Visiting the Great Ķemeri Bog Boardwalk: One of Latvia's Strangest Nature Walks

How to Get There

The easiest way to visit is by car, and that’s how I’ve always travelled to Ķemeri Bog.

The point to navigate to is marked as Start of the Great Ķemeri Bog walk - search for that rather than the national park itself, which covers a large area.

There is a paid parking area near the beginning of the trail, which cost around €3 per hour. Having your own car makes the journey much more convenient and lets you explore the area at your own pace.

The boardwalk and the parking area are open 24 hours, so there’s nothing stopping you from arriving before dawn if you’re after sunrise.

There are toilets at the parking area, before the start of the trail. They’re the only ones you’ll find, so use them before you set off.

It is also possible to travel by train from Riga. The ticket costs around €2.80 one way - Latvian train fares rarely change throughout the year, so you can expect something close to that - and you should get off at Ķemeri Station. From there, it’s roughly a 50-minute walk one way to the start of the boardwalk, and the same again on the way back.

I haven’t visited by train myself, so I can’t comment on the experience from personal experience. I’ve always travelled there by car, which I found to be the most convenient option.

Walking Through the Bog

Finding the trail is straightforward. You don’t step out of the car straight onto the boardwalk, though - the route begins as an ordinary forest path on solid ground, and you follow that for a while before the wooden walkway starts and the bog opens up in front of you.

From there you spend the rest of the walk on the boardwalk, which protects the fragile ecosystem beneath your feet. The path isn’t particularly wide, so when people are walking in the opposite direction you’ll occasionally need to step aside to let each other pass.

There are two loop options:

• Small Loop – approximately 1.5 km
• Large Loop – approximately 3.5 km

Since we enjoy walking, we chose the longer route, while families with young children or anyone looking for a shorter walk may prefer the smaller loop.

Walking at a comfortable pace and stopping occasionally to admire the scenery, we spent around an hour and a half completing the larger loop.

Throughout the walk you pass small bog pools scattered across the moss - dark, still water reflecting the sky, with no obvious edge between one and the next. They’re what makes the landscape look the way it does in photographs, and there are far more of them than you expect.

Personally, I don’t think this is the type of place where you’re constantly searching for the next viewpoint. The real appeal lies in simply walking through the landscape and noticing how the scenery slowly changes around you.

The observation tower is probably the highlight of the walk, offering panoramic views across the seemingly endless bog. It sits on the large loop only, so if you take the 1.5 km route you won’t pass it - worth knowing before you choose.

One important thing to remember is to stay on the wooden boardwalk at all times. The moss can look solid enough to stand on, but stepping off the designated path is dangerous. The ground beneath the vegetation is soft and unstable in many places, so it’s best not to explore beyond the marked trail.

More Than Just a Beautiful Walk

Ķemeri Bog is one of Latvia’s most important wetland ecosystems and an internationally recognised bird habitat. Common cranes nest here, and the bog is one of the few places in Latvia where wood sandpipers and European golden plovers breed - the raised bog is the only habitat they’ll use. Black grouse are typical bog birds too, and migrating geese stop here in large numbers. Spring and autumn are the best months if birds are the reason you’re coming.

The vegetation explains why the place looks the way it does. The soil here is poor in nutrients, acidic and waterlogged in many places. Most trees simply can’t cope with conditions that harsh, so only a couple of species manage it - pine and birch - and even those stay small and thin compared to the same trees in a forest. That’s the whole reason the view opens up the way it does: nothing grows tall enough to block it. The scattered pines you see across the moss aren’t young trees, they’re full-grown ones that never got the chance to become full size, and once you know that, the landscape reads less like an open field and more like a forest that was stopped halfway.

The Ķemeri area has also long been known for its mineral waters and therapeutic mud, which have been used for medical treatments for generations and helped establish Ķemeri as one of Latvia’s historic spa destinations.

If you’d like to experience the famous Ķemeri mud yourself, make time for the Baskāju Taka (Barefoot Trail) nearby. One of the highlights of the trail is walking barefoot through therapeutic Ķemeri mud before continuing along different natural surfaces. You can read more about the experience in my Latvia’s Barefoot Trail guide.

