From Wikitravel

Latvia [1] is situated in Eastern Europe. One of the three Baltic states, Latvia is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, Belarus on the south east, and the Baltic Sea on the west. The most famous travel spot is the capital Riga, a World Heritage Site. It is however higly recommended to go to many other great places both urban and rural, such as Liepaja with its unique former secret military town of Karosta and a magnificent beach, to Kuldiga, where the Europe`s widest waterfall is and Cesis with its medieval castle ruins. Tourists can also enjoy the wild beauty of Latvia`s unspoilt sea coast which is 500 km long and consists mainly of white, soft sandy beaches, and also forests which cover approximately a half of Latvia`s territory and offer many nature trails and nature parks.

[edit] Regions

There are four historical regions of Latvia:

• Vidzeme - Region in northeastern Latvia
• Zemgale - Region in middle of Latvia
• Kurzeme - Region in western Latvia
• Latgale - Region in eastern Latvia

There are some cultural and social differences between regions, for example, traditional dress is different from region to region. The Latgale region has its own unique dialect.

[edit] Cities

• Riga - the capital city with more than 800 years old history
• Liepaja - city of music on the Baltic sea coast, which is always windy. Latvians believe that wind starts there and also famous Latvian musicans come from there. There is very interesting former secret military town called Karosta. Between a lake and the sea. One of world`s largest churchorgans. Famous summer event Baltic Beach Party in July. Fantastic unspoilt, white, soft sandy beach.
• Bauska - hosts old castle, yearly country music festival
• Cesis - old town in the heart of Vidzeme, castle and deep river valleys
• Daugavpils - second biggest town in Latvia. Features many factories and other industries
• Jelgava - students' town
• Jūrmala - recreational town, close to Riga. Popular holiday destination.
• Kuldiga - small town where old buildings are preserved. Features widest waterfall in Europe.

• Ligatne- a great natural park with wildlife animals and "fairy tale" forest with characters from famous latvian fairytales
• Rēzekne - hearth of Latgale district
• Sigulda - popular town with many interesting castles and historic spots. Most popular attraction outside Riga for foreign tourists
• Tukums - three regions of Latvia meet in the vicinity of Tukums city: Vidzeme, Zemgale and Kurzeme.
• Valka - unique town on the border - that crosses the town centre - with Estonia. Due to the future plans it is close to regain the status of important cultural centre.
• Valmiera - industrial town, hosting also active cultural and academic life. There is also a university and theatre here.
• Ventspils - hosts one of busiest ports in Europe. It is possible to observe incoming ships.

[edit] Other destinations

Theme parks

• Livu Akvaparks biggest water attractions in Northen Europe in Jurmala
• Latvijas Etnografiskais Brivdabas muzejs open air living museum of old wooden houses, near Riga
• Karostas cietums true Soviet prison experience with live prison show as well as night in prison. Based in Liepaja city Karosta suburb.
• Open Air Art Museum at Pedvale Art installations in nature park, near Sabile, Kurzeme region

Weekend break

• Ferry to Saaremaa island from Ventspils to Saaremaa island (Estonia) during summer months.

[edit] Understand

Latvia is a famous ancient trading point. The famous ‘route from the Vikings to the Greeks’ mentioned in ancient chronicles stretched from Scandinavia through Latvian territory along the river Daugava to the Ancient Russia and Byzantine Empire.

Across the European continent, Latvia’s coast was known as a place for obtaining amber. In the Middle Ages amber was more valuable than gold in many places. Latvian amber was known in places as far away as Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.

At the 12th century, German traders arrived, bringing with them missionaries who attempted to convert the pagan Baltic and Finno-Ugrian tribes to the Christian faith.

The Germans founded Rīga in 1201, establishing it as the largest and most powerful city on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.

After independence in 1918, Latvia achieved considerable results in social development, economy, industry and agriculture. It has always been a multicultural melting point, where foreigners and locals worked together and brought prosperity to the country.

On June 16, 1940, Vyacheslav Molotov presented the Latvian representative in Moscow with an ultimatum accusing Latvia of violations of that pact, and on June 17 Soviet forces occupied the country. Elections for a "People's Saeima" were held, and a puppet government headed by Augusts Kirhenšteins led Latvia into the USSR. The annexation was formalized on August 5, 1940.

