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 –…
-
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.
-
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…
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…
-
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
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…
-
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
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…
-
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…
-
Latvia
Beautiful Ungurmuiža is one of the best preserved manor houses in all of Latvia. The stately red mansion was created by Baron von Campenhousen, who served…
-
Jūrmala
Jūrmala's ribbon of white sand stretches for 24km. The sand is hard-packed and ideal for walking – or packing into sand sculptures or castles – and the…
-
Latvia
Vendors have touted their wares here since the mid-17th century. The market expanded in 1910, when an art nouveau–style pavilion was constructed adjacent…
-
Latvia
Explore this lovely collection of retro bicycles, including a 130-year-old specimen assembled in Latvia. Better yet, choose from a range of modern rental…
-
Latvia
Features a variety of impressive displays, such as an interactive exhibit that brings to life the tough lives of people living in the South Kurzeme in the…
-
Latvia
On a little hill, the proud white 1645 church looks mundane outside but inside is a national treasure: the towering 17th-century altarpiece is a…
-
Latvia
Among many fine beaches, the one directly west of the Pabaži train station and the A1 highway has bright white sand, shallow, pine-covered dunes and very…
-
Latvia
The city's main synagogue was built in 1850 and beautifully restored in 2005, thanks to the contributions of Mark Rothko's children. Arrange a visit (by…
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…
-
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
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…
-
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
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…
