When was the last time you simply relaxed – leaving behind the daily rush, and dedicating time to yourself and your health? It’s easy to do this in Latvia at city hotels, seaside resorts and quiet country farms. Why do we invite guests from all over the world? Firstly, everything is close by here – nature, the sea, the city, SPA and sauna recreation opportunities. Secondly, Latvia has a peaceful, uncongested environment where it’s easy to recharge. Thirdly, smaller-scale SPAs and saunas provide individual attention and a good sauna attendant will make your vacation unforgettable.
Latvian SPAs combine modern comfort with local traditions. In Riga, you can visit modern SPA centres with pools, saunas and procedures to kick back after a long day of work or travel. In Jurmala and other seaside resorts, SPA complexes are located next to the beach and forests, so it’s easy to combine relaxation with a walk in the pine forest or along the seashore. In turn, country saunas and manor SPAs offer a peaceful, personal atmosphere. Local products are often used: medicinal herbs, honey, salt and mud treatments.
In this article, we will look at sauna traditions in Latvia, where you can enjoy both modern and high-quality SPA services and the magic of a real country sauna.
Riga’s luxury SPA centres
Riga pampers guests with luxurious five-star SPA centres and sophisticated SPA hotels, where you can completely disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. One of the most famous is the five-star SPA centre ESPA Riga, located in the Radisson Blu Latvija Conference & Spa Hotel and offering exclusive and peaceful relaxation treatments. The centre’s range of treatments is very wide: from toning facial treatments to soothing special treatments. The recreation area, featuring a pool, sauna and fitness centre, provides active leisure opportunities. No less tempting is Taka SPA, which provides a unique feeling of well-being for the mind and body. In addition to pools and saunas, the SPA also offers treatments for expectant mothers. Treatments feature natural products and time-tested skills from different countries and cultures around the world.
Riga guests are invited to the Hedonic Wellness centre, located in the Grand Poet by Semarah hotel. The recreation centre invites guests to enter a world of harmony and beauty. It offers a wide range of treatment options and activities, including a pool with underwater massage areas, a Jacuzzi, a bio sauna, a Finnish sauna, a steam bath, an aroma sauna with a salt room, and a wide range of SPA treatments for the whole body.
Dome Hotel & SPA is a five-star hotel and peaceful oasis in the very heart of Riga, in the Old Town. Its professional staff can help you disconnect from everyday life thanks to various facial and body treatments, as well as SPA aroma rituals. In turn, the sauna has a fantastic view of the roofs of the Old Town and the Dome Church. Also in the Old Town of Riga, guests are warmly welcomed at Wellton Riverside SPA Hotel – a four-star “superior” category hotel. The hotel boasts one of the largest SPA centres in Old Riga (638m²), where a swimming pool, hydromassage pool, cold water tub, cedar sauna, herbal sauna, Turkish steam bath, gym and a wide range of beauty treatments are available.
The largest resort town in the Baltics
Jūrmala is famous for its healing mud, mineral waters and pine forests, all of which can be enjoyed in modern SPA centres by the sea. One of the most popular venues is Hotel Jūrmala SPA – a modern spa hotel and conference centre in the heart of Jurmala, on the Majoru promenade. This four-star hotel offers the Wellness Oasis sauna and pool centre and more than 200 different treatments, including beauty treatments.
Another pearl of the resort town is Lielupe by Semarah Hotels – an elegant SPA hotel right next to the dunes. The SPA centre boasts a modern, very wide and professional range of treatments, created by combining the best traditions and unique experiences that will help you regain tranquillity and experience true well-being. In turn, Baltic Beach Hotel & SPA offers the opportunity to choose from more than 300 SPA treatments, including rituals in sauna complexes. The services offered by the Sea Wellness seawater relaxation centre also give you a chance to unwind. Experienced specialists will always support you with professional knowhow and advice.
Waves of relaxation
The Latvian coast is home to romantic places where you can experience the sea and enjoy the SPA. One of the brightest is OTTO Hotel & Sun, located in Pāvilosta – a small and romantic town in Kurzeme – 100 m from the Baltic Sea. In the sun and pool area you can swim and sunbathe in a climate-controlled environment before indulging in the magic of the SPA.
In Ķesterciems, very close to Tukums on the very Gulf of Riga, is the modern and romantic Albatross SPA. Here you can enjoy a modern recreation centre and apartments right by the sea, lounge by the pool or on a SPA terrace under the open sky, listening to the soothing sounds of the waves.
Ancient romance
Many restored castles and manors stand proudly in the Latvian countryside, offering not only historical excursions, but also exquisite SPA experiences.
