Jurmala meaning seaside in Latvian, is a city in Latvia, not far from Riga. Jurmala is a resort town stretching 32 kilometres (20 mi) and sandwiched between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River. During the period when Latvia was part of the Soviet Union, it became a favourite holiday-resort and tourist destination for high-level Communist Party officials, particularly Brezhnev and Khrushchev. Although many amenities such as beach-houses and concrete hotels remain, some have fallen into disrepair. Jurmala remains a tourist attraction with long beaches facing the Gulf of Riga and romantic wooden houses in the Art Nouveau style.