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…
Must-see attractions in Latvia
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…
Old Rīga
Behind a row of granite heads depicting Latvia's most prominent artists, the imperial arsenal, constructed in 1832 to store weapons for the Russian tsar's…
Central Rīga
Affectionately known as ‘Milda’, Rīga’s Freedom Monument towers above the city between Old and Central Rīga. Paid for by public donations, the monument…
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…
Old Rīga
Built in 1330 as the headquarters of the grand master of the Livonian Order, this building has been much mutated over the years and now only looks…
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…
Old Rīga
A 13th- to 19th-century amalgam of Gothic and baroque styles, the church was first mentioned when the citizens installed catapults on its roof and…
Central Rīga
If you’re curious about what lurks behind Rīga’s imaginative art nouveau facades, stop by here to see the restored apartment of Konstantīns Pēkšēns (a…
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…
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
Central Rīga
This museum colourfully details Latvia’s Soviet and Nazi occupations between 1940 and 1991. Some of the exhibits are disturbing, including first-hand…
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…
Jaunpils
The small but perfectly medieval Jaunpils Castle is unique in the fact that it has largely retained its original look since 1301, when it was founded by…
Old Rīga
Tallinn has its Three Sisters, so Rīga has dubbed three of its old stone houses the Three Brothers. These architectural gems conveniently line up in a…
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…
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…
Brasa & Teika
Your sweet tooth might come to life blocks away from the historic Laima chocolate factory as the sweet cocoa smell permeates the entire area. Founded in…
Museum of Decorative Arts & Design
Old Rīga
The former St George’s Church houses a museum devoted to applied art from the art nouveau period to the present, including an impressive collection of…
Old Rīga
Built in 1905, this art nouveau–style synagogue was the only one to survive the Nazi occupation – to torch it in the tightly packed Old Town would have…
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…
Latvia
The third-largest lake in Latvia, Engure is a bird haven with almost 200 species calling the lake home. The vistas stretch far to the horizon across the…
Southern Latvia
Grandly named the Garden of Destiny, this sprawling project on an island in the river celebrates Latvia as a nation and opened for the centennial in 2018…
Latvia
Learn about the history and traditions surrounding traditional Latgalian dark rye bread, a local staple, and try your hand at milling grain and baking…
Latvia
As you'll learn at this tall brick tower built in 1886, ammunition used to require gravity. Molten lead was poured from the top of the tower, and by the…
Old Rīga
The round Powder Tower dates back to the 14th century and is the only survivor of the 18 original towers that punctuated the old city walls. Nine Russian…
Ķīpsala, Āgenskalns & Torņakalns
This sprawling green space (now mostly used as a soccer field) is home to the Victory Monument, which was built by the Soviets to commemorate the heroism…
Latvia
An odd cross between a nature park and a zoo, here elk, deer, bison and wild boar roam in open-air enclosures in the forest. From the parking area, a 4km…
Latvia
The former resort's central park offers melancholy hints of what once was and what might be again. Amidst the manicured lawns are dishevelled features in…
Latvia
Constructed between 1207 and 1209 by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, this castle lies mainly in picturesque ruins after being severely damaged during…
Latvia
Occupying a key vantage point, Krāslava's 'castle' is really a modest manor house. Its historic interior is closed to visitors, but the floral-scented…
Southern Latvia
These impressive Livonian Order castle ruins, which date back to the 1300s, are well worth a stop. This brick bastion was built over the original site of…
Rīga
The stars of the collection at this surprisingly well-funded and engrossing museum are cars that once belonged to Soviet luminaries such as Gorky, Stalin,…
Liepāja Under Occupation Museum
Latvia
Traces the bloody history of the Soviet and Nazi occupations in Latvia, with an emphasis on Liepāja. Captions are in Latvian, but no words are needed to…
