In the 19th and early 20th century, it was a favourite place for sea-bathers and travellers, with the town boasting a fine park, many pretty gardens and a theatre.

The oldest written text mentioning Līva village (Villa Liva) is a treaty between the bishop of Courland and the master of the Livonian Order dated 4 April 1253.

Early in the twentieth century, the port of Libau became a central point of embarkation for immigrants travelling to the United States and Canada.

Following the outbreak of World War I, the German cruiser SMS Magdeburg shelled Liepāja (then part of Russia), and other vessels laid mines off the approaches to the port.

[21] Liepāja was occupied by the German Army, on 7 May 1915, and in memory of this event, a monument was constructed on Kūrmājas Prospect in 1916 and removed in 1919 by the new Latvian State.

[22] On 23 October 1915, the German cruiser SMS Prinz Adalbert was sunk by the British submarine HMS E8, 37 km (20 nmi; 23 mi) west of Liepāja.

Soon the Provisional Government and remaining German units were forced to leave Riga and retreated all the way to Liepāja, but then the Red offensive stalled along the Venta river.

In Liepāja, a coup organized by Germans took place on 16 April 1919 and Ulmanis government was forced to flee and was replaced by Andrievs Niedra.

In 1941, Liepāja was among the first cities captured by the 291st Infantry Division of Army Group North after Nazi Germany began Operation Barbarossa, its war against the Soviet Union.

During the Soviet administration, Liepāja was a closed city; even local farmers and villagers needed a special permit to enter it.

Five residents were awarded the honorary title Hero of Socialist Labor: Anatolijs Filatkins, Artūrs Fridrihsons, Voldemārs Lazdups, Valentins Šuvajevs and Otīlija Žagata.

To resolve this, the Soviet government organized development of most of the modern Liepāja districts: Dienvidrietumi, Ezerkrasts, Ziemeļu priekšpilsēta, Zaļā birze and Tosmare.

The city is characterised by a wide variety of forest growth types, determined and influenced by the geological and hydrological conditions of the area.

[35] Winter is characterised by frequent thaws, so snow cover in the Seaside Lowlands is usually very patchy, rarely exceeding 5–10 cm in depth.

[43] The oldest type of building in Liepāja is a wooden log house on a low stone plinth with a steep tiled roof.

Although wooden buildings were constructed, the most luxurious were built with roof extensions and ornate doors, panelling and beautifully painted pot stoves.

The most ornate building in 18th century Liepāja was the Holy Trinity Cathedral[42] With the construction of the Grobiņa highway in 1841 and the Liepāja-Romny railway in the 1870s, the city took on a different character.

During the Soviet period, the historical buildings of Liepāja's Old Town were eliminated over a wide area by the construction of a tram line from Kurzeme to Peldu Street.

More recent causes include economic migration to Western European countries after Latvia joined the EU in 2004, and lower birth rates.

Other Christian sects include Old Ritualists, Adventist, Pentecostal, Latter-day Saints and Jehovah's Witnesses, who have single congregations and churches.

The purpose of the Liepāja SEZ is to develop a business environment, manufacturing, shipping and air traffic, as well as international trade through Latvia.

The aim of the Liepāja SEZ is to attract investment for expanding of manufacturing and infrastructure, and to create new work places and to ensure the development of the region.

In the beginning, investment growth remained slow due to a shortage of a skilled labour force, but the scheme proved to be successful as positive tendencies can be seen with formation of new businesses.

The Winter harbour is located in the Trade channel and serves small local fishing vessels as well as medium cargo ships.

The city has a remarkable legacy in terms of its historical cultural environment, buildings, monuments, visual art collections, museums and libraries.

The coat of arms of Liepāja is described as: "on a silver background, the lion of Courland with a divided tail, who leans upon a linden (Latvian: Liepa) tree with its forelegs".

Liepāja also has its own special dish – 'Liepājas menciņi' (smoked, dried cod with potatoes, onions and dill in heavy cream, fried in a ceramic pot), which is based on an ancient recipe from South Courland.

[76] Liepāja is home to bands such as Līvi, Credo, 2xBBM and Tumsa, as well as composers such as Zigmars Liepiņš, Jānis Lūsēns and Uldis Marhilēvičs.

[58] From 1964 to 2006, Liepājas Dzintars, the longest-running and most tradition-rich popular music festival in Latvia, was held in the Pūt, vējiņi concert garden.

[78] Since 1996, the town has been decorated with memorial sculptures to the bed of the River Līva, created in a plenary workshop led by Ģirts Burvis.