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On my visit to Liepaja, Latvia next week I have planned to also take a look at the largely abandoned (but still partially populated) Soviet military town Karosta located north of Liepaja. Is it safe to have a walk through this area and take some pictures, or are there high risks of getting mugged as a western tourist? Are you advised to be cautious?
The only thing Wikitravel says is that it used to be a dangerous place in the 90's.
On my visit to Liepaja, Latvia next week I have planned to also take a look at the largely abandoned (but still partially populated) Soviet military town Karosta located north of Liepaja. Is it safe to have a walk through this area and take some pictures, or are there high risks of getting mugged as a western tourist? Are you advised to be cautious?
The only thing Wikitravel says is that it used to be a dangerous place in the 90's.
Magnus...
Every place of former SU was dangerous in the 90's)))
Wow Magnus, the history of this particular military city goes much-much further back than Soviet Union - it looks like it was quite important forepost of the Russian Empire created as the result of a stand-off between Russia and Germany. At least that's what ( among other things) I've learned from here.
Karosta Prison museum (used as a prison by the Russian Empire, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union), where people can spend a night as a prisoner and be treated as one
On my visit to Liepaja, Latvia next week I have planned to also take a look at the largely abandoned (but still partially populated) Soviet military town Karosta located north of Liepaja. Is it safe to have a walk through this area and take some pictures, or are there high risks of getting mugged as a western tourist? Are you advised to be cautious?
The only thing Wikitravel says is that it used to be a dangerous place in the 90's.
I walked and drove around Karosta for an hour or so last year. The place seemed almost empty -- many buildings but few people. I wouldn't say I felt unsafe like I did in some neighborhoods in the US, but I felt a bit uneasy. I didn't visit the prison. The cathedral is very pretty and a big contrast with the rundown apartment buildings around it.
I also visited the Holocaust memorial at Skede Beach, maybe 2-3kms to the north. Small hard-to-find place but very touching.
I have been to that part of Liepaja and did not indicate any danger there. However, i am not a "western" person but an ex-soviet myself but i think it is hardly important in this context. Well, i remember that at first glance the huge brown orthodox cathedral looked a bit, i would say, ghostly as i really did expect to see such things in that specific enviroment of soviet army styled dwellings-that was my emotion, i remember.
Yes, I can only agree Liepaja is interesting to visit as it looks imo indeed something like an `Baltic sea provinicial town of Russian empire` might look`- thanks to the fact that old part of the city is pretty big and well preserved if i remember correctly.
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