Ķemeri resort (originally ''Ķemeres'', also known as ''Kemmern'') is a part of

Jūrmala Jūrmala (; "seaside") is a state city in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, about west of Riga. Jūrmala is a resort town stretching and is sandwiched between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River. It has a stretch of white-sand beach and is the ...

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

, 44 km from

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

. From 1928 to 1959, Ķemeri was a separate town, famous for healing

mud bath A mud bath is a therapeutic spa treatment that involves soaking in a bath of warm mud, often in a natural hot spring or geothermal pool. Mud baths have been used for centuries as a way to promote health and relaxation, and are still popular t ...

s and luxurious hotels. Approximately 2,200 inhabitants live there, while the main hotel is under reconstruction.

History

The name Ķemeri (''Kemmern'') first appears in written sources after the founding of the Dukedom of

Courland Courland is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. Courland's largest city is Liepāja, which is the third largest city in Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland as they were ...

in 1561. Documentary evidence indicates that the springs at Ķemeri first became known for their curative properties in 1796, the first chemical analysis of the spring water being performed in 1818. The residents of the nearby town of Sloka began to build houses for the patients. In 1825, the first public building was built for spa guests. ''Bad Kemmern'' was founded as a resort in 1838, when the emperor

Nicholas I of Russia Nicholas I, group=pron (Russian language, Russian: Николай I Павлович; – ) was Emperor of Russia, List of rulers of Partitioned Poland#Kings of the Kingdom of Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 18 ...

gave this land for building the first bath-house with mineral water. From then onwards people started to come here for treatment. The Ķemeri railway station was established in 1877. The Ķemeri resort became popular in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. In 1912, a direct railway link was created between Ķemeri and

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. The connection with the beach of

Jaunķemeri Jaunķemeri is a residential area and neighbourhood of the city Jūrmala, Latvia. It is located on the shore of the Gulf of Riga The Gulf of Riga, Bay of Riga, or Gulf of Livonia (, , ) is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia. T ...

was provided by electrical

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

. Nerve disease as well as diseases of joints, bones, and muscles were treated in the resort. Treatment with sulfuring water and mud baths was also carried out. The annual number of people visiting the resort reached 8,300. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the battles between German and Russian forces lasting several years were only a few miles from Ķemeri. The resort was devastated and the train station was destroyed. The newly created

Republic of Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

tried to restore the previous glory of Ķemeri. In 1924, a special bathing facility was built for mud baths equipped with mechanical hot mud feed and the pumping of used mud back to the

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and musk ...

. In 1929, a 42-m-tall water tower with a sightseeing platform at the top was built near the bathing facility. Hotel ''Ķemeri,'' called "White Ship," has more than 100 rooms designed and built together by famous Latvian architect Eižens Laube and Spa Hotel's chief doctor and its director Dr. Janis Libietis. The hotel was opened to guests in 1936. Dr. Janis Libietis managed the Kemeri complex from 1928 to 1944 as he later sought asylum in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. In 1997,

Ķemeri National Park Ķemeri National Park () is a national park located west of the city of Jūrmala, Latvia. Established in 1997, Ķemeri is the third largest national park in the country by area, covering an area of 381.65 km2. The territory of the park is mo ...

was established. In 1998, the sanatorium, after years of post -Sovietic abandonment, was purchased by Ominasis Italia and renovated according to a project by the architect Cesare Stefano Bernardinelli. In 2014, the old abandoned hotel on Tūristu iela was demolished and the space is currently blank, with one last building to be demolished. The state hotel is being renovated for tourism again.

References

External links

Cultural History and Pictures of Ķemeri
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kemeri Spa towns in Latvia Resorts in Latvia Springs of Latvia Neighbourhoods in Jūrmala