101 Things to Do in Latvia: Art Nouveau, Ancient Forests & the Baltic Shore

Latvia is the Baltic country that surprises most. Visitors who arrive knowing only Riga — the Art Nouveau capital, the medieval Old Town, the brooding Soviet monuments — discover a country of remarkable diversity: a wild coastline of white sand beaches, ancient dune forests, and sea-stacks where the Gulf of Riga meets the open Baltic; a river valley of sandstone cliffs, medieval castles, and adventurous outdoor trails that rivals any national park in Northern Europe; a Baroque palace so extravagant it has been called the Versailles of the Baltic; a remote eastern region of lakes, amber, and ceramic traditions that bears no resemblance to anything else in the country; and a Song and Dance Festival that gathers 40,000 singers and is the largest choral event in the world.

Latvia is also the country of Riga Black Balsam, rye bread baked with caraway seeds, smoked fish straight from the smokehouse, and the midsummer bonfire tradition of Jāņi — the most deeply felt celebration in the Baltic calendar, when the shortest night is filled with flowers, song, and the fires that have been lit on this night for as long as anyone can remember.

This guide covers 101 things to do across Latvia’s five historical regions — from the Art Nouveau buildings of Riga to the sandstone gorges of Gauja, the Baroque splendour of Rundāle, the wild cape of Kolka, and the places most visitors never reach.

Riga: The Art Nouveau Capital

Old Town (Vecrīga) — UNESCO World Heritage Site

Riga Old Town Walking Tour — The medieval heart of Riga: the 13th-century city plan, still largely intact beneath the later Baroque and Classicist buildings, with the Daugava River on the western edge. The finest medieval ensemble in the Baltic states: the Dominican Monastery (now the Latvian War Museum), the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, the remains of the Riga Castle, and the three medieval towers at the medieval city’s northern edge. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Walk the entire circuit in two hours; allow a day to understand it.
Riga Cathedral (Doma Baznīca) & the Cloister — The largest medieval church in the Baltic states, with the second-largest organ in the world (6,768 pipes, played at the regular organ concerts that are the finest free cultural events in Riga). The cloister, attached to the cathedral’s south wall, is the most tranquil medieval interior in the city. The Dome Square (Doma laukums) around it is the finest public space in the Old Town.
St Peter’s Church Tower — The 123-metre Gothic spire of St Peter’s Church has been the defining feature of the Riga skyline since the 13th century (with a brief interruption from 1941 to 1973 when it was destroyed by fire and not yet rebuilt). The tower lift gives the finest panoramic view of the Old Town, the Daugava river, and the Art Nouveau district. Best at dusk when the medieval rooftops glow.
House of the Black Heads (Melngalvju nams) — The most extraordinary building in the Old Town: a 14th-century merchants’ guild hall on the Town Hall Square, rebuilt after Second World War destruction to its full pre-war Gothic and Renaissance grandeur. The facade — a riot of gilded ornament, arched portals, and astronomical clock — is the finest piece of secular architecture in medieval Riga. The interior is open for concerts and tours.
Riga Town Hall Square & the Latvian Riflemen Monument — The central square of the Old Town, with the reconstructed Town Hall and the Latvian Riflemen Monument at its centre — the bronze memorial to the Latvian Red Riflemen, the units who became Lenin’s personal guard during the Russian Civil War, and whose subsequent history in the Gulag is as complex as any in Latvian 20th-century history.
Three Brothers (Trīs brāļi), Mazā Pils iela — Three adjacent medieval residential houses, the oldest of which (No. 17) dates to the 15th century and is the oldest surviving stone residence in Riga: a sequence of three gable-fronted houses spanning five centuries of Riga’s domestic architecture, from late Gothic to Baroque. Free to view from the street; the interior of No. 17 is open as a museum.
Swedish Gate (Zviedru vārti) — The only surviving city gate of Riga, built into the medieval city wall in 1698 during the Swedish period: a simple barrel-vaulted gate in the northern quarter of the Old Town, with a small house above it. The most intimate piece of medieval street architecture in the city.
Latvian War Museum, Pulvertornis — The Powder Tower — a round medieval artillery tower from the city’s original fortifications, the only remaining tower of the original 28 — houses the Latvian War Museum’s collection on Latvia’s military history from the Northern Crusades to the present. Free entry; the tower’s walls are 3 metres thick.
Riga Motor Museum, Mežaparks — One of the finest car museums in the Baltics, recently renovated: a collection of over 100 vehicles including the personal ZIS limousines of Soviet leaders (Stalin’s heavily armoured car is here), historic Latvian motorcycles, and the full range of Soviet-era automotive culture. The most visited museum in Latvia after the Old Town institutions.
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia — The central institution of Latvian historical memory: the documentation of the Soviet occupation (1940–41, 1944–1991) and the Nazi occupation (1941–44) in the most comprehensive single museum on the Baltic experience of the Second World War and the Soviet era. The deportation records, the re-created prison cell, and the documentary archive constitute the most emotionally important museum in Riga. Free entry.

