Art nouveau Riga, forests and Baltic beaches
Latvia is a forested Baltic country with a long sandy coast and a lively, beautiful capital. Riga is famous for its art nouveau buildings, medieval old town and central market in old zeppelin hangars. Beyond it lie the Gauja valley's castles, the resort town of Jūrmala and quiet coastal villages. It suits city breakers, walkers and travellers who like calm nature and good value.
Tap a card or a pin. Add a place to a day of your trip, or look for tours.
A medieval core of churches, guild halls and cobbled squares, including the House of the Blackheads. It is the heart of the capital.
Streets such as Alberta iela are lined with ornate art nouveau facades. Riga has one of the greatest concentrations of this style in the world.
One of Europe's largest markets, set in giant former zeppelin hangars. It sells smoked fish, rye bread and local produce.
A long beach resort of pine forest and wooden villas just west of Riga. It has spa hotels and a lively summer promenade.
Latvia's largest national park, along the Gauja River valley with sandstone cliffs and caves. It is great for hiking, cycling and canoeing.
A red brick medieval castle in Sigulda overlooking the Gauja valley. The museum reserve includes a sculpture garden.
A charming medieval town with a castle where you can explore with a lantern. It sits on the edge of Gauja National Park.
A baroque palace with formal French style gardens, designed by the architect of St Petersburg's Winter Palace. It is often called the Versailles of the Baltics.
A picturesque old town with red tiled roofs and Europe's widest waterfall, the Venta Rapid. It is a UNESCO site.
The tip of a peninsula where the Gulf of Riga meets the Baltic Sea. It is wild, windswept and great for birdwatching.
A port town with a Blue Flag beach, a castle and quirky cow sculptures. It is clean and family friendly.
A seaside city known for music, a wide beach and the former military district of Karosta. Karosta's prison offers unusual tours.
A boardwalk loop through a raised bog with small lakes and pine trees. It is easy and beautiful at sunrise.
Latvia's second city, with a 19th century fortress and an art centre dedicated to Mark Rothko, who was born here. It shows the Russian influenced east.
A forest museum on the edge of Riga with traditional farmhouses, windmills and churches. Craft fairs are held in summer.
Everything above is open to read. A Hodolog account lets you build the trip around it: pick cities, add places to days, see the weather for your dates.
Each city with a guide opens its own page: map, where to stay, what to eat.
The capital with old town and art nouveau.
architecture, food, gateway · Open the city guideBeach resort near Riga.
beach, spa · Guide comingGauja valley base.
nature, castles · Guide comingMedieval town.
history · Guide comingPicturesque old town.
history · Guide comingSeaside music city.
beach, culture · Guide comingEnd of Courland peninsula.
coast, nature · Guide comingEastern city with the Rothko Centre.
art, fortress · Guide comingBase for Rundale Palace.
palace, day trip · Guide comingThe capital, beaches and bogs.
Riga Old Town, Jūrmala, Kemeri bog
Forests, river valleys and castles.
Gauja National Park, Turaida, Cēsis
Fertile plains and palaces.
Rundāle Palace, Bauska Castle
Wild coast and old towns.
Kuldīga, Cape Kolka, Ventspils
Lakes and eastern culture.
Daugavpils, Rothko Art Centre, Aglona Basilica
Capital area with the coast of Jurmala.
Riga, Jurmala, Ethnographic Museum
Choose how long you have, then add the whole route to a trip as places and nights.
Best: May to September. Long, mild days suit the beaches, festivals and forest walks.
Winter is cold and dark but brings snow and Christmas markets; the coast is breezy and cooler than inland.
January. Quiet season. Lower prices, fewer crowds.
27°F daily high, 23°F average, 2.3 in
Average of past years from NASA POWER, worked out at each city's position. A place far from these cities can be quite different.
The US State Department rates Latvia Level 1 (exercise normal precautions), with petty crime and bar scams in Riga the main issues.
Trains and buses link Riga with most towns, and Riga is walkable.
Prices are lower than in Western Europe and the Nordics.
Entry rules depend on your passport. Members see the rules for their own passport here.
Passport and visa rules change often and without notice. Always check the official pages before you book and again before you travel.
| Entry | Check visa and entry rules on the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs travel and consular services page (https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/consular-information) and on your own government's travel advice before you go, as rules can change. |
| Plugs | Type C, F; 230 V |
| Tap water | safe |
| Tipping | Around 10 percent is common in restaurants for good service. |
| Payments | Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere. |
| Emergency | 113 ambulance, 112 fire, 110 police |
| Etiquette | Latvians can seem reserved at first but are warm once you get to know them. Bring an odd number of flowers as a gift, as even numbers are for funerals. In Riga, check bar prices before ordering to avoid scams. |
| Driving | On the right |
| Between cities | Trains run from Riga to Jūrmala, Sigulda and Cēsis, and buses cover most other towns. A car helps on the Kurzeme coast. Riga has trams, buses and ride apps. |
| Main airports | RIX |
| Ride apps | Bolt, Uber |
Baltic tribes lived here before German crusaders arrived in the 1200s and founded Riga, which became a major Hanseatic port. Later the land passed between Polish, Swedish and Russian rule. Latvia declared independence in 1918, was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 and regained independence in 1991. It joined the EU and NATO in 2004 and uses the euro.
Researched 2026-10-13. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.