Russian Orthodox Church of Transfiguration
Latvia
The hilltop Russian Orthodox church of Transfiguration was built by the von Sievers at their family cemetery (like many Germans on Russian service they…
Must-see attractions in Latvia
Latvia
This renovated 16th-century wood building is now home to the Tourist Information Centre. Outside, a statue popular for selfies portrays Evalds Valters, a…
Central Rīga
A former tower hill, which used to be a part of the city wall, It is now the highest and arguably the most romantic feature of the park that runs along…
Latvia
The garden is dotted with sculptures dedicated to epic Latvian heroes immortalised in the dainas, poetic folk songs which are a major Latvian tradition.
Memorials to Victims of 20 January 1991
Central Rīga
On 20 January 1991 Soviet riot police stormed the nearby Latvian interior ministry, killing five people. The stone slabs serve as a memorial to the…
Latvia
Stately and stolid, this 1875 structure was home to Kuldīga’s Jewish community until the Holocaust. It now houses the town's library and arts centre.
Latvia
Dating to 1283, St Simon's shelters medieval burial tombs, an altarpiece, The Temptation (1842), a pulpit from 1739 and an 1886 pipe organ.
Latvia
Kurzeme’s oldest wooden house – built in 1670, reconstructed in 1742 and renovated in 1982 – stands on the northern corner of Pasta iela.
Alsunga
Take the plunge into Suiti culture at this welcoming museum. Learn about their clothes, customs and song.
Latvia
The new town hall, built in 1860 in Italian Renaissance style, is at the southern end of Rātslaukums.
Latvia
A forlorn site close to the centre where the Nazis killed over 1000 Jews in July 1941.
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…
Old Rīga
A branch of the National History Museum, this exhibition involving interactive multimedia technology covers the period of the third Atmoda (national…
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…
Central Rīga
This gracious red-brick neo-Gothic church is dedicated to St Gertrude, the patron saint of travellers. Surrounded by flamboyant art nouveau architecture,…
Latvia
Located 5km outside of town along the unpaved Krasta iela, Riežupe Sand Caves feature 460m of labyrinthine tunnels that can be visited by candlelight…
Ķīpsala, Āgenskalns & Torņakalns
Looking like a ski-jump ramp designed by Swarovski, this recent Rīga landmark is a prophesy fulfilled. A feature of many Latvian fairy tales, the Castle…
Latvia
The sprawling, crumbling Krimulda estate includes a neoclassical manor house from 1822, whose proud columns look out onto modest gardens. Inside you can…
Latvia
Built by German crusaders in 1399 to protect the eastern front of the Livonian Order, the castle has been in ruins since 1775. Today the melange of…
Latvia
For centuries, life in Kurzeme revolved around seafaring and fishing. Occupying vast parkland territory, this museum features a collection of fishing…
Abava River Valley
Well, this one is way cooler than just another small collection of toys from around the world. The owner, drawing teacher Andris Millers, makes mind…
Old Rīga
Rīga's historic town hall was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt from scratch in 2003. A statue of St Roland, the city’s patron, takes pride of place on the…
Old Rīga
This quirky museum houses a collection of porcelain assembled in now-defunct local porcelain factories from Soviet times. One was run by Russians hailing…
Latvia
You can't miss the Hotel Ķemeri. Known as the ‘White Ship’, it was built during Latvia’s brief period of independence in the 1930s, and has one of the…
Latvia
Opened with great pride in 1939, this art deco-ish cultural centre hosts gatherings of Liv descendants (the Liv Festival on the first Saturday in August…
Jūrmala
Local Russian artist Vitaliy Yermolayev runs this studio out of his home and dabbles with a secret recipe for glow-in-the-dark paint by creating portraits…
Rīga
The shipping yard behind the Central Market is the latest district to benefit from a generous dose of gentrification. These crumbling brick warehouses…
Latvia
The Castle Watchman’s House was built in 1735 to protect the ruins of the Livonian Order Castle. Legend has it that the house was the site of executions…
Latvia
The small stone memorial commemorates poor Maija Roze, otherwise known as the Rose of Turaida – a character in Sigulda's romantic legend.
Latvian National Museum of History
Central Rīga
This museum traces Latvian history from the Stone Age to the hipster age. If the exhibits have a temporary feel it's because the museum is meant to return…
Rīga
Set in a hilly pine forest in Mežaparks, Rīga National Zoo has a modest collection of animals, including an assortment of tropical fauna, as well as the…
Latvia
Visitors can learn about the handicrafts of Kurzeme in this 18th-century school building. Watch local artisans spin yarns (literally) and clay bowls,…
Maskavas Forštate, Avotu Iela & Grīziņkalns
It would be a classical-style Lutheran church like many others if it wasn't made entirely of wood, which makes it a unique architectural gem that…
Abava River Valley
The imposing 1890 synagogue that hasn't seen any services since the Jewish population was killed in the Holocaust is being restored so it can be…
Central Rīga
Built in 1924 as a gentle way to encourage Rīgans not to be late for work, this clock is a popular meeting place, carrying the branding of a popular…
Central Rīga
One of the great Latvian writers, Rainis – his pen name – created works that called for independence and have become part of the Latvian identity. He died…