Art Nouveau Riga — The Finest in the World

Alberta Iela — The Art Nouveau Street — The most extraordinary residential street in the Baltic states: six blocks of apartment buildings designed primarily by Mikhail Eisenstein (father of the filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein) between 1901 and 1908, with facades of extraordinary ornamental richness — screaming figures, sphinxes, intertwined plants, faces, and the complete vocabulary of European Jugendstil applied to a single street. No. 4 and No. 8 are the finest; all are still residential buildings whose ground floors contain the original lobbies. The Latvian Art Nouveau Centre at No. 12 is free to visit.
Elizabetes Iela & the Quiet Centre Art Nouveau Walk — The residential district east of the Old Town — known as the Quiet Centre or Klusais centrs — contains over 800 Art Nouveau buildings, the largest concentration in the world. The walk from Alberta Iela south through Elizabetes Iela, Strēlnieku iela, and the surrounding streets reveals an entire neighbourhood of turn-of-the-century apartment buildings, each with a different ornamental programme. Free to walk; the interiors (many preserved as apartment hotel lobbies) occasionally accessible.
Latvian Art Nouveau Centre, Alberta Iela 12 — The ground floor apartment of Alberta Iela 12, restored to its 1903 interior: the original tilework, the stucco ceiling, the Art Nouveau furniture, and a guided understanding of the movement that made Riga famous. The most complete interior Art Nouveau experience in the city.
Riga Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) Museum, Alberta Iela 2a — A fully restored Art Nouveau apartment, with original furniture, floor coverings, ceramics, and textiles from the early 1900s: the finest and most comprehensive Art Nouveau interior museum in the Baltic states, telling the story of the style through the objects of daily life. Essential visiting for anyone interested in the period.

Riga’s Culture & Neighbourhoods

Latvian National Opera House — One of the finest Neo-Classical opera houses in Northern Europe, built in 1863 and restored to its full glory: the season (September–June) includes the Latvian National Opera and the Latvian National Ballet, both internationally respected. The façade on the City Canal is the finest Neoclassical exterior in Riga; the interior is the most beautiful performance space in Latvia.
National Library of Latvia (Latvijas Nacionālā Bibliotēka) — Gunārs Birkerts’s 2014 glass building on the western bank of the Daugava: designed in the form of the mythological glass mountain from Latvian folklore (the peak that heroes must climb to reach the castle of light at the top). The building is the finest piece of contemporary architecture in Latvia; the library’s permanent exhibition and the view from the reading rooms across the Daugava to the Old Town are extraordinary.
Riga Central Market (Centrāltirgus) — Five former Zeppelin hangars on the Daugava waterfront, converted into the largest covered market in Europe after the First World War: the fish pavilion, the meat pavilion, the dairy pavilion, the vegetable market, and the surrounding outdoor stalls constitute the most extraordinary food market architecture in the Baltic states. Buy the smoked fish, the rye bread, the wildflower honey, and the sauerkraut. Open daily.
Latvian National Museum of Art (Latvijas Nacionālais mākslas muzejs) — The finest collection of Latvian art, in a neo-Baroque building near the Old Town: the 19th-century Latvian Romantic painters (Jānis Rozentāls, Vilhelms Purvītis), the early 20th-century moderns, and the contemporary collection. The finest single introduction to Latvian visual culture and the most beautiful museum building in the city.
Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum (Latvijas Etnogrāfiskais brīvdabas muzejs) — The largest open-air museum in the Baltic states, on the shore of Lake Jugla east of the city: 118 traditional farmsteads, manor houses, fishermen’s houses, and village churches relocated from across Latvia, with craftspeople demonstrating traditional weaving, pottery, and woodwork. The most complete encounter with Latvian rural heritage available.
Kalnciems Quarter (Kalnciema Kvartāls) — The finest neighbourhood in Riga outside the historic centre: a grid of late 19th-century wooden buildings in Āgenskalns (across the river from the Old Town), with the Saturday farmers’ market (the best in Riga), artisan studios, and the most concentrated example of Riga’s wooden architecture heritage. The market (9am–3pm every Saturday) is the finest food market in the city.
Āgenskalns Market & Wooden Riga — The wooden architecture of Riga’s residential districts — left bank Āgenskalns, right-bank Sarkandaugava, and the Teika neighbourhood — is the finest urban wooden architecture in the Baltic states: late 19th-century and early 20th-century apartment buildings of timber frame construction, with carved decorative elements, bay windows, and the specific warmth of wood in a northern city. The Āgenskalns Market on Nometņu iela is the finest neighbourhood market in the city.
Museum of Jews in Latvia — The history of the Jewish community in Latvia — once 100,000 strong, the most culturally vibrant community in the Baltic states — and its near-total destruction during the Nazi occupation: the museum on Skolas iela, supplemented by the Rumbula Memorial (the forest outside Riga where 25,000 Latvian Jews were murdered in two days in November and December 1941), constitutes the most important Holocaust memory site in Latvia.

