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About Riga, Latvia

Riga, Latvia’s capital, is set on the Baltic Sea at the mouth of the River Daugava. It’s considered a cultural center and is home to many museums and concert halls. The city is also known for its wooden buildings, art nouveau architecture and medieval Old Town. The pedestrian-only Old Town has many shops and restaurants and is home to busy Livu Square, with bars and nightclubs.

Riga is one of the key economic and financial centres of the Baltic States. Roughly half of all the jobs in Latvia are in Riga and the city generates more than 50 percent of Latvia’s GDP as well as around half of Latvia’s exports. The biggest exporters are in wood products, IT, food and beverage manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, transport and metallurgy. Riga Port is one of the largest in the Baltics. It handled a record 34 million tons of cargo in 2011 and has potential for future growth with new port developments on Krievu Sala. Tourism is also a large industry in Riga which grew after a slowdown during the recent global economic recessions.

Riga is connected to the rest of Latvia by trains operated by the national carrier Passenger Train, whose headquarters are in Riga. There are also international rail services to Russia and Belarus, and plans to revive passenger rail traffic with Estonia.



Plan and Book:





Overview



Riga, founded in 1201, is the geographical center of the Baltic States and arguably one of Northern Europe’s best kept secrets … tourism is just now beginning to boom in what’s quickly becoming one of Europe’s top cultural capitals.

The city of 800,000 on the Daugava River is the capital of Latvia, a country finding its place in a new world after being occupied for 50 years (1941 to 1991), first by the Nazis and then by the Soviet Union. Today, visitors will see a city in transition: women embracing fashion trends, men following the latest news on American sports teams, and a Caribbean-themed bar serving mean mojitos (while patrons stare at a portrait of Fidel Castro). School kids are learning English as a second language instead of Russian.

Today, Riga is a happening place boasting big-city attractions for visitors. Opera, music and ballet flourish (even during Soviet times, Riga was known for its arts offerings). The city has museums that house displays on everything from art and textiles to fire-fighting and the history of medicine. Old Riga, the historic center of the city, has been recognized by UNESCO, and the city’s Art Nouveau architecture is among the finest in Europe.

Nightlife is active, with hopping bars and dance clubs open until 6 a.m. on weekends. A large number of restaurants serve up an impressive diversity of international options (Russian, Armenian, Tibetan, Tex-Mex). There are shopping malls and hotels springing up, and new cars clog the streets.

But perhaps most intriguing is how the city still feels like a bridge between the Old Soviet and modern Europe – our advice is to go there now before things rapidly change.



Attractions and Activities

It is generally recognized that Riga has the finest and the largest collection of art nouveau buildings in the world. This is due to the fact that at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, when Art Nouveau was at the height of its popularity, Riga experienced an unprecedented financial and demographic boom. In the period from 1857 to 1914 its population grew from 282,000 to 558,000 making it the 4th largest city in the Russian Empire (after Saint-Petersburg, Moscow and Warsaw) and its largest port. The bourgeoisie of Riga used their wealth to build imposing apartment blocks around the former city walls. Local architects, mostly graduates of Riga Technical University, adopted current European movements, and in particular Art Nouveau. In that period around 800 Art Nouveau buildings were erected. The majority of them are concentrated in the central part of Riga and a few more in the Old Town.

Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage site of cobblestones and breathtaking river views, as well as Europe’s Wifi capital with almost 1,000 spots to get online for free.

The enormous Central Market is a treasure trove of earthy sausage, cheese and black bread, smoked fish, and much more. Sample the goods on a picnic in one of Riga’s lovely parks, or enjoy a hearty meal in many great value bistro and cafes. To wash it down, sample intriguing local beers in the brew pubs along hipster strip Miera iela, or a cocktail with the mysterious Riga Black Balsam in fun-filled bars across town.



A popular dayrtrip is to explore the natural paradise of Sigulda with its fairytale castles, romantic vistas and adventure sports, stroll along miles of pine-fringed sandy beaches in the seaside playground Jurmala, and marvel at the Baroque and Rococo splendor of Rundale Palace. Just 30 minutes from Riga, Jurmala is a magnificent seaside playground with everything you need to unwind. It is known for its miles of sandy beaches, swaying pine trees and deliciously fresh air, eclectic architecture and plenty of fun.



