City of Ventspils Ventspils is the sixth largest city of Latvia. Latvia is located in the eastern part of Europe by the Baltic Sea. Latvia borders on Estonia to the north, Russian Federation to the east, Belarus to the south-east, and Lithuania to the south. The territory of Latvia occupies 64.6 thousand km2. There are more than 2.5 million inhabitants in Latvia, 55 % of whom are Latvians. The capital of Latvia is Riga. Ventspils is located in the north-west of Latvia at the estuary of the river Venta into the Baltic Sea. A distance of 189 km separates Ventspils from the capital of Latvia. Transport is the leading sphere of economy and the basis of economic and social development of the city. Most of the residents are employed by the enterprises related to the transshipment, storage and transit of cargoes, as well as by companies servicing Ventspils Free Port. Transport Car rental The city's car rentals offer cars of different brands and at different prices. The car rental Eurocar is located at the restaurant Vilnis, one of the biggest hotel at another side of river Venta, the second car rental is in Jekaba street in the direction of Kuldiga. Gas stations The modern gas stations are located in close vicinity on the way to Riga - Statoil and Shell, and on the way to Kuldiga - Lukoil. Taxi (calling, parking lots) In Ventspils several taxi firms run their business and provide quality services. Mercedes brand taxi mini-buses operate throughout the city, one ticket costs LVL 0.25. Passengers may request to get off it wherever they want. Taxi mini-buses operate intensely from 5 a.m. till midnight, but during holidays till half past one in the morning. Parking lots Cars may be parked at the road sides in the specially designed parking places, where they do not impede the traffic. However, there are several paid parking lots offering their services as well. Buses Bus transport provides convenient inter-city traffic. The new Mercedes buses, that mostly are used in the route Ventspils-Riga, meet modern requirements and are equipped with air-conditioners, audio, TV and video. On the half way to Riga the bus stops at the River Abava and passengers can have some refreshments and fresh air. The traffic between Riga and Ventspils is very intensive. Every hour it's one bus to the capital of Latvia. City Description Ventspils has seen tremendous changes in many spheres during the last ten years. With the completion of the renovation works the Old City, many parks and squares have regained their former beauty. The City Council has created favourable conditions for the renovation of private dwellings. Large sums of money are allotted each year to the maintenance of the city environment and to the upgrading of the living standard of the residents. Because also the Leasure and Hospitality spheres are highly developed. Economy Transport is dominant in the economy of Ventspils and employs the majority of the residents. It functions as the basis of economic and social development of the city. There are ancient traditions of fishery and woodworking in Ventspils. A number of private companies active in fishery and fish processing offer fresh, salted, smoked, canned and frozen products both to local and export markets. Chipboards, saw material and furniture are the basic kinds of production in wood-working, and the largest part of production is exported. The construction boom of the last years in Ventspils has promoted the expansion of existing producers of construction materials, as well as the establishment of new firms. The Ventspils airport renovation project and discussions on the construction of an oil processing plant in Venstpils have been initiated. Ventspils Development Agency As a developed port city and a place for successful business Ventspils has entered international competition side by side with similar cities in the world. The Ventspils Development Agency was founded by the business organisations of Ventspils and the Ventspils City Council in February of 1998 in order to coordinate the publicity of the city and to implement its marketing strategy. The main spheres of activity of the Agency:-implementation of the city marketing strategy;-study of the supply and demand structure of Ventspils as a place for business;-local and international publicity of the city and its economical and social partners; -standing up for the interests and needs of Ventspils and its economic and social partners in local and international institutions of the state and in the private sector. Culture A lot has been done in Ventspils during the last years to develop a rich cultural life in the city. Different cultural activities of local and international significance regularly take place in the city. The regional Ventspils College has been created and the Old City, Ventspils Castle and other historical objects have been renovated. Regular theatre performances, concerts, different theme activities and conferences take place at the Cultural Centre and the Recreation Centre Juras Varti.( Sea Gates ) The cultural life of the city has also become very active. Various local and international events, opera performances, concerts and art exhibitions take place in Ventspils more and more frequently. 9 secondary schools and several professional educational establishments are functioning in the city. Higher education can be acquired in Ventspils College, the local branch of Riga Technical University, the branch of the Russian Institute in the Baltics, and the branch of the Riga Pedagogical and Educational Management School. There are diverse recreation opportunities for the residents and guests of Ventspils. One can visit museums and see historical objects and other interesting places in the city and its vicinity in order to study the history and development of Ventspils. In a 20 minutes walk from the city centre one can find oneself on the sandy beach of the Baltic Sea. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy sports in modern sports buildings - a stadium, many sports clubs and the Olympic sports hall, completed in 1997, that accomodates 3000 spectators. Centre Amateur Art There are 14 different ethnic and cultural societies functioning in Ventspils. ............