Jūrmala: The Baltic Resort

Jūrmala Beach Walk — The 25-kilometre Baltic Sea beach resort 30 minutes from Riga: the finest white-sand beach in Latvia, with the pine forest behind and the Gulf of Riga in front. The beach at Majori and Dubulti is the most popular; the stretches at Jaunķemeri and Ķemeri (near the national park) are the most tranquil. The beach is walkable its entire length; the summer season (June–August) fills it with Latvian families and Russian-speaking visitors.
Jūrmala Wooden Villas & Promenade — The best-preserved collection of 19th and early 20th-century wooden summer villas in the Baltic states: carved eaves, turrets, verandas, and the specific romantic style of Baltic resort architecture lining the streets between the forest and the beach. The Jomas iela pedestrian promenade is the social spine; the side streets are the most beautiful part.
Dzintari Concert Hall, Jūrmala — The outdoor concert hall in the pine forest above Dzintari beach: the venue for the Jūrmala Latvian Song Festival (held as part of the national Song and Dance Festival) and a summer programme of concerts in the open air. The combination of pine forest acoustics, Baltic sea air, and Latvian choral music is the definitive Jūrmala evening.

Gauja National Park: Latvia’s Adventure Valley

Sigulda Castle Ruins & the Gauja Valley — The twin medieval castle ruins (the Sigulda Order Castle and the New Sigulda Castle) above the Gauja River: the finest single castle viewpoint in Latvia, with the Turaida Castle visible across the valley on the opposite bank, and the 50-metre sandstone cliffs of the Gauja gorge below. The town of Sigulda, 50 kilometres northeast of Riga, is the base for all Gauja National Park activities.
Turaida Castle & Museum — The reconstructed red sandstone tower of the Turaida Castle (1214) on the western bank of the Gauja, with a museum of medieval Latvia, the Turaida Rose legend (the young woman who chose death over dishonour from a Swedish soldier — the most beloved folk heroine of the Gauja valley), and the finest view of the Gauja valley from the upper tower.
Gauja River Canoeing & Kayaking — The Gauja River from Valmiera to Sigulda (100 kilometres of navigable water through the sandstone canyon) is the finest river journey in Latvia: red sandstone cliffs, ancient cave systems, beaver lodges, osprey nests, and the medieval castle ruins of Cēsis, Āraiši, and Sigulda visible from the water. Two to five days; canoe hire available at every access point.
Sigulda Bobsleigh Track & Luge Run — The only natural-freeze bobsleigh track in the world outside Scandinavia and North America: in winter, the Sigulda bobsleigh track (built for the Latvian national team) hosts public bob-taxi rides and amateur luge runs. In summer, the wheeled bobsled run (the vučaks) operates on a different track. The most thrilling single activity in Gauja National Park.
Aerodium Sigulda: Vertical Wind Tunnel — The world’s first outdoor vertical wind tunnel, at the Sigulda Motor Sport Complex: participants are held aloft by a column of air in the open-air tunnel, experiencing the sensation of free-fall without height. The most unusual adventure experience in Latvia.
Sigulda Cable Car & Bungee Jump — The cable car across the Gauja gorge from Sigulda to the Krimulda manor: the finest aerial view of the Gauja valley’s sandstone cliffs and the Turaida Castle. The bungee jump platform over the gorge is the finest bungee location in the Baltic states.
Gutmanis Cave & the Gauja Sandstone Caves — The largest sandstone cave in the Baltic states, carved by the Gauja River’s former course: a 19-metre high, 12-metre wide, 18.8-metre deep cave with carved inscriptions dating from the 16th century, including the coats of arms of medieval Baltic families. Adjacent to the Turaida Castle access road; free to enter.
Cēsis Medieval Town & Castle — The finest medieval town in Latvia outside Riga: the Cēsis Livonian Order Castle (1209, with a 19th-century neo-Gothic addition), the Gothic St John’s Church, and the cobbled old town centred on the Unity Square. The castle offers a unique experience: visitors are given candles to explore the medieval tower interiors, which have been deliberately left unlit and unrestored. The candlelit tower is the finest heritage experience in the Gauja valley.
Āraiši Archaeological Lake Dwelling — A reconstructed 9th-century fortified lake settlement on Āraiši Lake, near Cēsis: the original settlement was discovered in the 1960s and is the finest example of an early medieval Latvian fortified lake dwelling. The reconstruction — wooden platforms above the water, connected by walkways — is one of the most immersive archaeological heritage experiences in the Baltic states.
Līgatne Nature Trail & Animal Park — A walking trail through the Gauja forests of Līgatne, with wild animal enclosures housing rescued brown bears, lynx, wolves, elk, and wild boar in semi-natural conditions: the finest wildlife viewing in Latvia, combined with the finest forest walk in the Gauja valley. The Soviet-era underground bunker at Līgatne (a classified Cold War command centre, now open for tours) adds an extraordinary historical dimension.
Latvian Switzerland Cycling Trail — The 100-kilometre cycling network in Gauja National Park, connecting Sigulda, Turaida, Cēsis, and the valley settlements through forest paths, meadows, and sandstone gorges: the finest single-destination cycling landscape in Latvia.

