Latvia

Explore Latvia with our handy travel guide, perfect for planning your next adventure to this Baltic gem. Learn about its weather patterns and discover the best times to visit for your ideal experience. Find out how to get around the country, from public transport to car rentals, making your journey smooth and enjoyable. Discover top cities like Riga and Jurmala, plus must-visit destinations such as Gauja National Park and the Rundale Palace. The guide also shares delicious Latvian foods to try and reveals hidden spots that most tourists miss.

Weather and Best Time to Visit

The best months to visit Riga and Central Latvia are June to August, with warm temperatures (20-25°C/68-77°F) and many cultural festivals. May and September have good weather with fewer tourists.

For Kurzeme (Western Coast), July and August are best for beach activities with temperatures around 22°C/71°F. June and early September offer quieter beaches with still comfortable weather.

Vidzeme (Northern Latvia) is best visited from late May to mid-September, ideal for exploring Gauja National Park. August has the best conditions for hiking when forests are at their fullest.

Latgale (Eastern Latvia) is most enjoyable from June to August, perfect for enjoying the region's lakes and nature reserves with temperatures between 18-24°C/64-75°F.

Zemgale (Southern Latvia) offers excellent visiting conditions from May through September for exploring palaces and nature parks. June features especially beautiful blooming landscapes in the countryside.

How to Get to Latvia

Latvia has several airports that serve as entry points to the country. Riga International Airport (RIX) is the primary air hub, handling over 7 million passengers annually. From the airport, travelers can quickly reach Riga, where they can explore historic streets and architecture. While smaller airports offer limited flight options, Riga International Airport provides connections to many European capitals and international destinations.

In the southwest, Liepāja International Airport provides access to Liepāja, a coastal city known for its beaches and vibrant music scene.

Ventspils Airport serves Ventspils, where the Venta River meets the Baltic Sea. This city is popular for its family-friendly blue flag beaches during summer.

In the eastern part of the country, Daugavpils International Airport connects visitors to Daugavpils, Latvia's second-largest city, featuring a notable 19th-century fortress and diverse cultural influences.

These airports all serve as gateways to Latvia's natural landscapes and cultural attractions.

How to Get Around

When you step onto Latvian soil, the country opens itself up through its network of transportation. Buses connect the dots between cities like Riga, Jurmala, and Daugavpils, carrying passengers along highways and country roads with regular schedules and reasonable fares. These same buses shrink down to serve city streets too, weaving through Riga's neighborhoods from morning until night.

In Riga, trams add character to the journey. Their wheels follow tracks that cut through the heart of the capital, letting passengers watch city life unfold through the windows as they travel from one district to another.

While exploring Latvia, you'll notice what isn't there:

• -No tuktuks weaving through traffic
• -No subways rumbling underground

Instead, many travelers and locals tap their phones to summon ride-sharing services, which arrive within minutes and take them exactly where they need to go, even to spots where bus routes don't reach.

When summer warmth spreads across Latvia, bicycles appear everywhere. Cyclists pedal along dedicated lanes in Riga and follow paths that hug the Baltic coastline, the sea breeze in their hair.

For journeys between cities, companies like Lux Express and Ollex provide buses with enough legroom to watch the Latvian countryside roll by in comfort.

Food Scene

When Latvians gather around a table, they often share a plate of grey peas with bacon, hard little legumes softened by slow cooking and complemented by crispy pork. 

The sklandrausis, a carrot and potato tart nestled in a rye dough shell, tells the story of resourceful countryside cooking. And rupjmaize, the dense, dark rye bread that Latvians miss most when abroad, accompanies nearly every meal in the country.

The massive Riga Central Market houses vendors whose families have sold smoked fish and pirāgi (pillowy bacon-filled buns) for generations. The market's five pavilions, converted from old German Zeppelin hangars, fill with shoppers elbow-to-elbow selecting their daily provisions. When summer arrives, the Kalnciema Quarter's Saturday market draws food lovers to wooden stalls where farmers arrange just-picked berries and home-baked goods.

Along the windswept Kurzeme coast, fishermen still smoke their catch the way their grandfathers taught them, while in eastern Latgale, grandmothers prepare asuškas, delicate pastries filled with farmer's cheese that crumble at first bite.

Hidden Gems

At the mouth of the Daugava River stands the 17th-century Daugavgrīva Fortress, which few visitors ever discover. Swedish forces built this structure with star-shaped walls of stone that have witnessed centuries of soldiers, battles, and changing flags. Walking through these grounds, footsteps echo against walls that have stood through wars and times of peace.

During summer weekends from May through September, guides occasionally lead visitors through the grounds. Trees and grass grow between the old stones, creating a place where history and nature meet. The afternoon sun casts long shadows across the fortress walls, making it an ideal time for taking photographs.

Travelers can reach Daugavgrīva by:

-Catching bus #3 or #30 from central Riga to the "Daugavgrīva" stop

-From there, a 15-minute walk following posted signs leads to the fortress entrance

-Cycling along the coast for about 14 km (8.7 miles) from Old Town

Those with extra time might want to explore Mangaļsala beach nearby, where old Soviet military bunkers sit partially hidden in the landscape.

