Ķemeri resort (originally ''Ķemeres'', also known as ''Kemmern'') JŪRMALA, Nature and Cultural Heritage, Ed. LaimaSlava, Neputns 2004, , pages 83-95 is a part of Jūrmala in

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

, 44 km from

Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...

. From 1928 to 1959, Ķemeri was a separate town, famous for healing mud baths 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 (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. ...

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 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. In 1912, a direct railway link was created between Ķemeri and Moscow. The connection with the beach of Jaunķemeri was provided by electrical tram. 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, 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 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 muskeg; a ...

. 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 Eižens Laube (May 25, 1880 – July 21, 1967) was a Latvian architect. He was responsible for some of the reconstruction work of Riga Castle in the 1930s and designed more than 200 houses in Riga. Biography Eižens Laube was born in Riga a ...

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 1928–1944 as he later sought asylum in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. In 1997,

Ķemeri National Park Ķemeri National Park ( lv, Ķemeru nacionālais parks) is a national park 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 terr ...

was established.

References

External links

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