Traveling the Baltics for a period of time? Then join me on a 3 week tour of the Baltic Sea states. If you’ve missed our week in Estonia be sure to check it out here first. Southbound from Estonia, the next stop on our Baltic tour is Latvia.
Riga
Riga is the capital of Latvia, oddly located in the center of this Baltic country and on the coast at the same time. Really, check out a map! You can fly to Riga but since most tourists travel the Baltics north to south or south to north, it is easier to reach Latvia’s capital by bus. Reliable train transportation is in the works via the Rail Baltica which would aid the countries’ connection with the rest of Europe. In the meantime, the bus system throughout the three countries is very affordable, convenient, and comfortable.
Many of Latvia’s sights can be reached on day trips from Riga, so I would plan to spend the majority of time there. Do NOT miss out on a Free Walking Tour of the city. The guides are all locals as well as extremely passionate and knowledgeable about their homeland. They love Latvia and want you to love it too! This very worthwhile tour has been one of my favorites because of the enthusiasm of the guides, which lends important insights to the Latvian people.
You’ll need at least a day to wander around Riga’s old town. It’s a funky mixture of modern and medieval which makes it so fun and interesting to explore. The old town has medieval walls hidden within current buildings and just a few streets beyond is famous for the abundance of art nouveau architecture.
Beach
Each Baltic country has its own beach town and for Latvia it’s Jurmala. The hotspot was recommended to me by a number of Latvians and travelers alike. As I’m not really a beach person, I didn’t make time for it a priority. But if the beach is your thing and the weather’s right, it sounds like it’s worth a visit!
Kemeru National Park
You could pair an afternoon in Jurmala with a morning in Kemeru National Park. I managed to visit one of the bogs with public transportation, but even in summer there aren’t many buses going that direction. Luckily, I had the nicest bus driver ever who really helped me out with directions, but it was still challenging. If you’ve visited Lahemaa in Estonia, Kemeru is similar, but there are still plenty of sights to check out. The bog landscape is magnificent. And the difficulty or lack of public transportation meant I had the whole place nearly to myself!
Castles
My favorite day in Latvia was visiting Sigulda – the town of medieval castles. The Sigulda castle is right within the town, just a short walk from the train station. Some of the medieval ruins have been rebuilt, allowing visitors to climb up towers and along the walls.
Along the way to the Turaida Castle you’ll pass the largest sandstone cave in Lativa. It is filled with some of the oldest graffiti I have ever seen. Next to modern etchings in the rock were medieval coats of arms, which can be seen in the photo below.
A little further on is the Turaida Castle. The brick fortress has been largely rebuilt and outfitted with many information stations to teach you about medieval life and the history of Turaida. Both Sigulda and Turaida Castles are visit-able in an afternoon and could be paired with a visit to Cesis. I would have liked to have visited there as well (because of more medieval castles to marvel at!), but I unfortunately didn’t have a chance to.
There are a ton of great attractions in Latvia to see. Don’t just stop in Riga and move on to the next country. Stay at least a week to see the many great things offered in this middle Baltic state.