Zemgale: Baroque Palaces & the South

Rundāle Palace (Rundāles Pils) — The most magnificent Baroque palace in the Baltic states, designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli (the architect of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg and the Peterhof) for the Duke of Courland in the 1730s: 138 rooms of extraordinary gilded and painted interior, a French formal garden of 10 hectares, and a Rose Garden with over 2,200 varieties. Often called the Versailles of the Baltic; the comparison slightly undersells the quality of the interior painting. Essential visiting from anywhere in Latvia; 75 kilometres south of Riga.
Rundāle Palace Gold Hall & White Hall — The Gold Hall (the state banqueting room) and the White Hall (the ballroom) of Rundāle Palace are the finest Baroque interior rooms in the Baltic states: the plasterwork ceilings, the gilded doors, the mirrored walls, and the painted overdoors by Johann Michael Graff constitute an ensemble of 18th-century decorative arts without equivalent north of Warsaw.
Bauska Castle Ruins — The ruined Livonian Order castle at the confluence of the Mūsa and Mēmele rivers, forming the Lielupe, 65 kilometres south of Riga: the best-preserved Order castle ruins in Latvia, with two surviving towers and a Renaissance palace addition. The combined Bauska Castle and Rundāle Palace circuit is the finest single day trip from Riga.
Jelgava Palace (Jelgavas Pils) — The largest Baroque palace in the Baltic states, designed by Rastrelli in the 1770s for the Duchy of Courland: a vast white building on the island of the Lielupe River, now housing Latvian University of Life Sciences and Medicine. The exterior is accessible; the interior’s former ducal chapel (the finest Baroque ecclesiastical interior in Zemgale) is occasionally open. The ducal crypts beneath the palace contain the remains of the Dukes of Courland.

Kurzeme: The West & the Wild Coast

Cape Kolka (Kolkasrags) — The remote cape at the northern tip of the Kurzeme peninsula, where the Gulf of Riga meets the Baltic Sea in a standing wave of opposing currents: a former Soviet military zone (closed until 1991), now a nature reserve of pine forest, white sand beach, and the extraordinary meeting of two seas. The most remote and the most dramatically situated cape on the Latvian coast.
Slītere National Park & the Livonian Shore — The national park protecting the Cape Kolka peninsula and the Livonian Shore: the ancient dune ridge (the Rāmkalni), the coastal forest of ancient oaks, and the fishing villages of Mazirbe and Kolka where the last members of the Livonian people (a Finno-Ugric fishing community whose language is closely related to Finnish) lived their traditional coastal life. The Livonian Culture Centre at Mazirbe is the finest heritage institution of a vanishing community.
Kuldīga Old Town & Venta Rapid — The most beautiful small town in Latvia: a grid of 17th-century wooden and stone townhouses on the Venta River, with the widest waterfall in Europe — the Venta Rapid (249 metres wide, 1.8 metres high) where salmon leap in spring. The red brick bridge (1874, the longest original brick road bridge in Latvia) over the Venta provides the finest viewpoint. Kuldīga’s Art Nouveau promenade, the 18th-century church, and the town square make it the finest town outside Riga for an overnight stay.
Ventspils: The Arty Port City — Latvia’s most progressive coastal city: a modern port city of remarkable cleanliness and urban design, with the Livonian Order Castle Museum (the finest maritime heritage museum in Latvia), the cow sculptures that populate the streets (purchased by the city as a community art project), the Ventspils beach (the finest Blue Flag beach on the Kurzeme coast), and the annual Sea Festival (August) that is the finest outdoor festival on the western coast.
Pāvilosta & the Kurzeme Surf Beaches — A small fishing village at the mouth of the Saka River on the Kurzeme coast, with the finest surf conditions in Latvia: the exposed Baltic beaches around Pāvilosta and the Cīrava dunes produce consistent 1–3 metre swell from September to April. The most authentic surf culture in the Baltic states.
Liepāja: Rock City & Military Port — Latvia’s third-largest city on the southern Kurzeme coast: a city of extreme contrasts — the stunning Art Nouveau wooden architecture of the Jūrmala district (a row of 19th-century resort villas beside the finest beach in southern Latvia), the extraordinary Karosta district (a former Tsarist Russian naval base, still largely intact with its Orthodox Naval Cathedral and the Karosta Prison available for overnight stays), and the live music culture that has made Liepāja the rock capital of Latvia.
Karosta Prison, Liepāja — The military prison of the Karosta naval base: built in 1900, used by the Tsarist navy, the German forces, the Soviet navy, and the Latvian military in succession, now offering the most extreme heritage tourism experience in the Baltic states — overnight stays in original prison cells (with the dinner of black bread and water that prisoners ate), combined with the KGB room experience and the guided tour. The most authentic Soviet-era detention experience available to visitors in Latvia.
Liepāja Orthodox Naval Cathedral of St Nicholas — The extraordinary domed cathedral built for the officers of the Tsarist Baltic Fleet in 1903: a massive blue-and-white-domed structure in the centre of the Karosta military zone, designed by Vasily Kosyakov (who also designed the Naval Cathedral of Kronstadt). The finest Russian Orthodox church in Latvia and the most historically complex building in Liepāja.
Pape Nature Reserve & Wild Horses — The southernmost nature reserve on the Latvian coast, near the Lithuanian border: a coastal wetland of international importance for migratory birds and the site of a successful re-introduction of wild horses (the Konik breed, descended from the original steppe horse of the region). The combination of wild horses roaming the coastal dunes and the migratory bird flocks (in autumn) makes it the finest wildlife experience on the western coast.

