Arina Baikova

Hi, my name is Arina. I am from a resort town Jurmala (lv. – Jūrmala) in Latvia.

I am a FINA Swimming Scholarship holder, which takes place in the FINA Development Centre in Kazan, Russia.

Today I want to tell you about my hometown and country.

Jurmala is the city by the Gulf of Riga stretching along 33 km of coastline. It is the second largest city by territory in Latvia after Riga. Jurmala is the only resort city in Latvia and the largest resort area in the Baltics.

Talking about attractions in Jurmala, it is important to know that all of them are related to the nature and its beauty. The "must visit" places in Jurmala are the Kemeri national park and its swamps, our beautiful coastline, the Dzintari Park, and famous Jomas street in area called Majori. However, Jurmala is also known for numerous musical festivals, cultural events and summer holiday season.

Speaking of Latvia, there are some significant points to know. Latvia is a small country, which worships ancestor's traditions, so the existence of numerous shops of national goods and massive celebrations is not so surprising. By the way, our festival "Celebration of songs and dances" is considered as the pearl of the national culture and is included in the list of UNESCO.

Personally I think, the must visit places in Latvia are Kolka area, Riga's old town, Gauja national park, Rundale palace and lake Kanieris nature trail.