Just outside Riga is the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia. Established in 1924, it is one of the oldest and best preserved in Europe and boasts historical dwellings, workers’ homesteads, a tavern and windmills, gathered from across Latvia. Masters of 18 different crafts demonstrate their work.

Surrounding Area: Latvia


Sigulda

Sigulda is located in the eastern edge of Riga region, 53km away from Riga itself. Situated in the picturesque Gauja River valley, with its steep banks and cliffs, Sigulda has become known as the ‘Switzerland of Latvia’. The resort town features a wooded river valley containing forest walks, cable car, bobsleigh track, and three castles, all of which is manageable as a day visitor on foot. The cable car from Sigulda to Krimulda provides a birds-eye view of the Gauja River Gorge. For adrenaline junkies, bungee jumping can be arranged from the cable car when its stops some 42m above the river itself. Krimulda also has a ruined castle. Sigulda is just over an hour from Riga by train from Riga.

Parnu, Estonia

Parnu is an ancient Hanseatic town where a medieval festival and an arts and crafts fair are held every summer. Parnu has a long beach that opens to the south and has lovely, almost white sand. It is a resort seaside city (Estonia’s summer capital) and cruise ship port with a small harbour in the South-Western part of Estonia. The city is famous for its spas, shallow white sandy beach and beautiful parks. It is also a popular place for conferences, theatre performances and concerts. In 1838 the first spa was opened and nowadays Parnu is a health resort of international stature. Since 1996 Parnu has been known as Estonia’s Summer Capital. Parnu is 2 hrs 26 mins by bus from Riga.




Klaipeda, Lithuania

The city of Klaipeda is the third largest city in Lithuania, located on the Baltic Sea coast. It is a seaport, stopover point for cruise ships, and the gateway to the Curonian Spit. The city has a complex recorded history, partially due to the combined regional importance of the usually ice-free Port of Klaipeda at the mouth of the Akmena-Dane River and as a result, is the most important Lithuanian transportation hub, connecting sea, land and railway routes from East to West. After World War II, the Soviets transformed Klaipeda, the foremost ice-free port in the Eastern Baltic, into the largest piscatorial-marine base in the European USSR. Today in the Klaipeda Old Town and New Town there are still many pre-war buildings, art nuoveau and wooden frame, even if they are frequently standing side-by-side with newer ones. Klaipeda is 4 hrs 41 mins by shuttle bus from Riga.




Siauliai, Lithuania

Siauliai is a fourth largest city in Lithuania. Although severely destroyed during the 20th century, the city retained its original urban layout and street network. The new and old buildings of the central part form a unified whole, still calm and cozy as if globalization and urbanization would not have affected its development. The central part with its pedestrian street named after Vilnius, the capital, is pleasant to walk and spend some time without focusing on anything. Cafes, restaurants and clubs are also here. To their east is an outdoor recreation area by Lake Talsa. There are several different spa and wellness centres in walkable distance within city central area.

The Hill of Crosses, north of Siauliai is a national centre of pilgrimage in Lithuania. Standing upon a small hill, a former hill-fort, are many hundreds of thousands of crosses that represent Christian devotion and a memorial to Lithuanian national identity. Over the centuries, the Hill has come to signify the peaceful endurance of Lithuanian Catholicism. In 2000 a Franciscan hermitage was opened nearby. The interior decoration of this monastery draws upon La Verna, the mountain where St. Francis received his stigmata.




Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden, is connected to Riga by ferry. The service operates up to 7 times each week with sailing durations from around 18 hours. Across the Baltic Sea on its western shore, Stockholm is a remarkable city full of life and energy that is sure to dazzle your eyes and comfort your soul. This is not just a city to visit; Stockholm is truly a city to experience. There exists an incredible amount of activities to engage in, and the scenery is so picturesque that you will never feel bored or unfulfilled. Sweden is a well-run and well-educated country, making it all the more pleasant to visit. The city is home to 1.4 million inhabitants, and is at the forefront of the 24,000-island archipelago that starts at Lake Malaren and stretches for hundreds of miles out to the Baltic Sea. The city is an area comprised of small islands and bridges that connect them together.

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