Military Underground Secrets and the Sea
Hike in Riga
  • 5 h
  • ~12 km
  • Riga

Program

This hiking tour brings you to Mangalsala, a neighborhood of Riga that is known for its industrial vibe, romantic breakwater and wonderful opportunity to observe ships passing by. Screams of seagulls, lonely fishermen standing on the breakwater, powerful sea wind and a bright lighthouse – these are the most common associations with Mangalsala. And yet there is something else very special about this place – military underground secrets that invite you to come and explore them. First coastal defense fortifications in Mangalsala were built during the Russian Empire and later expanded by various armies – Latvian, German and Soviet. Many bunkers, batteries and other buildings are still visible today, making Mangalsala one of the best military heritage gems in Latvia. Military underground secrets, lovely paths through the pinetree woods, industrial vibe and the sea promises a very adventurous and exciting hiking tour.

Highlights

  • Bunkers, batteries and other military heritage
  • Sunken ship “Lady Cotlin”
  • Mangalsala Breakwater
  • White sand beach
When and where

The meeting point is in front of the bus stop “Mangalsala” at 10 AM. The hike starts and ends at the same point. Return back to the meeting point around 3 PM.

Transportation

You have two options – bus or your own car. If you choose public transport, you can reach Mangalsala by bus No24 (1,5 euro one-way ticket) leaving from Abrene Street at 8:43 AM and arriving at the bus stop “Mangalsala” at 9:53 AM.

IMPORTANT!

The safety measures during the tour:

  • On the tour are not allowed persons who have to be in quarantine or are having symptoms like fever, and other signs of acute infection.

Photos and video:

By booking the tour the participant agrees to be photographed or filmed. Baltic Nature Travel reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken at tours organised by Baltic Nature Travel without the expressed written/oral permission of those included within the photograph/video.

Meeting point

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Tour dates
  • 07.10.2023
Participation fee

15 € per person.

Included
  • Route planning;
  • English speaking hike leader;
  • Taxes.
Not included
  • Transportation costs;
  • Food and drinks.
What to bring with you
  • 1 l of water per person as a minimum 
  • Snacks and lunch for breaks and picnic
  • Flashlight or headlamp
  • Good and adventurous mood
How to dress

Please, dress accordingly to the weather forecast! Due to very changeable weather, layering is key to enjoying the hike, and rain protection is a must-have. Any comfortable shoes or sandals are good enough for this hike.

Level of dificulty

A quite easy hike that follows small paths through the woods and country roads, goes on a wooden boardwalk and along the sea. Hiking tour involves climbing down in the bunkers (entering bunkers is on your own responsibility!).

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Frequently Asked Questions

What travelers say about us

EXCELLENT
36 reviews on
Carmen Daams
Carmen Daams
2023-09-22
I took the Kuldiga trip with Valdis. The experience was amazing. The entire day was great. He is a great guide, and knows a lot of interesting information. He would definitely make your whole experience even better. Kuldiga is such a captivating city, very unique with a very special style and soul. If you are visiting Latvia, don't hesitate to take this trip, it is a "must".
Stanley Wallerstein
Stanley Wallerstein
2023-08-29
Great Tour and great guide. Baltic Nature Travel is excellent.
Maria M Andrade
Maria M Andrade
2023-08-28
Valdis organized an absolutely wonderful 10 day trip to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania trip for my sister, a friend, and myself. He arranged all details including our private chofer and tour guide up the last detail. He went far and beyond when he knew I had an accident in Estonia. We met him Latvia and he make us feel welcome. He recommended the most amazing restaurants for us and he took care of my doctor needs where he was the interpreter. In every country we had the best guys one can possibly ask for. All hotels were walking distance from city centre. Thank you Valdis we will always remembered this trip!!!!
Sarah Daniels
Sarah Daniels
2023-08-21
Thank you, Valdis, for helping my family have a wonderful two week trip to the Baltics! Your advice and recommendations were very helpful, and our tour guides in 4 different cities were each outstanding! I highly recommend a vacation in the beautiful and fascinating Baltics, and I highly recommend using Valdis to help you plan it.
Rita Derencius
Rita Derencius
2023-08-09
Tours and tour guides, Tomas and Mindaugas, exceeded my expectations. We were able to curate our tour of Lithuania. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and adapted the tour based on our input. Valdis was responsive and easy to work with. Extremely happy we chose to have private tour guides. Best trip ever!
Deniz Demirors
Deniz Demirors
2023-08-08
Valdis did amazing job to organize us a 15 day, 14 night self drive adventure trip to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Thanks to his valuable advise before and immaculate documentation with names of the locations, guides etc we had a magical experience. We hiked, biked, walked, beached and off course drive all over in all 3 beautiful countries. We felt very safe. Everyone we met were very friendly. The car was delivered to our first hotel in Tallinn and picked up from last hotel in Vilnius. They were professional and kind people. We encountered few minor issues but Valdis resolved very promptly so our program was not impacted. We met him in Riga as he was our guide. Thanks to Valdis & his team of guides we had an unforgettable time and experience. Valdis is very gently, kind, hears his clients wishes and makes adjustments in his existing programs. Job well done Valdis. Thank you very much.
Catherine Herway
Catherine Herway
2023-06-24
These are the only places on earth where eastern and western architecture can now meet in harmony. The architecture tells a social history translated into excellent English on this tour! The hotels were clean, comfortable, and safe. The food was outstanding as well, I only wish I had more time!
Artur Iwański
Artur Iwański
2023-05-03
A very good and interesting guide. Customized trips - which is very useful. If you want to get to know Latvia (which is worth it!) there is no one better. Highly recommended.
Giovanni Paolo Palamara
Giovanni Paolo Palamara
2023-01-07
Very interesting trip. Definitely worth it!

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Baltic Nature Travel
Baltic Nature Travel