Audio tourKarosta (North Side of Liepāja)

Karosta is quite a unique place, even in the world context. Karosta is the most significant historical military garrison in the Baltics and constitutes almost a third of Liepāja's territory.

By order of the Russian Tsar of Russia Alexander III, construction of the naval fortress and the military city began in 1890. It was initially named the Port of Emperor Alexander III, but soon It acquired the name "Kara Osta" (War Port) and later "Karosta".

It was planned as a completely autonomous area with its infrastructure, electric power station, water supply system, church and schools. Under the Soviet occupation regime, it was a closed territory, not even accessible to local civilians.

Today Karosta is a unique and peculiar blend of military brutality and ornate end-of-19th century architecture.

This tour consists of 4 clusters. The central group of points of interest has a tour line, and it allows us to see the core part of Karosta. The distance 5.5 km is calculated for this cluster only.

There is also a cluster devoted to the Liepāja breakwater, as well as military redan, Jewish Memorial and Northern Forts. The last four ones are quite far away from the Karosta central part; thus bicycle or car would be required to reach them.