīt (to exchange). It was then transformed to Mittau; later on it took back a Latvian name when it became independent. Jelgava supposedly comes from the Livonian term “jālgab”, “the city on the river”. Livonian is part of the Finno-Ugric languages. Livonia is in Latvia, in the north of the Kurzeme peninsula. Jelgava was largely destroyed during the Second World War.

Hôtel Jelgava
Lielā iela 6
Jelgava, LV-3001, Latvia
+371 63 023 349
the website

I was put up by the tourism office, it’s the big hotel in the center, and I have to say that the rooms were very comfortable, however the breakfast didn’t really do it.

Dimzēni Farm
Putrēnciems
Zaļenieku pagasts (25 from Jelgava)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dimzēni

You can go to this farm, and do daily tasks, you can stay a few days, there are horses, a sauna (Pirts in Latvian), and you can even help out with the goat cheese process. There are projects available for the kids during the summer. And we wont forget the escargots preparation either.  It’s an opportunity to live at another pace, it’s a bit like what’s offered at Murese in Estonia.

The Jelgava Palace
Lielā iela 2
Jelgava, Lettonie
+371 63 022 584
the website

The Jelgava Palace houses the agriculture university and a small museum: it’s the historical site you have to see when you come here.

Read the 716 review 

Rundāles Pils
Pilsrundāle
LV-3921, Latvia
+371 63 962 274
the website

If you have a car, don’t miss out on Rundāle, the baroque palace built in 1736, located 60 km from Jelgava. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to go visit it, because of time restrictions. It’s the same architect that built the Jelgava Palace.

Holy Trinity Church
Akademiajas iela 1
Jelgava, Latvia

Go to the tower for the tourism office on the main floor, but also for the view at the top, for the French restaurant that’s there ,”La Tour de Marie“, as well as the floor dedicated to the city’s history (very good) and finally, the room that hosts the temporary exhibits.  It’ll cost you 1.14 euros to go up, and 2.13 euros to go see the current exhibit (when I went, it was an exhibit on caricature drawing)

For the historical side of things, this tower in the symbol of the city. She might be the first brick church built in 1574, at the heart of a Lutheran congregation in Europe. It was renovated and opened to the public in 2010.

Hercogs
Krišjāņa Barona iela 3
Jelgava, LV-3001, Latvia
+371 63 024 188

Good fine dining restaurant for the city, good atmosphere in the kitchen.

Putelkrogs
Pūteļu krejotava
Tērvete, Zaļenieku pagasts
LV-3011, Latvia
+371 29 624 817
the website

It’s a well known inn and restaurant 26 km away from Jelgava, towards Tervete Park, a serious spot.

Read the entire 716 review

The restaurants I didn’t go to that were recommended to me: 

Aitinlauvas
Valgundes pagasts
Jelgava LV-5088, Latvia

A bed and breakfast place that also doubles as a restaurant, 26 km from Jelgava, I didn’t go, but it looks good.

Pizzeria Bocelli
Driksas Street 1
Jelgava
63013497

Sketchy interior, but the pizzas are supposed to be good.

Tami Tami
Liela Iela 19a
Jelgava LV-3001, Latvia

Club and pizza place, young people come here to party. Some locals recommended it to me, but some reviews were so harsh with it, that I hesitated to put it up here.

Coffee & Wine Gallery
Liela Iela 14
Jelgava
+371 26 633 703
the website

I went there one morning, it’s a coffee shop by day, and a wine bar by night. It looks like they have a pretty good number of wine from what I saw. I wasn’t a fan of the welcome, a little distant and uninterested, other than that, the coffee was good, it’s a good place to come for a break, but don’t expect any miracles.

Silva
Driksas iela 9
Jelgava
the website

It’s the tea room by excellence, with good pastries. The woman at the tourism office also told me it was good for lunch, help yourself buffet, which was good, but the room had no charm.

Balerija
Raiņa iela 20
Jelgava-Lv3001
+371 29 480 046
the website

An alternative bar/ coffee shop, geared towards people who like metal, but you can also go just for the artistic/ different vibe. I didn’t go, I was too tired that night.

Blankenfeldes muiža
Blankenfelde, Vilces pagasts
Latvia

Here’s an old manor that a Latvian took over after he finished his carreer in pharmaceuticals. He didn’t want to be inactive during his retirement and bought this place with no clear idea in mind of what to do with it. He started making organic juices, because the land was perfect for orchards. He also sells fruit wine, very popular in the Baltic states because grapes don’t grow around here. Throughout his international trips as part of his president functions, the owner collected a phenomenal amount of bells, which he features in a room.