Tourism development in Liepāja

Tourism is one of Liepāja's development priorities and over the years various tourism offers have been developed suitable for different tastes and interests.

One of them is the walking route "Follow the notes!" (established in 2007). The concept of the project is rooted in the well-known image of Liepāja as a city of music. It is one of the ways how to discover Liepāja and its most popular sights on your own - just following musical notes set in the pavement at certain intervals and learning about the tourist sights in the city centre. The route is extended each year and made more attractive.“Follow the notes!" is a tourism product not only appreciated in Latvia. It was recognized also as the 3^rd place winner of the tourism project competition organized by UBC Commission on Tourism in 2009.

Another important initiative for the development of tourism in the city is improvement of the facilities for bicycle riders. One of the current projects co-financed by the ERDF provides for a construction of a new bicycle path (total length of 7.6 km) leading throughout the city. It will be interconnected with the already built spans of cycling paths.

Also, some of the grimmest pages of our history have been turned into the most demanded tourism products in Liepāja. It is Karosta, the former Soviet military base. Already since 2002 the most popu- lar tourist attraction in Karosta is Karosta Prison, where each visitor is sure to find something interesting - informative tours, nerves-tickling reality show "Behind the bars", a prison-style meal or extreme overnight stay. To explore the Northern forts visitors can join a torch-light tour through the underground labyrinths or become players in the spy game"Escape from the USSR". Starting the game you are taken back by several decades to live through the episodes of our country's recent history - the Soviet occupation period. The game provokes active participation of the players making them think, search, run, hide, take decisions, help the others. The task of the game is to overcome various obstacles through cooperation and acting together and to find a friend who is not able to move without assistance and bring him to a safe place-a submarine.