Best Time to Visit

The boardwalk is open all year round. I’ve only been in summer - most recently in mid-July 2025, when nature was at its greenest and the weather was ideal for walking - so that’s the season I can speak about.

If you’re after lush landscapes and long daylight hours, summer is the obvious choice. Just keep in mind that it also brings mosquitoes, so packing insect repellent is a must. They barely bothered me, but my family weren’t as lucky and spent much of the walk trying to avoid them.

Many photographers consider sunrise the best time to visit. Early mornings often bring a layer of fog covering the bog, creating one of Latvia’s most recognisable landscapes. During the middle of the day you’ll still enjoy the scenery, but the misty atmosphere depends entirely on the weather. If you’re hoping to see it, you’ll need some luck with the forecast.

Other Activities: Sunrise SUP Tour

Several friends of mine have joined a sunrise stand-up paddleboarding tour on the bog lakes and describe it as one of the best things they’ve done in Latvia - paddling through still water while the sun comes up through the mist. I planned to do it on that same trip, but the forecast never cooperated: without a calm, foggy sunrise the experience is a different one entirely. If your schedule is flexible, watch the weather and book when clear sunrise conditions are expected.

What to Bring

To make the most of your visit, I’d suggest bringing:

Who Can Do This Walk?

The Great Ķemeri Bog Boardwalk is an easy walk and suits most visitors.

Families with young children can choose the 1.5 km loop, while those who enjoy longer walks can continue along the 3.5 km route. The trail is mostly flat and follows a wooden boardwalk the whole way, which makes it far easier going than a typical forest path. It doesn’t require a high level of fitness, so it works well for older visitors too. The only part that involves climbing is the observation tower on the large loop, and that can be skipped.

The boardwalk is not suitable for wheelchairs. It’s also narrow in places, so you’ll occasionally need to step aside to let other visitors pass.

How Crowded Is It?

Although the boardwalk is in the middle of nature, don’t expect to have it to yourself. During my visit there were people walking the route throughout the day, as it’s one of the best-known nature destinations among Latvians. Even so, it never felt overcrowded. There were plenty of opportunities to stop, take photos and enjoy the surroundings.

Nearby Attractions

If you’re planning a full-day trip, there are several places worth visiting nearby.

One I’d point you towards is Engure, a quiet coastal town known for its lakeside scenery, birdwatching and relaxed pace. My Engure day trip guide combines wild horses, Šlokenbeka Manor and the barefoot trail.

If you’re interested in wellness and unusual outdoor experiences, don’t miss the Barefoot Trail, where you can walk across different natural surfaces, including the therapeutic Ķemeri mud.

Is the Great Ķemeri Bog Worth Visiting?

Absolutely.

Visiting the Great Ķemeri Bog is about experiencing one of Latvia’s most unusual natural landscapes.

What I remember from every visit is the silence. As soon as you step onto the boardwalk, the atmosphere changes - the sounds of traffic disappear, conversations become quieter, and you’re left with wind, birdsong and not much else.

If you’re spending a few days in Riga and you want to see nature that doesn’t look like anywhere else, this is the trip.

Practical questions

How long is the Great Ķemeri Bog Boardwalk?

There are two loops: a small loop of approximately 1.5 km and a large loop of approximately 3.5 km. The longer route includes the observation tower.

Can you visit Ķemeri Bog without a car?

Yes. Trains from Riga stop at Ķemeri Station, and from there it is roughly a 50-minute walk one way to the start of the boardwalk. A car is more convenient.

Is the Great Ķemeri Bog Boardwalk free?

Yes, there is no entrance fee. The nearby parking area is paid, and the price can change, so bring a payment method.

What is the best time to visit Ķemeri Bog?

The boardwalk is open all year. Summer gives you lush vegetation and long daylight, while spring and autumn are better for birdwatching. Sunrise can bring the famous fog, but it depends on the weather.