Jūrmala grants extra €67,954 for memorial to round-the-world traveler Kārlis Bardelis

The Jūrmala municipality has decided to allocate an additional €67,954 to a participatory budget project creating a memorial site for round-the-world traveler and six-time Guinness World Record holder Kārlis Bardelis, the municipality confirmed to news agency LETA.

This year's participatory budget competition received 14 project applications, 13 of which went to public vote. Nearly 4,000 votes were cast in total by 2,772 residents. To be approved, a project needed at least 10% of the total votes — four applications met that threshold.

Two projects to proceed

Jūrmala's total 2026 infrastructure project competition budget is €148,266, with entries divided into small and large project categories. Since none of the small-category projects qualified based on voting results, the council decided to allocate extra funding so that, alongside the winning project, the runner-up could also be implemented.

As a result, the two projects that received the most votes will be built. The first is a pedestrian and cycling path connecting Kauguri with the Vecsloceniete river toward the Bažciems area, with indicative costs of €110,000. The second is the memorial site for Bardelis, planned in the dunes of Kaugurciems by the sea to honor his life and achievements, with indicative costs of €106,220. Both projects are to be completed within two years.

About Kārlis Bardelis

Bardelis died in November 2025. Under the motto "Bored of Borders," he began his adventures in 2013 by rollerblading across Europe from Nordkapp to Gibraltar. He later undertook several expeditions before spending nine years traveling around the world without a motor, sails, or other aids, becoming a six-time Guinness World Record holder.