HISTORY OF STRAND HOTEL

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Back in 1823 in the poorly inhabited seaside area north from the Peterupe the Landlord of the Ledurga Manor Carl von Reutern and of the Birini Manor Alex von Postolkorss started building summer homes, arranged a new site for swimming and called it Neubad (New Beach).

Soon the Birini Manor owned the whole Neubad and all the summer homes belonged to the Manor. Landlords from all over Vidzeme stayed in the apartments, visited the restaurants and leisured the nights in the club of the local Spahouse. (Kuhrhaus). These were closed receptions with music and drama performances, and dancing balls. The park was arranged in the surroundings. During those days in the middle of the 19th century the Strand Hotel was established. It was very expensive to run the resort, so in the 70s the young landlord August von Pistolkross rented the sites for building summer homes. Neubad (Saulkrasti) had a significant rise and development. A church, school, doctor’s house, several villas and hotels were built for the noble visitors from St.Petersburg, Moscow, Tarbatu (Tartu) and other places of the Russia Empire, as well as the local landlords of Vidzeme. Other beaches were available for ordinary people, who could just have a walk or relax near the sea, but Neubad was meant for sophisticated, wealthy visitors.

The Strand Hotel changed several owners and was open until the middle of the 20th century, when under the Soviet rules, it was made into a clinic and apartment house. At the end of the 20th century the building got back to its pre-war owners and was made into the Strand Hotel seaside apartments again.