During the time of the Iron Curtain, Latvia was a province of the Soviet Union, but the concentration of heavy industry was enormous. Contacts with the West were regulated. The Baltic region had the reputation of being the most urbanised and having the highest literacy rate in the Soviet Union.

Since regaining independence in 1991, economic and social development has been fast even for Latvians and neighbouring Europeans. Latvia has joined the European Union in 2004.

Because of a tribal past and divisions between occupying nations, there are regional differences between parts of Latvia which are interesting to explore.

[edit] Climate

The best time to travel to Latvia is from June to mid September, when it is warm and plenty of local food is available. January and February are the coldest months. October and November have autumn rains and daylight is short. Although you might not find plenty of 5 star hotels around Latvia, you will find comfortable places to stay for a reasonable price.

[edit] Geography

Half of Latvia is covered with forests which are rich with wildlife. There are many lakes, especially if you go to Latgale region. There are deep river valleys with some sections having sand cliffs on their banks. Heavy industry halted a long time ago, so most places are ecologically clean.

The highest point in Latvia is Gaizinkalns [2], at 312m (1,023ft) above sea level, just west of the town of Madona.

[edit] Get in

Latvia has joined the Schengen agreement, which means that you can enter on a European Union Schengen visa and there are no longer any ID/passport controls on the EU borders.

[edit] Visas

For those permitted for visa free entry

• Citizens of many countries, including Australia, Canada, United States, Mexico, New Zealand, do not need a visa to enter Latvia for up to 90 days. (Full list of countries)
• Health or travel insurance must be presented at border crossing points. (More Information)

If you need a visa, getting it is tricky. Visa costs are on the high side considering size of the country - 20LVL for single or 35LVL for multple entry. Applications will take 7 days to process, or can take as long as 30 days if additional information is needed. To apply, submit to the Latvian embassy or consulate:

• passport with two blank pages
• application form
• 2 photos
• invitation (actually, number of invitation, which could only be obtainable by someone else by going to Latvian Immigration Office in Latvia. It costs an additional 5 LVL for single entry and 10 LVL for multiple entry visa. It is valid for 3 months)
• travel insurance and payment

[edit] By plane

To Riga International Airport, you can arrive from various European (London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Barcelona, etc) cities, Middle East (Tel Aviv, Dubai), CIS (Moscow, Kiev, Minsk) as well as North America New York City.

Inexpensive national airline: Air Baltic. There are also other low-cost carriers Ryanairand EasyJet.

There are bus (0.40 LVL) and taxi (<10 LVL) connections to city centre. Only one cab company operates from airport, so look for red taxis on the ground floor near the parking lot. Journey times depend on traffic. Airport operates 24h hours. On departure hall help yourself with booklets about Riga.

If departing in morning allow yourself plenty of time to proceed through passport control as it can get crowded.

[edit] By train

SJSC Latvian Railways, 7216664, 7233397.

• Trains to Riga terminal are available from:
  • Moscow or Saint Petersburg, Russia, daily overnight, stops at Rezekne
  • Minsk, Belarus, semidaily overnight, stops at Daugavpils
  • Vilnius, Lithuania, semidaily overnight, train from Ukraine
  • Lviv, Ukraine, semidaily overnight, stops at Vilnius (Lithuania), Jelgava

• Train to Daugavpils and Rezekne are available from:
  • Saint Petersburg, Russia, semidaily overnight Saint Petersburg - Vilnius service
  • Vilnius, Lithuania, semidaily Vilnius - Saint Petersburg service

[edit] By car

Non-residents can use their cars up to 3 months without registration. After 3 months the car must be registered.

If you have a driver's licence issued by another country of the European Union, you can use it continuosly. Residents of other countries have to obtain a Latvian licence after 6 months, however it involves only a theoretical exam, which can be taken in English, Russian, French and German.

[edit] By bus

• Eurolines, ph 371 7214080, fax 7503134, from Europe and CIS, online ticket reservation, booking through Eurolines agencies in Europe and CIS.
• Ecolines from Europe and CIS, online booking.