Vidzeme: Highlands & the Baltic Coast

Gauja National Park Northern Section: Valmiera & Smiltene — The northern section of Gauja National Park, around Valmiera (the most complete medieval town in northern Latvia), with the Valmiera Museum (the finest collection of northern Latvian history), the Burtnieks Lake (the fourth-largest lake in Latvia, with nesting ospreys), and the landscape of northern Vidzeme where the forests give way to open agricultural land.
Vidzeme Coast (Vidzemes Jūrmala) — The 80-kilometre Baltic coast between Rīga and Cape Kolka’s eastern shore: a sequence of wild beaches, ancient dune ridges, and the Latvian Seashore Path (Latvijas Jūras taka) — a 120-kilometre hiking trail from Tūja to Ikšķile that is the finest long-distance coastal walk in Latvia.
Mazsalaca & the Forest Soundscape Path — A nature park north of Valmiera with the finest old-growth deciduous forest in Vidzeme: the sandstone riverside cliffs of the Salaca River, the cave system of Zvārtes Iezis (the most photogenic sandstone crag in northern Latvia), and the unique Soundscape Path — a trail designed to experience the acoustic qualities of the forest floor and the riverbank.
Latvian Highland (Vidzemes Augstiene) Cycling — The rolling hills and lakes of the Latvian Highland, with the highest point in Latvia (Gaiziņkalns, 311 metres), are the finest cycling landscape in the country: the route from Madona to Gulbene through the highland lakes and farmsteads covers the most biodiverse agricultural landscape in Latvia.

Latgale: Lakes, Amber & the East

Daugavpils Fortress & Mark Rothko Art Centre — The largest intact fortress in Latvia and one of the finest 19th-century military fortifications in the Baltic states: a star-shaped brick fortress on the Daugava River, built 1810–1878, and never demolished or substantially altered. Within the fortress, the Mark Rothko Art Centre (in the former arsenal building) is the finest contemporary art museum in eastern Latvia — dedicated to the abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko, who was born in Daugavpils in 1903. The fortress grounds are free to walk; the museum is ticketed.
Daugavpils: Latvia’s Russian City — Latvia’s second city is over 50% Russian-speaking and the most Russophone city in the EU outside Russia itself: a city of Soviet-era boulevards, Russian Orthodox churches, and the specific atmosphere of a border city that has been administered by more countries than almost any other in the region. The Unity House (a Stalinist-era culture palace), the Daugava riverside walk, and the city’s remarkable multi-ethnic food culture make it the most culturally complex city in Latvia.
Lake Rāzna & Rāzna National Park — The second-largest lake in Latvia, in the Latgale highlands: a national park of lakes, boglands, and meadows that is the finest birdwatching landscape in eastern Latvia. The Lake Rāzna panoramic viewpoint (from the Mākoņkalns hill) gives the finest vista in Latgale. The Latgalian village of Aglona, with the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the most important Catholic pilgrimage site in Latvia), is 20 kilometres north.
Aglona Basilica & Pilgrimage — The white twin-towered Neoclassical basilica at Aglona in Latgale, built in 1800, is the most important Catholic pilgrimage destination in the Baltic states: the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary draws 100,000 pilgrims to the Assumption Day celebration (15 August). The pilgrimage atmosphere in the days before and on Assumption Day is the most intense religious gathering in Latvia.
Latgalian Ceramics & the Pottery Tradition — Latgale has been the centre of Latvian pottery production for centuries, with a tradition of brown-glazed ceramics with carved and painted decoration that is specific to this region. The pottery market at Rēzekne (held during the regional Song and Dance Festival) and the working studios of Latgalian potters around Rāzna Lake are the finest sources of authentic Latgalian ceramics.
Lubāns Wetland Reserve & Birdwatching — The largest lake in Latvia (by surface area after flooding), in the eastern Vidzeme-Latgale borderlands: a shallow eutrophic lake surrounded by reedbeds, wet meadows, and flooded forests — the most important wetland for migratory birds in Latvia, with geese, waders, eagles, and warblers in extraordinary numbers during spring and autumn migration.

The Latvian Song & Dance Festival (UNESCO)

Latvian Song and Dance Festival (Dziesmu un Deju Svētki) — The most important cultural event in Latvia, held every five years in Riga: 40,000 singers, dancers, and musicians from across Latvia gathering over a week in July for the world’s largest choral event. The final concert at the Song Festival Grounds, with 40,000 voices singing simultaneously, is an experience for which there is no equivalent anywhere in Europe. The tradition is UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage; the next festival is in 2028.
Song Festival Grounds (Mežaparks) — The permanent venue of the Latvian Song Festival, with the shell-shaped stage capable of accommodating 40,000 singers and the open meadow area for 80,000 audience members, in the Mežaparks pine forest north of Riga. The venue hosts concerts, events, and public gatherings year-round; the surrounding Mežaparks district has the finest Art Nouveau and early 20th-century villas in the city’s suburbs.
Latvian Folk Dance at a Regional Festival — Regional song and dance festivals take place in every Latvian county in the years between national festivals, preserving the regional variations of the tradition that the national festival unifies. The Latgale Song Festival, the Kurzeme Regional Festival, and the individual county festivals are less celebrated than the national event but equally genuine.

