karosta prison

Karosta prison is a very unique historical site . It was interesting to see the prison and delve into the history of the site. It may be a little boring for people who are not history nerds like me. The people who run Karosta have obviously made a valiant effort to make the prison more interesting by cramming it full of Soviet, Nazi, and Latvian army artifacts. They even give you a free postcard instead of a ticket, which is cool.

The prison is way out the centre in the former naval base of Liepaja, that has now been deserted by the navy, leaving the Russian civil personel behind. The tour of the navy stockade is interesting and done in a charming way, by a guy in a fancy soviet uniform speaking enough english to make a joke or two

Not well advertised but recommended by the hostel I stayed at so very glad I went to visit.Easy bus ride and either get off by the water tower - or at the last stop - which looks to be in the centre of a residential block of flats - but is actually a short walk away from the beach and the breakwaters.Had a private tour as 'off season' but my guide spoke perfect English and gave a very detailed history to the background of the Prison and the surrounding area which was very interesting.Small fee for a unique place - and you can of course stay the night (cheapest hostel in Liepaja) if you want to have the whole experience!Well worth a visit and a walk around the surrounding areas .. beaches, breakwaters, Cathedral, general accommodation and the 'ruins' of the past use as a base for the Russian Fleet.

Our group of 15 arrived as a surprise by our Australian guide , and it turned out a riot.This tall man with a Russian uniform and hat treated us like a band of "bad soldiers" needing some days in the prison. Very tongue in cheek, he kept adding two days in prison to any of our group who looked sideways. You need an appointment and a quorum to get the gag show. Well worth it.A couple with young children loved it.Maxim

We thoroughly enjoyed it. I could hardly conceive of the pain these guys must have endured. Our guide was excellent, and provided detailed history of Latvia from pre-Lenin through their independents in 1991. The whole area of Karosta is a walk through a time machine. Easy bus ride to get there from downtown.

Unlike some of the other reviewers, my partner and I never had a problem finding Karosta prison. We simply got a taxi. Having said that, my partner is Latvian, so perhaps I'm spoilt because we never experience any language barriers.Karosta prison doesn't advertise itself with a big banner, or sign, but once you step inside the gates you're under no illusion as to where you are. We were greeted by a guy in what looked like an old Soviet era military uniform. He clearly enjoyed his role, speaking to us in gruff yet not un-friendly tones. Fee paid, we elected to take a tour in English (due to my near lack of Latvian). The young girl who led us around was rather stilted, but her English was very clear and she was very informative.Personally I would have liked a longer tour, and it's clear that there is more to see, but maybe that'll come in time. The history was fascinating, and sobering. Always a good reality check for when we think that our lives are getting too hard. We got a chance to take a good look around the rooms and offices, and even got the guide to crack a smile a couple of times.All in all, it was very interesting, and let's be honest, it's not exactly going to break the bank is it? If you're in Liepaja, go along for the afternoon.

Originally intended as an infirmary or hospital for military personnel, Karosta Prison was actually used as a Nazi and Soviet military prison for most of the 20th centry, in which hundreds of military personnel were imprisoned for even the most petty actions. The prison was actually used up until 1994 when the Soviets finally pulled out of Latvia. We were fortunate to have a very private tour....my wife and I....which was simply very impressionable. The English commentary tour guide was excellent sharing interesting points of the prison and what they would have endured. The cells, artifacts and the feeling of being locked up is bone chilling but well worth the visit. A very minimal entry fee is well worth the visit. Incidentally there is so much historical sites, and memorials around Liepaja to be visited that one needs to spend a couple of days around the quite city.

You can get only a guided tour. Our group decided it's not worth the price. Mostly they tell you stories how bad it was in the prison, close you in the cell and let you see some rooms of officials. We were expecting some more. And guides English is sometimes hard to understand.

I found the prison to be very interesting, but I have to admit that I thought that it was going to be a more hardcore prison. This was a military prison where men were sent mostly for minor infractions and then returned back to military duty. That is not to say that the time they spent in Karosta Prison was a piece of cake because it certainly wasn't. You need to take a tour to see the prison. Our guide was a woman dressed in a Soviet uniform and she was very knowledgeable.I found the entire history of the Karosta area really fascinating. You should take the time to walk around and see the Soviet Bloc housing. It's everywhere. Sadly, this is an area that is still extremely run down. The St Nicholas Maritime Cathedral is there as well and was part of the Karosta Naval Base area. It is a beautiful Russian Orthodox cathedral. We went in to take a look and there was a service going on which was interesting to watch.

Must take a tour with a guide- i found that really interesting. Liked "pitch black" room and how guide is talking to you (like with a prisoner)

This is small atraction and very hard to find. But if you didn't see slums earlier you can see it everywere. This is extremly poor and distroyed area of post comunistic buildings

Karosta prison is something completely different from the usual sightseeing. It gives you an insight in the Latvian history when Latvia was part of the USSR. So I learned that the Karosta naval base in Sovjet times was kept very secret, even the Karosta Canal was never mentioned on the maps. My guide in the prison knew a lot of the history, spoke excellent English and i could ask loads of questions. So well worth a visit. And after your visit, take a walk around the old navel base. There are a lot of abandoned, derelict but still beautiful buildings. Empty now for more then a decade since the Russians left the naval base.

I love the Karosta in general, and recommend that all my guests visit this part of Liepāja. This prison, as a tourist information centre is invaluable for the region, and offers people some idea of what Soviet rule may have been like. However, I feel it's important for tourists in Liepāja to go further afield, and see the rest of the region which, in my opinion is more impressive, especially the Tuvie Forti (Nearby Forts), the Orthodox Cathedral and the unique Tsarist/ Soviet military/ architectural heritage.

I found it very interesting, mostly because I engaged the tour-guide by asking questions and showing that I was interested. If you do a little research before you go, you will find that the place is supposedly one of the most haunted places in the world and was featured on Ghost Hunters International. It’s a shame the tour-guides don’t really mention this, as I think it adds an extra layer of intrigue in being locked up in one of the dark cells.

The prison was interesting place to visit. We used the local bus to get there. It was a bit difficult to find the place. We participated the guided tour, but didn't understand very much of the English of the guide :(.However, there was a dvd of Karosta prison playing in the cafeteria and it was a good thing.