SIA Liepezers. Bus and minibus rental in Latvia. Transfers. Coaches. Rent a bus in Latvia Bus rental in Latvia

[edit] By boat

• Tallink, [3]. A ferry line between Stockholm (Sweden) and Riga.
• WM H. Muller Baltic, [4]. Ferry between Karlshamn in Sweden and Ventspils.
• DFDS Tor Line,[5]. Ferry between Lübeck in Germany and Riga twice a week.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By plane

Air Baltic flies from Riga to Liepaja International Airport. It costs 18.60 lats from Riga to Liepaja and 10 lats from Liepaja to Riga. Sometimes there are huge discounts allowing to get from Liepaja to Riga for as cheep as 4 LVL. Liepaja has direct flights to Hamburg and Copenhagen, too.

Several small airports available across Latvia, two in Riga - Spilves airport and Rumbulas airport.

[edit] By car

International car rentals are represented in Latvia. There are many offices in Riga, including some at Riga Airport. Cheaper car rental offices are also available.

Drive with the headlights on all year round. Winter or all-season tyres are required for the winter period (December 1 to March 1). Many gas stations are self-service and operate round the clock. Gasoline with octane ratings 95 and 98 is available, as well as diesel fuel.

You can browse a car rental companies list at the Riga International Airport website.

[edit] By bus

There is vast network of bus connections around Latvia. Buy bus ticket in bus station or in bus when boarding. If you have luggage ask bus driver to put into trunk. It depends from company if they will charge extra for that. There is express bus connections to major towns, which saves time.

On Fridays and Saturdays buses could be crowded in the outbound direction from Riga. Bus time tables are available at the Rigas Autoosta site.

SIA Liepezers. Bus and minibus rental in Latvia. Transfers. Coaches. Rent a bus in Latvia Bus rental in Latvia

[edit] By train

Useful to go by train if you need to connect to such towns as Jurmala, Saulkrasti, Jelgava, Ogre, Daugavpils.

Gulbene and Aluksne is connected by narrow gauge railway. There are several tourist spots along the route.

[edit] By bike

It is advised to cycle in the early morning when there is less traffic, although one should be careful when choosing this time due to highly reduced drivers attention at this time. Expect heavy traffic from 5 PM to 8 PM. No left turn allowed from middle line. However, it is highly advised to choose by-ways and less densely populated roads due to highly hazardous traffic. It is vitally important to wear reflectors- reflective belts, bands and bright coloured clothing, as well as have the bike equipped with strong front and rear lights. Generally, cycling is still not safe in the country.

[edit] By thumb

Hitchhiking in Latvia is generally good. The roads around Riga present the largest obstacle, unless the city is your destination - there is no clean "by-pass" road, and a considerable amount of local traffic makes hitching very difficult. The easiest way to get around Riga is to find a "cross-country" lift at the border with Lithuania or Estonia. License plate numbers/countries of origin are your friends.

[edit] Talk

Latvian (Latviešu valoda) is the official language and it belongs to the Eastern Baltic sub-group of the Baltic language group in the Indo-European language family. From the Baltic language, only Latvian and its closest relative Lithuanian remain, and their closest relatives are the Slavs, with a lot of germanic loanwords. The language is spoken natively by about 60% of the 2.2 million residents of Latvia. All signs, street names and advertisements are usually in Latvian, which is written with same letters as English, but with some special characters. There is also a lot of native Russian language speakers from the Russian ethnic community and it is universally understood in Latvia, so it is recommendable to use that language if you have trouble with Lativian. English is also understood in urban centers, however there may still be problems 'connecting' with older people in English. Latvian youngsters almost all speak at least some basic English. German is another common foreign language to be learnt at school. French and Spanish are rather rare.

See also: Latvian phrasebook, Russian phrasebook

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Winter

There is a lot of possibilities to practice winter sports - snowboarding, cross country skiing, downhill skiing etc.Ramkalni, Baili, Zviedru Cepure. Some of slopes are open till late night. Usually need car to access.

• International Ice Sculpture Festival in Jelgava, February
• International Festival of Cartoons - Bimini in Riga, March

[edit] Spring

As rivers get more water from melting snow, canoeing down the rivers is favorite past time for young people. It usually gets warmer after Easter.

