About the country
A wonderful place for all four seasons. Latvia offers it all, from extensive woods to stunning sandy beaches, lakes, and rivers. Latvia's natural and relatively unspoiled ecology covers almost half of its land. This provides everyone with an excellent opportunity to get away from the metropolis and appreciate what nature has to offer.
Latvia's coastline is more than 300 miles (500 kilometers) long, with some of Europe's most gorgeous, if not strange, beaches. The Baltic coast is lined with stretches of quiet white sand beaches backed by eerily gorgeous pine trees.
5 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Visiting Latvia
When Kate O'Malley arrived in Latvia on her way to Russia, she had no idea the tiny Baltic country would enchant her. She goes beyond preconceptions to describe Latvia and what you should know before visiting.
1. Latvia is an excellent transportation center.
I had always seen the Baltic States (Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia) as a remote set of countries in the far reaches of Europe.Each of the Baltic States' capitals may be visited from Latvia in little over four hours on the luxury bus service The Lux Express for as low as US $16.Given the weak transportation links I've seen between many Eastern European nations (particularly the Balkans), Latvia is remarkably well linked with contemporary, fast, and cost-effective transportation alternatives beyond the international airport.
2. The beaches are breathtaking.
Latvia's coastline is more than 300 miles (500 kilometers) long, with some of Europe's most gorgeous, if not strange, beaches. The Baltic shore is lined with quiet white sand beaches and eerily gorgeous pine trees.Jrmala, a coastal town 30 minutes from Riga, is known for its stunning beaches and a unique architectural combination of 19th-century wooden cottages and significant Soviet-era buildings such as Dubulti Station and the concrete monolith, emeri Sanatorium.Kurzeme is a beach area on Latvia's west coast about three hours' drive from Riga.
3. Latvians are friendly.
Many former Soviet nations' residents have a reputation for being stony-faced or even unfriendly. However, Latvians, while not excessively extroverted, are quite friendly.If you require support, please request it! Most Latvians will willingly assist, and many will go out of their way to show off Latvia's welcoming side. Maybe this is why we are so taken by Latvia.I recently had the pleasure of meeting a young Latvian man during a culinary festival. He left his group of friends to accompany me to buy a little bottle of Latvia's national drink, black bablsam (an herbal liqueur created since 1700).
4. Latvian cuisine is different (especially the rye bread)
Latvia's cuisine scene has been affected by surrounding nations such as Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Poland, Germany, and, of course, Latvia's Baltic sisters - Lithuania and Estonia.Hearty beef dishes, smoked and pickled fish, and pelmeni are popular on the Latvian menu (a tortellini-style meat dumpling)While pelkie ziri (big grey peas akin to chickpeas, cooked then fried with fatty smoked bacon) stand out, it is Latvia's love affair with wonderful rupjmaize (dark rye bread) and what they do with it that piques my interest.
5. It is simple to reconnect with nature in Latvia.
Latvia is one of Europe's greenest countries, with wildness covering over half of the country. With 330 miles (530 kilometers) of woodlands along the Baltic shore, Latvia is an outstanding hiking and camping location.Despite the fact that there are designated campgrounds around the nation, wild camping is still legal in Latvia, making the connection with nature even more intriguingThe wooden boardwalk is divided into two arcs. The shorter arc is a 0.93 mi (1.5km) walk, while the longer arc is a 2.2 mi (3.7km) hike with an observation platform offering spectacular views of the bog from above.The Great Kemeri Bog, one of Latvia's most gorgeous landscapes, is a popular dawn and sunset location for photographers all year. Another thing we wish we had known about Latvia in retrospect.
Sri Lanka passport holders require a visa to enter Latvia.
10 best places to visit in Latvia :
Riga
Jūrmala
Sigulda
Liepāja
Cēsis
Daugavpils
Ventspils
Kuldīga
Gauja National Park
Jelgava