Latvia
Turaida means ‘God’s Garden’ in ancient Livonian, and this green knoll capped with a fairy-tale castle is certainly a heavenly place. The red-brick castle…
Must-see attractions in Latvia
Latvia
This impressive riverside citadel is enjoying an ongoing renovation that's recreating its historic atmosphere. Look for the restored Nicholas Gate near…
Latvia
The city of Sigulda has done a fine job developing the historic buildings at its core into one unmissable complex. The highlight is the Livonian Order…
Latvia
Cēsis Castle is actually two castles in one. The moody dark-stone towers belong to the increasingly restored old castle. Founded by Livonian knights in…
Rīga Ghetto & Latvian Holocaust Museum
Maskavas Forštate, Avotu Iela & Grīziņkalns
The centrepiece of this arresting and challenging museum is a wooden house with a reconstructed flat, like those that Jews had to move into when the Nazis…
Rīga
Between 1941 and 1944, the Nazis – aided by Latvians – shot more than 35,000 Jews at 55 different sites in this forest. It is one of several killing sites…
Latvia
These striking pine-covered cliffs loom above a pristine white-sand beach dissected by a glistening stream. This is one of the most enchanting places…
Rīga
A lovingly restored courtyard with several vintage wooden buildings is home to creative cafes, shops and restaurants. It's also home to a fantastic…
Latvia
Spanning 249m, Ventas Rumba is branded Europe's widest waterfall, though it's far from the tallest. Its subtle beauty becomes compelling the longer you…
Southern Latvia
These massive gardens draw throngs of visitors each spring when the scores of fruit trees are in bloom. There are apricot, cherry and plum orchards, as…
Latvia
See how one of Latvia's best-known craft beers is made on an entertaining tour: expect friendly guides and plenty of samples. Enjoy hearty pints and…
Latvia
Watching the Baltic swells crash into the blue swells of the Gulf of Rīga is mesmerising. Find a spot away from the summertime crowds on the narrow beach;…
Latvia
For Ventspils, the wide stretch of dazzling white sand south of the Venta River is its main treasure. During the warmer months, beach bums of every ilk –…
St Nicholas Maritime Cathedral
Latvia
The stunning cathedral, with its bulbous cupolas, shines like a precious stone through the grey concrete of the decrepit Soviet apartment blocks that…
Latvia
This Blue Flag beach is a fabulous place for a dip. The fine white sand is over 50m in width and the shore stretches for 8km. In summer you'll find a few…
Latvia
The vaulted arches of the 1874 red-brick bridge are one of Kuldīga's favourite sites. At 154m, it's the third-longest brick bridge in Europe.
Latvia
The most important church in town: Katrina (St Catherine) is Kuldīga’s patron saint and protector, and is featured on the town’s coat of arms. The church…
Southern Latvia
Built as a grand residence for the Duke of Courland, this magnificent palace is a monument to 18th-century aristocratic ostentatiousness, and is rural…
Maskavas Forštate, Avotu Iela & Grīziņkalns
Haggle for your huckleberries at this vast market, housed in a series of WWI Zeppelin hangars and spilling outdoors as well. It's an essential Rīga…
Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre
Latvia
The old imperial Russian arsenal inside Daugavpils Fortress is now an excellent contemporary art gallery honouring Daugavpils native Mark Rothko. The…
Latvia
Gluttons for punishment will get a bellyful in this creepy old Soviet-era prison, which operated right up until 1997. Built in 1900 as an infirmary, it…
Southern Latvia
Bauska Castle sits on a picturesque hillock squeezed between two rivers – the Mūsa and Mēmele – that flow parallel to each other. It is actually two…
Latvia
Photogenically set on an islet in the middle of Āraiši Lake, Āraiši Archaeological Park is a reconstruction of a fortified settlement inhabited by…
Latvia
More than 300 years ago, a group of wandering Dominican monks discovered a healing source hidden among a thicket of spruce trees (‘Aglona’ means ‘spruce…
Latvia
Right from the outset when you're handed a lit candle in a glass lantern, it's clear that this isn't an ordinary museum. At its centre is Cēsis Castle,…
Latvia
Finely manicured and with great views of the waterfall, Kuldīga's park has multifaceted appeal. Moody castle ruins from the 13th century are watched over…
Latvia
Churches of four main local Christian denominations congregate near each other on a small hill dissected by busy 18 Novembra iela. Lutherans flock into…
Latvian Academy of Science Observation Deck
Maskavas Forštate, Avotu Iela & Grīziņkalns
This Stalinesque tower is a not-so-welcome Soviet-era present from Moscow, which has seven towers just like it, only bigger. Construction of what is often…
Latvia
This Cold War–era site contains a large radio telescope now run by an academic institute and used for astronomical studies. Hidden in the forest 24km…
Latvia
Slītere National Park protects 265 sq km of land back from the coast on the Kolka peninsula. The park's focal point is the Slītere Lighthouse, a towering…
Latvia
Like a big pink birthday cake sitting on a verdant lawn, Bīriņi Castle governs a scenic tract of land overlooking a tranquil lake. Located on the…
Latvia
What poses as a dreary rehabilitation centre is in fact a top-secret Soviet bunker, known by its code name, the Pension. When Latvia was part of the USSR,…
Salaspils Concentration Camp Memorial
Latvia
In October 1941 the Nazis sent 1800 German Jews to Latvia to build a concentration camp at Salaspils, 18km southeast of Rīga. Over 1000 died during the…
Šķēde Dunes Holocaust Memorial
Latvia
The beauty obscures the horror. Some 10km north of Liepāja, off a long dirt coastal road, is a memorial at a place of death. Amidst a flawless white sand…
Latvia
The large old castle hill (pilskalns), 2.5km north of town on the western bank of the Venta, was the fortress of Lamekins, the Cour who ruled much of…
Latvia
More grotto than cave, this 19m-deep fissure in the earth is most famous for its role in the tragic legend of the Rose of Turaida. Most tourists visit to…
Latvia
Veczemju klintis, halfway between Saulkrasti and Salacgrīva, is a dramatic spot for a picnic and a walk. The jagged cliffs have a deep reddish hue and are…
Jūrmala
Before the clothing of choice in Jūrmala was the bikini (with or without a parka), the peninsula was home to fishing people who eked out a living through…
Latvia
This centre in an old brick and wood building set back from the street features a great array of locally made handicrafts, including beautiful wool…
Southern Latvia
Stop at Koknese to admire the ruins of Kokenhausen, a medieval castle. It has a stunning location overlooking the confluence of the Daugava and Perse…
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