• Easter - usually something is going on in town centers. Experience traditional Easter celebrations with swings and egg fight. Perfect time of the year to "indulge" in tradtional balzams - a sickeningly high alcohol content liquour, and for cultural pursuits such as seeing the amazing Riga Opera.
• International Baltic Balet Festival in April/May.
• Days of Art in Cesis, April
• European Undertaking “Museum Night” all over Latvia, in May.

[edit] Summer

Latvian Song and Dance Festival One of the key cultural events in Latvia, which started back in 1873 as singing festival. Now festival happenings involve choirs, folk dance groups, brass bands, folklorists etc. Competitions, exibitions, concerts, parade and joint concerts are some of cultural events. Riga is full with traditional cusumes and cheerful people from all Latvia. It is held once in five years. The next Latvian Song and Dance Festival will take place form 6th to 12th July, 2008 in Riga. Note: Latvian expats in US will held their 12th US Latvian Song Festival in July, 2007. If you want to have a glimpse what is all about, go to Indianapolis in July.

• Jani - on the June 24th, Latvians celebrate a midsummer festival called - Jani. Before that Jani flea markets are held in mayor towns.
• Country music festival - held annually in Bauska, around middle July for 2 days. European and US country musicans. Camping on the site possible.
• Saulkrasti Jazz- yearly jazz festival, which is held at the end of July. Latvian and massive number of foreign musicans perform on the stage by the sea. Weekly concerts culminates in final concert. Saulkrasti can be easily reached from Riga main terminal by train.
• International Music Festival “Riga Rythms” usually held at the beginning of July in Riga.
• Sigulda Opera Festival at the beginning of August, held in open air in Sigulda town.
• Cesis Music and Art Festival. Medieval Festivity at the beginning of August. All things Medieval there - food, costumes, customs, etc.
• Liepajas Dzintars- the end of August is the time for famous Liepaja music festival.

Latvia has one of longest sand beaches in Europe. In July and August the water is warm enough to swim. The sea has a very slow slope.

[edit] Autumn

There are many interesting and old castles around Latvia. Association of Latvian Castles, Palaces and Manors has links and photos on their website. Note that sometimes castles are reserved for private occasions.

It is popular to go for autumn leaves viewing, when the trees turn red and yellow. Popular spots are Sigulda and Vidzemes Augstiene.

[edit][add listing] Buy

• Amber, which is sold in most souvenir shops. If you are lucky, some could be found on the Baltic Sea shore after a storm.
• Smoked (black) ceramics from Latgale.
• Silver jewellery
• Mittens with ornaments. Hand-made and representing traditional culture.
• Black (rye) bread gives more energy than the common white (wheat) bread. If bought fresh and kept in a plastic bag, it might last well up to 10 days or more.
• Melnais Balzams, a spirit enhanced with various herbs.
• Laimas konfektes Asorti, chocolate candy with various fillings.

Speciality shops are open from 8 AM to 6 PM on weekdays, till 4 PM on Saturdays, closed on Sundays. Groceries are open every day till 8 PM or longer. Most supermarkets are open till 11 PM every day.

ATMs are widely available throughout Latvia (including Riga International Airport), even in many small towns. Tax free shops have their signs clearly displayed.

Banks will accept traveller's cheques with some fee as a percentage of the sum.

Before leaving Latvia, it is advisable to exchange Latvian lats back to your foreign currency, unless you want to keep them as a souvenir, which is not a bad idea, since Latvian Lats is one of worlds most beautiful designed money, especially the many different types of 1 Lat coin and also paper notes. Keeping Lats would also be a good reason to visit Latvia again. However, hurry up, since Euro will be introduced after some years.

[edit][add listing] Eat

This is best thing that could happen to a traveler in Latvia - food.

Latvian cuisine comes from the peasant culture, and is based on crops that grow in Latvia's temperate climate. Rye, peas, beets, and potatoes are the staples; smoked bacon, sausage, and other pork products are favorites. Since Latvia is surrounded by the sea, smoked and raw fish is also available. Lots of things are flavored with caraway seeds, especially cheese and bread. A cheese similar to smoked gouda, but more soft, is the cheapest and, arguably, tastiest variety. Latvian rye bread is heavy and flavorful, and goes well with hearty Latvian meals like pea soup, potatoes, and schnitzels (karbonades). Restaurants in larger cities often offer stews in clay pots.