Latvian Food, Drink & Culture

Riga Black Balsam (Rīgas Melnais Balzams) — The dark, 45% herbal liqueur produced in Riga since 1752 from 24 plant extracts (roots, flowers, and buds), with a bitter, resinous, and strangely addictive flavour. Drunk straight, with cream, or mixed with cranberry juice (the most pleasant version). The Balsam Bar at the Riga Alcohol Museum produces cocktails with the full range of Latvian spirits. The most specifically Latvian souvenir available.
Latvian Rye Bread (Rupjmaize) at the Riga Market — The dense, dark, slightly sweet sourdough rye bread of Latvia, baked with caraway seeds and eaten with butter, smoked fish, or the white fresh cheese (biezpiens) that is the standard Latvian breakfast. The Riga Central Market’s bread stalls, the Kalnciems Quarter market, and the working bakeries of the Old Town produce the finest versions. The most fundamentally Latvian food.
Smoked Fish at the Riga Market — Baltic herring (reņģe), sprats (šprotes), and freshwater perch, cold-smoked over alder wood by fishermen from the Kurzeme and Vidzeme coasts: the finest affordable street food in Latvia. The Riga Central Market’s fish pavilion and the roadside fish smokers of the Vidzeme coast are the best sources.
Jāņi (Midsummer) with a Latvian Family — The most important celebration in the Latvian calendar: the midsummer night of 23–24 June, marked with bonfires, the weaving of oak-leaf garlands, the singing of dainas (traditional folk songs), the search for the legendary fern flower that blooms only on this night, and the fire that is maintained until dawn. Experiencing Jāņi in the Latvian countryside — at a farm or with a family — is the single most culturally specific experience available in the country.
Sorrel Soup (Skābeņu Zupa) — The Latvian spring soup of fresh sorrel, hard-boiled egg, and sour cream, served cold in summer and warm in early spring: a simple, deeply refreshing dish specific to Latvia and the spring season. Found at traditional Latvian restaurants throughout the country from April to June.
Grey Peas with Bacon (Pelēkie Zirņi ar Speķi) — The Latvian Jāņi food: dried grey peas slow-cooked with onions and served with fried smoked bacon and sour cream. The most specifically Latvian of all traditional foods, served on the midsummer table across the country. Also available at traditional restaurants year-round.
Speck (Speķis) & the Latvian Cured Meats — Latvian smoked and cured pork products — the smoked ribs (kūpinātas ribiņas), the smoked chicken (kūpināts cālis), and the various cured sausages of the Latgale and Kurzeme smokehouse traditions — are the finest in the Baltic states. Buy directly from farms at the Riga Central Market or the Kalnciems market.
Beer at a Latvian Craft Brewery — Latvia’s craft beer scene has grown substantially: Tērvetes Brewery (the largest independent brewer, producing excellent dark ales), Valmiermuiža (the finest estate brewery, in a renovated manor house near Valmiera), and the Riga craft breweries of Ūdensroze and Labietis (the most experimental). The Valmiermuiža brewery tour — through the manor house, the malting floor, and the cellars, with a four-beer tasting — is the finest single craft beer experience in Latvia.

Adventure & the Outdoors

Bog Walking at Ķemeri National Park — The Great Ķemeri Bog (Lielais Ķemeru tīrelis) in the Ķemeri National Park west of Rīga: a 5-kilometre boardwalk circuit across an open sphagnum plateau of extraordinary atmospheric beauty — the open bog horizon, the dwarf pines, the still bog pools reflecting the sky. The finest bog walk in Latvia and the most accessible from the capital. The sulphur spring resort of Ķemeri (a former Soviet sanatorium now partially restored) adds a historically resonant beginning to the day.
Bird Watching at Lake Engure & Cape Kolka — Lake Engure (a 40-kilometre-long coastal lagoon between the Gulf of Riga and the mainland, with 60% reed cover) and Cape Kolka together form the finest birdwatching landscape in Latvia: the lake’s reed warbler and marsh harrier colonies in summer, and the extraordinary sea duck and raptor migration at Cape Kolka in autumn and spring.
White Water Kayaking on the Amata River — The Amata river in Gauja National Park produces the finest white water kayaking in Latvia: Class II–III rapids through a gorge of sandstone cliffs and deciduous forest, with the best single-day kayaking available within 100 kilometres of Riga. Several operators in Sigulda run guided half-day and full-day trips.
Cycling the Vidzeme Coast Path — The 120-kilometre Latvian Seashore Path (Latvijas Jūras taka) along the Vidzeme coast, from Tūja to Ikšķile: a mixed surface trail through coastal forest, beach dunes, and fishing villages, with the Baltic Sea visible throughout. The finest multi-day coastal cycling experience in Latvia.
Horse Riding in the Kurzeme Forests — Several farms in the Kurzeme countryside, particularly around Kuldīga and the Abava Valley, offer guided horse rides through deciduous forest and agricultural landscape: the finest inland riding countryside in Latvia, particularly in spring (May–June) when the chestnut trees are in bloom.
Skiing at Sigulda & the Latvian Highland — Sigulda’s ski area on the Gauja gorge slope and the larger resort at Zaķukalns (near Riga) provide the only downhill skiing in Latvia; the Latvian Highland’s Gaiziņkalns area offers cross-country skiing. Not comparable to Alpine destinations, but the Gauja gorge slope skiing — with the medieval castle visible across the valley — is atmospheric in a way no Alpine resort can match.

