Liepaja is a city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region and the third largest city in the country after Riga and Daugavpils. It is an important ice-free port. The population in 2020 was 68,535 people.

In the 19th and early 20th century, it was a favourite place for sea-bathers, with the town boasting a fine park, many pretty gardens and a theatre. Liepaja is however known throughout Latvia as "City where the wind is born", likely because of the constant sea breeze. A song of the same name (Latvian: "Pilseta, kura piedzimst vejš") was composed by Imants Kalninš and has become the anthem of the city. Its reputation as the windiest city in Latvia was strengthened with the construction of the largest wind farm in the nation (33 Enercon wind turbines) nearby.

The coat of arms of Liepaja was adopted four days after the jurisdiction gained city rights on 18 March 1625. These are 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". The flag of Liepaja has the coat of arms in the center, with red in the top half and green in the bottom.

One of the very few surviving films documenting the mass murder of Jews during the first stages of the Holocaust is a short film by a German soldier who witnessed the massacre of Liepaja Jews in July 1941 near the city's lighthouse.

Liepaja is situated on the coast of the Baltic Sea in the south-western part of Latvia. The westernmost geographical point of Latvia is located approximately 15 km (9 mi) to the south thus making Liepaja Latvia's furthest west city. Liepaja is situated between the Baltic Sea and Liepaja Lake with residential and industrial areas spreading north of the lake. The Trade Channel (Tirdzniecibas kanals) connects the lake to the sea dividing the city into southern and northern parts, which are often referred to as the Old Town (Vecliepaja) and the New Town (Jaunliepaja) respectively. The city center is located in the southern part and, although called the Old Town, is relatively more developed. Most of the administrative and cultural buildings are found here as well as the main leisure areas. Along the coast, the city extends northwards until it reaches the Karosta Channel (Karostas kanals). North of the Karosta Channel is an area called Karosta which is now fully integrated into Liepaja and is the northernmost district of the city. Liepaja's coastline consists of an unbroken sandy beach and dunes as does most of Latvia's coastline. The beach of Liepaja is not as exploited as other places (e.g. the Gulf of Riga, Jurmala and Pärnu in Estonia) but also lacks the tourist infrastructure needed for a fashionable, modern resort.