Latvian cuisine is typical for temperate and northern countries, high on butter, fat, and grains, low on spice except for caraway and black pepper . If you are from the Mediterranean, you might find it bland, but if you come from England or Russia or the Midwestern US, you're not likely to have trouble getting used to it.

A more exotic Latvian dish is a sweet soup made from rye bread (maizes zupa).

Some specific food only available in this area:

• Biezpiena sierins [6] - curd actually, but with sweet taste
• Kefirs - specific dairy product (vegetarian)
• Kiselis - thickened stewed fruit (usually cherry or rhubarb) served for dessert (vegetarian)
• Griki - buckwheat, eaten as main course
• Skabeti kaposti - cabbage in its own juice
• "'Piragi'"- Lean bacon and onion wrapped in a thin-ish yeast dough.

Other mentionable food and dishes:

• Smoked cheese - goes very well with wine
• Eclair - cake with sweet cream inside
• Eel - fish that looks like a snake, European eel
• Frikadelu zupa - meatball soup with bullion (high fat)
• Biesu zupa - red colored beetroot soup (vegetarian and non-vegetarian)
• Rosols - salad with sour cream, usually non-vegetarian
• Kotletes - meatballs served with potatoes
• Gailenu merce - mushroom sauce, usually served with potatoes (vegetarian)
• Siļķe ar biezpienu - herring served with cottage cheese
• Commorgan-wieders(old name)-Once braised chuck, ground with celery, onions and wrapped in a crepe and resauteed.

[edit][add listing] Drink

Many local beers are excellent. Aldaris, Līvu, and Senču can be bought almost anywhere. A special 'live beer' called Užavas can be found in selected pubs and restaurants.

Don't forget to try the Balsam (Rīgas Melnais Balzams). It's a strong (45%) infusion of various herbs, roots, and spices. It will cure your flu in no time. Add a few drops to flavor your tea, or a few spoons to lace your coffee, or drink it neat.

Wine is also grown in Latvia in small quantities. It is one of the most Northern points in the world where wine is grown. Vineyards can be seen in Sabile (in Latvian).

Some remarkable places to have a sip:

• Juffin's 12 (Джуффинова Дюжина), 10 Aldaru Street, ☎ +371 6722 4271 (juffins12@inbox.lv, fax: +371 6722 4272), [7]. 11AM-11PM.  edit

Джуффинова Дюжина

If you are in a mood to treat yourself and friends to a great fare this restaurant is the right place. With reasonable prices, the quality of the wonderfully inventive but simple European/Oriental food is amongst the best in Riga. Stunning wine list and prompt service come together to make this rather unsung Vecriga fixture one of Riga’s top dining places. http://www.juffins12.lv/

• Skyline Bar, [8]. On the top of Reval hotel in Riga, just perfect view on sunset, not good idea to go there if you are on budget.
• Lido Recreation Centre,[9]. A restaurant complex in a huge wooden structure in Riga, children friendly.
• Roka kafejnica, Stendera iela 18/20, tel. 3481555, in Liepaja. First rock cafe.
• Krodzins "Riva" in Jurkalne, could be seen from Liepaja - Ventspils highway, a small pub near a waterfall and wooden bridge.
• Raganas Kekis, [10]. The name means witch's kitchen. Located in Ragana village, in the Vidzeme region, which obviously means "witch" in Latvian. You will see it if you travel on direction to Valmiera or Limbazi.
• Rossini, [11]. Near castle ruins and museum in Valmiera. Nice surroundings, serves Italian food.
• Double Coffee, restaurants in Riga, they have wireless hotspots, but you need to buy Lattelekom wifi card. 10% service is added to the bill there.

Places serving Chinese, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Ukrainian cuisine are also available in Latvia.

It is common to tip 10% of the bill depending on the service you encountered. Make sure you check the receipt, as some establishments automatically include a 10% tip in the bill.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

There are many hotels to choose from. Prices start from 20 LVL outside Riga and from 40 LVL in Riga.