History, Architecture & Heritage

Salaspils Memorial — The most significant Second World War memorial in Latvia: a series of enormous Brutalist concrete figures on the site of the Salaspils concentration camp, 20 kilometres southeast of Riga. Built by the Soviets in 1967, the memorial’s abstract figures — Defying, Humiliated, Oath, Solidarity, Mothers, The Unbroken — constitute the finest ensemble of monumental Brutalist sculpture in the Baltic states. The ground underfoot carries the remains of an estimated 2,000–3,000 victims; the sound system plays a heartbeat. Free; permanently moving.
Freedom Monument (Brīvības Piemineklis), Riga — The 42-metre granite monument on the central boulevard of Riga, completed in 1935, with the female figure Milda holding three gold stars (representing the three Latvian historical regions) above her head: the most contested monument in Latvian history — demolished, then preserved, then honoured. The changing of the honour guard and the laying of flowers on national occasions make it the most politically charged public monument in the city.
Riga Castle (Rīgas Pils) — The former residence of the President of Latvia, on the northern bank of the Daugava in the Old Town: a complex of buildings from the 14th century to the present, housing the Latvian History Museum and the Museum of Foreign Art. The castle exterior is undergoing restoration; the three museums inside remain open.
Latvian National History Museum (Latvijas Nacionālais vēstures muzejs), Riga Castle — The most comprehensive collection of Latvian material culture, from the Stone Age to the present: the archaeological collection (particularly the Bronze Age and Iron Age finds from the Latvian river valleys), the folk art collection (the finest collection of Latvian dainas — folk song texts — in any museum), and the national identity exhibits. The most complete single introduction to Latvian history available.
St Jacob’s Cathedral (Sv. Jēkaba Katedrāle), Riga — The Catholic cathedral in the Old Town, originally a Latvian congregation church (the first service in Latvian was held here in the 13th century), converted and reconverted between Catholicism and Lutheranism through the Reformation and Counter-Reformation: the most historically complex ecclesiastical building in the city, with the finest Gothic interior in the Old Town.
Latvian Academy of Sciences Building, Riga — The finest example of Stalinist neo-Gothic architecture in the Baltic states: a 107-metre central tower flanked by lesser towers, built 1953–58 on the model of the Moscow State University. The observation deck at 65 metres gives the finest view of the Riga cityscape from above; the ground-floor Soviet-era café is the most atmospheric coffee break in the city.

Festivals & Events

Riga City Festival (Old Town Days, June) — The annual street festival of Riga’s Old Town: music, theatre, craft markets, and street food across the historic city centre, with the medieval buildings as backdrop and the city at its most celebratory. The finest single free event in Riga’s calendar.
Jāņi Midsummer Festival (23–24 June) — Already listed (item 66), but worth emphasising as an event: Jāņi is celebrated across the entire country simultaneously, with the countryside bonfires (most accessible via day-trip farms from Riga) the finest way to experience the tradition. The Latvian countryside on the night of 23 June — the bonfires, the songs, the oak garlands, the white nights — is the most specific and the most affecting annual event in Latvia.
Riga Opera Festival (June) — An annual summer festival at the Latvian National Opera: a programme of international opera productions and Latvian opera premieres in the finest opera house in the Baltic states.
Valmiermuiža Craft Beer Festival (Summer) — The annual open-air craft beer festival at the Valmiermuiža estate brewery, with Latvian and international craft beers, food, and live music in the manor house gardens. The most convivial single-day event in Vidzeme.
Positivus Music Festival, Salacgrīva (July) — Latvia’s most internationally recognised music festival, held on the Baltic coast at Salacgrīva in July: a three-day programme of international and Latvian artists, with the sea, the pine forest, and the 18-hour summer days as backdrop. The finest outdoor music festival in Latvia.