Liepupe Manor SPA, located on the Vidzeme coast, has created a unique concept involving treatments that incorporate organically grown products from the Latvian countryside, an offer that is customised for each client. The serenity of the historical building, the Vidzeme countryside and professional staff help you leave the world behind, highlighting the songs of birds and rustle of the wind.
On the Madona side, in a picturesque site by the lake, guests are drawn to Mārcienas muiža. This SPA complex is located in a 150-year-old manor house, where the historical atmosphere harmoniously intertwines with modern relaxation opportunities. Mārcienā offers not only traditional massages, but also exotic procedures, such as biomechanical stimulation, deep tissue massage with bamboo chopsticks and quince peeling. For sauna lovers, special rituals and harmonious relaxation are prepared here.
The Berķenes muiža SPA in Zemgale, on the Vilce side, is a special story. An hour’s drive from Riga, this SPA centre, located in the basement of a restored 19th century manor in a picturesque rural landscape, offers unforgettable visits and procedures, including a sauna and steam bath. The SPA is only available for individual visits.
Meanwhile, in Kurzeme, the elegant Piena muiža – Berghof is particularly noteworthy – the manor, surrounded by forests and located on a hill, was once the hunting residence of a German baron. Guests are offered a White Bath and Black Stone Bath, various SPA procedures and rituals, and even real milk baths using local milk. After your treatments, take a walk in the manor’s rose garden or play tennis on the sports court.
Far from the big city and everyday life
A visit to a SPA in the Latvian regions is a great choice for anyone who wants to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the beauty of Latvian nature combined with well-being and comfort. In Vidzeme, on the Cēsis side in scenic Amata, is located Jonathan SPA Estate – the first eco-village SPA hotel in Latvia. In the unique Amatciems between forests and lakes, Jonathan Spa Estate offers five-star comfort and an ecological atmosphere. The hotel’s SPA area is diverse, but in the morning you can wake up to the songs of birds and go for a walk along forest trails.
Discover a true haven of peace in Latgale at the Silene Resort & SPA, located on Lake Sila near Daugavpils. This is a natural SPA experience where guests can experience absolute peace and comfort. The Silene SPA concept is based on the natural riches of Latgale’s swamps and forests – the procedures use collected herbs, swamp mud, wild berries and healing blue clay from a nearby lake. After a sauna ritual and massage with natural oils, guests are treated to herbal tea and healthy snacks. On the Kurzeme side, you shouldn’t miss Usma SPA Hotel & Camping by Lake Usma. This place is special because it offers overnight stays in floating houses on the lake – the perfect invitation to take a brisk morning swim and have a cup of coffee on your private floating terrace. The Usma complex offers guests a sauna and pool complex, various SPA treatments, as well as active recreation opportunities such as boating, fishing and hiking in the surrounding forests.
Latvian Bathhouses – an authentic experience
Latvia even has a Sauna Museum, located near Riga, where you can see various historical bathhouses. After the tour, you can enjoy bathhouse rituals yourself, including in a traditional black bathhouse. This museum guides you through the history of the bathhouse, allowing you to appreciate how important it was for our ancestors, as well as enjoy the pleasures of the bathhouse yourself, accompanied by a skilled bathhouse attendant.
In Latvia, the bathhouse ritual is considered a special art, and bathhouse attendants pass their craft on from generation to generation. For an even more profound bathhouse experience, visit a rural bathhouse run by knowledgeable and experienced bathhouse masters.
In Ziedlejas in Krimulda parish, you can enjoy the contemporary design of the Glass Bathhouse, the primitive Smoke Bathhouse and the spiral-shaped Wool Bathhouse. During the sauna ritual, the sauna master attends to each guest for several hours. In Auciems, Raiskums parish, the sauna master of Ziedu pirts accommodates both experienced sauna lovers and beginners, offering rituals with herbs, flowers and other gifts of nature picked from the meadow for couples, families, friends and small groups. In addition to exclusive body SPA rituals, Bergervilla in Jūrkalne also offers the services of a professional sauna master so you can stop time as well-being fills your body. In Rozēni Sauna, located on the outskirts of Saulkrasti, you can plan your own favourite sauna cycle with a knowledgeable sauna master.
The classic Latgale experience involves black saunas, which is quite different from a regular sauna. In ancient times, black saunas played an important role in childbirth, preparation of beer hops and meat drying. To enjoy this “dark classic”, visit the black baths at Čiekuri, Ezerzeme and others.
Latvia brings a wide and inspiring range of travel offers to the table, including peaceful repose in SPA centres and baths where visitors can feel renewed while enjoying the proximity of nature and warm hospitality. Latvia is waiting for you – come and enjoy our unique land and the magic of SPA!