Network of youth hostels is also developing. Dormitory rooms around 10 lats, single, double rooms starts from 20 lats and above.

Camping in parks usually not allowed to spare grass. Most of rural land is private, but camping possible. If asked by owner to move, you have to. Paying small money (1-2 lats) helps in most cases.

If camping site is indicated (especially in Gauja National Park), camp there.

[edit] Learn

Museums in Latvia has list of museums in Latvia on their website.

[edit] Work

Not impossible (especially if you are an EU citizen), but you have to find company, which is willing to pay 35 LVL fee per month, work permit up to 170 LVL (once), fee for checking your documents of education 47.20 LVL (once). Salary should not be less than 246 LVL per month.

Job advertisments in Latvian daily newspapers like Diena Tuesday or Saturday edition, some of those ads are in English, German, Russian or French.

[edit] Stay safe

It is generally safe to travel around on your own, although some petty crime exists. A thing to watch out for is bicycle theft, and it is advisable not to leave valuable things in your car.

When visiting bars and restaurants in Riga, make sure you know the price before you order and follow your spending, so no cheating is possible.

The Police of Latvia has a website with advice for travelers.

Emergency phone number: Fire/Police/Ambulance 112.

If bitten by a dog, cat or snake, seek medical attention immediately. Most snakes are not venomous. A dog or cat bite carries the risk of rabies. Mosquitoes carry no disease and are generally only an annoyance in the Summer months. A forest tick bite carries risk of encephalitis.

[edit] Stay healthy

There is no problem turning to any doctor or hospital to seek medical help, just by paying an outside patient fee. However, it can prove difficult to obtain medical assistance in many rural areas, as the service can be slow and unresponsive; therefore, it may be a good idea to bring your own first aid kit. There are virtually no air ambulance helicopters in the country, so when exploring sparsely-inhabited, remote areas on your own, it's important to be well-prepared for emergencies.

Few drugs are available without prescription; bring your own medicine if you require it.

Tap water should be boiled before drinking; purchasing bottled water is an inexpensive alternative.

[edit] Respect

One should be cautious when mentioning Latvia in the context of the USSR to ethnic Latvians. Latvia became a USSR province after World War II, and praise of the Soviet (or Russian) regimes is unlikely to be understood or appreciated by many Latvians, especially young ones. However, an opposite reaction may be caused when mentioning the same topic to Russian-speaking people. It must be understood that the issue is delicate and important to all inhabitants of Latvia, so one should be careful and respectful of various points of view when discussing it.

It is very common to give up your seat for an elderly passenger on the public transport in Latvia. It is also considered polite to let women board a train or bus first.

There are many waste containers and trash cans on the sidewalks and near most stores. Littering is considered very rude and may be fined.

[edit] Contact

Latvijas Pasts is also reliable and a fast way to send letters and parcels (up to 10kg).

Most of GSM mobile phones will work in Latvia. Pre-paid SIM cards are also available and could be easy bought and topped-up at kiosks and outlets. Some SIM cards are capable of GPRS data transfer, although the setup of phone and computer will not be that easy. Zelta Zivtina of TELE2 costs as less as LVL 1. but you might experience some connection problems, especially during some big events (such as concerts). Another option is a much more expensive prepaid card OKarte with better GSM/GPRS/EDGE coverage in rural areas. Good alternative for cheap GPRS traffic and voice calls is a prepaid card Toxic. All of these comes with an English as well as Russian and of course Latvian guide book.

Internet spots are available in cafes, libraries and airport. Most hotels will provide free wireless access spots for laptops.

If you could not find free wireless spot, try Lattelecom WLAN. A wifi card is need to connect to Lattelecom WLAN. A WLAN area could be around any Statoil petrol stations. Internet at no charge is also available in most public libraries, some have free wireless access points as well.

To call from a public phone you need Telekarte. It costs 2,3 and 5 LVL. International calls are possible from every public phone.

This is a guide article. It has a variety of good, quality information including hotels, restaurants, attractions, arrival and departure info. Plunge forward and help us make it a star!