Discover Egļuciems

Egļuciems is a destination for travellers who want to combine landscapes, local history and unusual cultural themes. Its development is connected with the old riverbed of the Lielupe, or the Lieknas marsh. There are also memories of the Lieknas inn, a former ferry connection and a place of worship of regional significance. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday house can therefore choose Egļuciems as a base for a trip in which not only the accommodation but also the character of the place plays a role.

Local History around Lieknas

Egļuciems grew up around the Lieknas inn belonging to Salas muiža, which was also called Liekņa. It stood on the road from Riga to Courland and existed for at least 200 years. The artist Jūliuss Dērings mentioned the inn in his diaries in 1877. These details give the local history a specific temporal and cultural thread, without reducing Egļuciems to a single historical event.

For visitors interested in history, the connection between the landscape and the development of the settlement is particularly interesting: the place is associated with the old riverbed of the Lielupe, or the Lieknas marsh, while Lieknas as an inn provides another link to regional history. When planning your stay, you can therefore consider whether you are looking for accommodation with an emphasis on cultural history, its connection to the landscape or a mixture of both.

Baznīckalns and Cultural Themes

An important cultural point of reference is Baznīckalns. The site is a place of worship and an archaeological monument of regional significance in Egļuciems. For travellers interested in history, religious traditions and archaeological sites, this name offers a special reason to learn more about the identity of the place. Such a thematic focus may be more important when choosing where to stay than planning a holiday that is as general as possible.

A different emphasis is provided by Samuraju parks. There, people learn sword-fighting techniques as well as how to handle traditional Japanese wooden weapons such as the bokken, bō and wooden naginata. The tea ceremony is an essential part of the peaceful martial art practised there. Samuraju parks is a volunteer movement operating in Egļuciems, in the former Babīte municipality, with the support of Bulduru dārzkopības vidusskola. This adds a Japanese-influenced cultural theme to Egļuciems’ older local and river history.

The Historic Ferry Connection across the Lielupe

The history of the area also includes a ferry across the Lielupe that was located next to Egļuciems. The Buļļi raft ferry was strictly monitored. The transport of people and freight across the Lielupe was permitted exclusively by this raft ferry. For travel planning, this aspect is particularly interesting if you are interested in former transport routes, river crossings and the importance of regional connections. The ferry’s history complements the story of Lieknas and makes clear how closely local history was connected with the Lielupe.

Choosing Egļuciems as a Place to Stay

A holiday apartment in Egļuciems is particularly well suited to travel planning with a clear cultural focus. A holiday house or holiday apartment can be viewed as the base for an individually arranged trip, without requiring a specific type of accommodation or particular facilities.

If you are travelling with different interests, Egļuciems can offer several topics for conversation: some may explore Baznīckalns and the history of Lieknas, while others may be interested in the Buļļi raft ferry or in Japanese martial arts and the tea ceremony at Samuraju parks.

More Destinations for Your Search

If you would like to compare other places in addition to Egļuciems, here are some additional destinations for planning your trip: Gātciems, Brīvkalni, Spuņciems, Pērnciems, Babīte and Mežāres.

For the higher-level travel overview: Babītes Municipality.