Latvia has plenty of sights and attractions to offer its visitor. Riga is a mixture of medieval history, Art Nouveau gems and modern city life.

 

The seaside is a popular site for recreation and water sports for both Latvians and foreign guests. Sandy beaches and sand dunes form the 497 kilometres coastal zone.

And not to forget the green forests and meadows in the Latvian countryside, which is a true paradise for nature lovers.

 

Latvia – the unique mosaic in New Europe!

 

Rīga

In 1201 the metropolis of the Baltics where grounded by the Germans, and later became an important part of the Hanseatic League.

 

In the 21st century, Rīga is a modern city of 800,000 inhabitants at the bank of the river Daugava.

 

Art Nouveau  

The elegant metropolis is famous for being the premier Art Nouveau city in Europe.

Art Nouveau, also known as Jugendstil or Modern Style, was a movement in middle Europe between 1890’s and 1910 that whished to combine architecture and decorative arts by using quality handicrafts and materials.

 

One third of Riga centre’s buildings are from the Art Nouveau period, which was an objection to the many imitations of the historicism that characterised the European style at that time.

The Latvian Art Nouveau used many elements from the Latvian folklore, flora and fauna.

Take a stroll and look up at the beautiful houses of Riga…

 

Old Riga  

This part of the city is a string of historical buildings, architectonic gems and cosy cobble stoned streets. Walking in Vecriga, Old Riga, you cannot avoid looking up at the many decorative house fronts.

Here are churches, cathedrals, old dwelling houses, remains of an old city wall, a castle and 13-15th century houses with exciting stories to tell.

 

The Central Market  

Five food pavilions in old Zeppelin hangars and outdoor stalls are the settings for one of Europe’s oldest and largest markets.

The Central Market is buzzing with life and you can buy almost anything from clothes, flowers and food to household equipments.

 

Wooden Riga  

Up till the end of the 19th century a rule in Riga prohibited the construction of buildings in non-wooden material. That is the reason why about 20% of all houses in Riga are made of wood.

Especially the island Kipsala, situated on the opposite side of Daugava from Riga Old Town, has fascinating wooden architecture and a unique atmosphere.

 

Riga New City 

Riga is more than Art Nouveau and Old Town. It is an elegant city with trendy restaurants, bars and lounges, cabaret and event venues, teahouses and cafes.

On nearly every street corner is a hairdresser or a beauty parlour pampering the many visitors.

New and modern buildings accommodate hotels, apartments and the offices for the growing Baltic business.

 

Jurmala  

The largest seaside resort in the Baltic States, Jurmala, is only 20 km from Riga.

Since the 19th century is has been a popular recreation resort with numerous fantasy-like wooden houses, spa and beauty temples and luxury hotels.

From May to September the beach are buzzing with activities like beach volleyball, soccer, sailing and all kinds of water sports.

 

The Latvian regions 

Latvia is divided in the four regions Kurzeme, Latgale, Vidzeme and Zemgale. In each region numerous historical, cultural and nature experiences is waiting to be discovered.

The country has a large number of castles and manor houses of which several is open for visitors.

 

For the active visitor Latvia offers outdoor and extreme activities like rafting, bobsleigh riding, skiing in winter, kite surfing in summer and much more.

 

The Latvian nature comprises both white, sandy beaches, rivers ideal for fishing and canoeing, hills for skiing and forests and meadows for discovering the beautiful wildlife.

 

Con-ex Tours in Latvia

Con-ex offers sightseeing tours in Latvia - see some of the descriptions below!

 

Sigulda Tour

Sigulda is located 50 km from Riga in the Gauja River valley. Latvians often refer to it as the Latvian Switzerland due to the beautiful nature surrounding the town. It is a very popular leisure destination for in both winter and summer with downhill skiing, bobsleigh track, nature trails and the Gauja National Park. The area is a wealth of historical sites from different historical periods. The tour takes the participants to the ruins of the 13^th century Crusader Castle, the 19th century Kropotkin’s Palace in the outskirts of Sigulda, along the river valley and a walk to the sandstone caves on the ancient riverbank. From the 13th century Turaida Castle there is a chance to view the “Garden of Gods” from the 30m fortification tower, visit the local history museum and enjoy the sculpture park dedicated to the Latvian folklore.

 

Rundale Palace

66 km south of Riga, close to the town of Bauska, there is the unique Baroque Rundale Palace. On the way to Rundale, the tour stops to visit the ruins of Bauska Castle from the 15-18th century. Rundale Palace is an outstanding example of the early work of Italian-Russian architect Francesco Bartomoleo Rastrelli, who also designed the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. The tour includes a visit in the palace decorated with authentic 18th century furniture, paintings and china. The most impressive rooms are the Golden Hall, the White Hall and bedroom of Duke of Courland Joahan Ernst Biron. Outside is a beautiful French-style park.

 

Cesis Tour

A full day tour to the heart of Vidzeme – to Cesis, the beautiful Hanseatic town located 90 km from Riga. Before arriving in Cesis, the tours stop at the site of the Castle on the Araisi Lake dating back to the 9th century. In Cesis the tour goes through the narrow streets and participants feel the atmosphere of the small town. Passing the 13th century Order of Knight’s Castle and the Gothic tower of the 13th century Church of St. John. A visit to the local History museum displayed in the New Palace and a walk in the Palace Park before driving to the Gauja River banks to see the highest sandstone cliffs in Latvia.

 

Kuldiga

A charming little town from the 17-18th century particularly loved by painter and poets. The town comprises traditional wooden buildings making up narrow streets with numerous workshops and small shops. The town is famous for the widest waterfall in Europe, over which the salmon can be seen leaping in spring. The Duke Jacob of Kurzeme was born in Kuldiga and both baptised and married in St. Catherine’s Church. Kuldiga hosts many festivals of which the most popular and amusing is the annual Aleksupites river race – since the river is shallow here the participants have to run the course of the river instead of swimming.

 

Ventspils

The city Ventspils is situated 189 km from Riga and is best known as an industrial port for the oil industry. Furthermore, it is regarded as the best maintained city in Latvia with plenty of attractions like the restored 13th century Livonian Order Castle, which houses the city museum. Behind the castle is a promenade perfect for watching ships passing by or take the boat Hercogs Jekabs, which runs tours along the river Venta during summer. The Open Air Ethnographic Museum displays old fishing boats, tools and houses and a little narrow-gauge steam train offers a ride.

 

Liepaja

210 km from Riga is the third largest city in Latvia – Liepaja – a city with a fascinating history, white sandy beaches and a reputation of being youthful and full of a creative spirit. Every year, numerous musical and cultural events take place in Liepaja – the city that claims to be the Latvian music capital. Some of the significant sights in Liepaja are the oldest Latvian theatre, the organ of the Holy Trinity Church with the largest manual organ in the world, the contrasting architectural styles in the city and the original wooden buildings. Karosta is a town in the town – massive naval fortification system built 1894-1908, which later during Soviet times became a closed area because of the military base located in the area. Here visitors discover St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, the Naval Officers Meeting House, the Northern Forts with underground labyrinths and the former military prison with its interactive historical performance “Behind the Bars”.

Liepaja is also the place for extreme sports like wind surfing, offroad driving, power kiting, rallying and parachuting.