Hidden Latvia & Unexpected Discoveries

Krāslava & the Daugava Valley — The most beautiful town in Latgale, on the Daugava River near the Belarusian border: Baroque Krāslava Palace (the finest Baroque manor in Latgale), the river valley panorama from the castle hill (the Daugava curves dramatically here in a series of bends visible from above), and the Old Believers’ fishing community on the opposite bank. Entirely off the tourist trail.
The Abava Valley & the Kurzeme Highlands — The Abava River valley between Kandava and Sabile is the finest river valley in Kurzeme: sandstone cliffs, ancient windmills on the ridgeline (the finest windmill at Zante), the Pedvāle Open Air Art Museum (the largest outdoor sculpture collection in Latvia, in a former manor estate), and the wine-producing town of Sabile (the world’s most northerly outdoor vineyard, producing Latvian wine since the 17th century).
Pedvāle Open Air Art Museum — A 170-hectare sculpture park in an abandoned manor estate in the Abava Valley, with over 130 permanent sculpture installations integrated into the landscape by Latvian and international artists. The finest outdoor art experience in Latvia and the most unexpected discovery in Kurzeme.
Tērvete Nature Park — The pine forests of Tērvete in southern Zemgale, with the reconstructed Zemgalian hillfort (the most important Bronze Age hillfort in southern Latvia), the fairy tale sculpture park of the Latvian children’s writer Anna Brigadere, and the forest walking trails that produced the finest cross-country skiing in Latvia in winter. The most family-oriented destination in Zemgale.
Rēzekne’s Soviet Heritage & Independence Square — The third city of Latgale, with a remarkably intact Soviet-era urban landscape: the Māra monument (the 14-metre statue of the Latvian folk deity, built in 1939 and used as a Soviet symbol before being reclaimed as a Latvian national symbol after independence), the Latgalian Cultural History Museum, and the Rēzekne Art Residency. The most Soviet-influenced architecture of any Latvian city outside the capital.
Cape Kolka at Sunset — The cape where the two seas meet, at the last hour of daylight: the standing waves visible at the cape’s tip, the seal colony on the sandbank offshore, the dense pine forest behind, and the extraordinary quality of the light as it falls across the opposing water surfaces. The most elemental landscape experience in Latvia.
Latvian Ethnographic Calendar: Visiting a Working Farm — Latvia’s farm tourism network (lauku tūrisms) — the most developed in the Baltic states — operates working farms across all five regions that offer accommodation, farm meals, and participation in agricultural activities: berry picking (blueberries, cranberries from the bogs), mushroom foraging, hay harvest, and the autumn slaughter festival. The most direct encounter with the Latvian agricultural year.
Amber Hunting on the Kurzeme Coast — The Baltic Sea beaches of Kurzeme (particularly between Liepāja and Cape Kolka, after autumn storms) produce the finest amber-hunting conditions in Latvia. The amber — Baltic amber, the finest in the world, formed from the resin of ancient pine forests 40–50 million years ago — washes up on the shore. A dedicated amber hunt after a westerly storm is one of the most satisfying free activities on the Latvian coast.
Jēkabpils & the Daugava River Countryside — The market town of Jēkabpils in central Latvia, with the Church of the Immaculate Conception (the most prominent Baroque church in the Semigallia region) and the Krustpils Castle (the most complete Baroque manor in the Daugava valley), in a landscape of river meadows and river-island oxbow lakes that is the finest agricultural scenery in southern Latvia.
Lielais Liepu Aleja (The Great Linden Avenue), Burtnieki — The most remarkable rural landscape feature in Latvia: a 7-kilometre avenue of ancient linden trees, planted by the Baltic German manor-owner Burtnieks in the 18th century, running through the agricultural landscape of northern Vidzeme. The avenue is at its finest in July when the linden blossoms fill the air with their extraordinary scent. Free to walk; entirely overlooked.
Sigulda Winter Weekend — The Gauja valley in winter: the medieval castle ruins under snow, the frozen Gauja River (accessible for ice skating in deep winters), the bobsleigh track in full operation, and the quality of the January light on the sandstone cliffs that is entirely different from the summer experience. The Livonian Castle Hill at night, lit in blue light against the winter sky, is one of the finest winter images in the Baltic states.
Latvian Sauna (Pirts) Culture & the Birch Whisk (Slota) — The Latvian sauna tradition is distinct from the Finnish: the pirts (smoke sauna) is heated in the traditional way, and the birch whisk (slota) — bound fresh branches used to beat the skin and improve circulation — is an essential element. Latvian sauna culture includes medicinal herb steam, honey body masks, and the cold-water plunge. The finest pirts experiences are at farm saunas in the Latvian countryside; the Riga spa culture offers accessible versions.
The Latvian Coast Path: Walking from Riga to Cape Kolka — The 120-kilometre Latvian Seashore Path along the Gulf of Riga coast, from the Jūrmala resort north to Cape Kolka: a five-to-seven-day walking journey through pine dune forest, Baltic beach, Livonian fishing villages, and the extraordinary landscape of the Slītere National Park. The finest long-distance coastal walk in Latvia and the most complete survey of the Latvian coast available on foot.
Watch the Dawn from Gauja Valley Sandstone Cliffs — Drive to Sigulda in the dark, take the path to the Krieviju Caves viewpoint above the Gauja, and wait in the pre-dawn silence of the valley. The forest below is completely dark. Slowly the sandstone cliffs of the opposite bank become visible — first pale, then amber, then the full red of the Devonian stone in the first direct sunlight. The Turaida Castle tower catches the light. A raven calls somewhere in the forest. The river reflects the sky. Latvia — unhurried, undemonstrative, and entirely at ease with its own extraordinary beauty — offers itself quietly and completely to anyone willing to get up early enough to receive it.

Quick Facts for Visitors


Best time to visit	May–September (warmest, festivals, longest days)
Summer nights	June–August barely get dark; Jāņi (23–24 June) is the most important date
Winter	November–March — cold, snow possible, Christmas markets, bobsleigh season
Currency	Euro (€)
Language	Latvian (Latviešu); Russian widely spoken (especially in Riga and the east); English understood in cities and tourist areas
Getting around	Car hire essential outside Riga; good bus network (Nordeka, Lux Express); Riga has excellent trams and buses
Capital	Riga
Art Nouveau	Riga has more Art Nouveau buildings than any other city in the world — over 800
Ideal trip length	3–4 days Riga · 7 days adds Gauja, Jūrmala, Rundāle · 10+ days for the full country
Islands	No island ferries needed — Latvia has a mainland coast only

Latvia does not insist on your attention. It offers itself — the Art Nouveau facade, the rye bread, the bog horizon, the candlelit castle — and waits for you to notice. Give it your full attention and it gives you everything. This is, in the end, the most Baltic thing about it.