Scenic Routes

Latvia's landscapes tell stories written in forests, rivers, and coastlines. Five routes invite travelers to become part of these narratives:

• Riga to Sigulda: The train windows frame medieval castles and red sandstone cliffs along the Gauja River. In September and October, the trees turn red and gold. Locals call this area their "Switzerland," not for mountains, but for the rolling hills that surprise travelers expecting only flatlands.
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• Riga to Jurmala: Just 33 km (20 miles) of tracks separate the capital from white sand beaches lined with wooden houses painted blue, yellow, and green. The train fills with families carrying beach bags in the summer months. The sand feels warm underfoot from June through August.
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• Gulbene to Aluksne:  The narrow-gauge train sounds its whistle just as it did a century ago. May brings wildflowers along the tracks, while winter transforms the same journey into a passage through snow-covered pines. The small train windows fog up from passengers' breath in the cold.

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• Talsi to Kolka: The bus follows roads where two bodies of water meet at Cape Kolka. Waves from different directions crash together. Summer evenings stretch until nearly midnight here. Locals recommend stopping to pick wild blueberries along the way.

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• Kuldiga to Ventspils: The route begins near Ventas Rumba waterfall, wider than any other in Europe. By April, the winter melt sends water rushing over its edge. The bus windows frame the changing Kurzeme countryside before arriving at the harbor town where ships come and go.
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Events, Festivals and Local Markets

When December arrives in Riga, the Christmas Market fills Old Town with wooden stalls selling hand-carved ornaments and woolen mittens. Families walk between light-strung trees, warming their hands on cups of wine spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Children eye gingerbread cookies while craftspeople demonstrate traditional skills passed down through generations.

Every five years, Riga hosts the Song and Dance Festival, where 30,000 performers gather in a sea of regional costumes, some wearing century-old family heirlooms. Their voices rise together in folk songs that have survived occupations and hardships, telling Latvia's story through melodies that everyone in the audience seems to know by heart.

August brings the Riga City Festival to Riga, turning streets into stages. Musicians play on corners while food carts serve smoked fish and dark bread. Children chase soap bubbles through squares where artists chalk colorful designs. As evening falls, the sky above the Daugava River lights up with fireworks reflected in the water below.

Year-round, the Latgales Farmers Market in Daugavpils offers a window into eastern Latvia's rural life. Grandmothers sell honey collected from forest hives, while farmers arrange mushrooms they gathered at dawn. The air smells of smoked meats and fresh cheese, as conversations in multiple languages, Latvian, Russian, Polish, flow between tables laden with the season's harvest.

Best Places to Visit

1. Riga 

In Latvia's capital, history speaks through every street corner. The Old Town, recognized by UNESCO, tells stories of centuries past with its distinctive Art Nouveau buildings and the sound of footsteps echoing across cobblestones. Medieval structures stand beside contemporary cafés where locals chat over coffee.

Between May and September, the city opens up completely. The air warms, people fill outdoor seating areas, and daylight stretches into long evenings. Winter brings snow-covered rooftops and Christmas markets where steam rises from hot drinks as people shop.

Life in Riga moves through cultural rhythms. Opera notes float from the Latvian National Opera, artwork finds new audiences at the National Museum of Art, and weekends bring Kalnciema Quarter to life with locals selling handmade goods and traditional foods.

How to get to Riga

• -Direct flights to Riga International Airport from major European cities
• -Ferry connections from Stockholm and Helsinki
• -Bus services from neighboring Baltic countries and Poland

2. Daugavpils

Latvia's second-largest city tells a different story. Here, Russian and Polish influences color the local culture. At its heart stands a 19th-century fortress, the Baltics' largest, where history has been repurposed into museums and art spaces, including one dedicated to Mark Rothko, the famous artist born in these streets.

Summer months, June through August, bring warm days perfect for walking the fortress walls and spending afternoons along the Daugava River. In spring and fall, fewer visitors mean more space to explore, though you'll need an extra layer of clothing.

Music regularly fills the Cultural Centre, while the Rothko Art Centre presents changing exhibitions. In the theater, local stories come to life on stage. During summer evenings, Central Park becomes an outdoor concert venue where music plays as the sun sets.

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• How to get to Daugavpils
• -Train connections from Riga (3-4 hours)
• -Bus services from Riga and regional Latvian cities
• -Regional flights to Daugavpils Airport (limited service)
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Tips for Traveling to Latvia

VISA & ENTRY

• EU citizens: ID card only
• US/UK/Canada: No visa for stays up to 90 days
• Apply online for non-exempt countries

CULTURAL ETIQUETTE

• Greetings are formal; handshakes are common
• Maintain direct eye contact during conversations
• Remove your shoes when entering someone's home
• Bring a small gift when visiting locals

MONEY MATTERS

• Currency: Euro (€)
• Credit and debit cards are accepted in most urban businesses
• Keep some cash on hand for rural areas and small vendors
• Standard tipping is 10% in restaurants

HEALTH & SAFETY

• Emergency number: 112
• Get travel insurance that includes medical coverage
• Tap water is safe to drink throughout the country
• Crime rates are low, but be alert for pickpockets in crowded tourist areas

TRANSPORTATION

• Riga has an efficient public transportation network
• Intercity buses are reliable, affordable and connect most towns
• Use Bolt or Yandex apps for safe, metered taxis
• Rent a car if you plan to explore rural areas and countryside
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