Local Government for Liepāja, Latvia. Liepāja is the 3rd largest city in Latvia and 10th largest one in the Baltic States. Approximately 72 000 people have chosen it as their home place. The city is located on a stretch of land between the Baltic Sea and the Liepāja Lake, which are connected by the Trade Canal. The sea with its widest sandy beach in the country, strolling, beautiful scenery and colorful sunsets – these are just a few of many magnets that attract locals, neighbors and guests from more distant lands located in Europe and around the world. Liepāja is a destination city with high tourism added value. It provides high quality tourism services to diverse groups of travelers with different interests and needs, including people with special needs. In 2013 Liepāja won an international “EDEN” contest in the category of “accessible tourism” or tourism for people with disabilities, and was named the European Destination of Excellence in Latvia. Liepāja also has rich cultural, artistic and sports traditions. Summers in Liepāja are usually filled with various events and festivals – starting from the massive “Summer Sound” beach party to the festival of speed “Rally Kurzeme”, when tens of thousands of guests are gathering in the city. The city’s educational community is represented within each of its levels, starting from nurseries and pre-schools up to strong vocational training and regional universities. Recent years have been marked with unprecedented municipal investments in the development of education and its quality, thus achieving a regional competitiveness level of Liepāja’s educational establishments. Liepāja is one of the most industrialized Latvian cities with a well established infrastructure. Historically the most developed industrial spheres here are metalworking, textile industry, production of construction materials, food processing, shipbuilding, cargo transportation and handling and other sectors.