Top 20 sights in Latvia: what to see in the heart of the Baltics

Rundale Palace and Museum

Rundale Palace, also called the Baltic Versailles, gives you a glimpse into the luxury of times past. The architect of the recently restored Baroque and Rococo masterpiece is the famous Francesco Rastrelli.

The Rundale Palace comprises 138 rooms on two floors, but unfortunately the interior has not been preserved - the decoration was not spared by the devastation and war. Therefore, the exhibits presented in the palace museum were purchased and brought from other museums.

Restoration work was carried out by the best specialists from Latvia and Russia. According to sketches and historical records, the decoration was restored - room finishes, wallpaper, chandeliers, furniture and utensils were reproduced. Now the castle, saved at the cost of painstaking labor, welcomes numerous visitors.

Riga Dome Cathedral

Riga Dome Cathedral is the cathedral of Riga, the capital of Latvia, its symbol and one of its main attractions.

The cathedral is the largest medieval temple in the Baltic States. The name of the cathedral comes from the Latin saying "Domus Dei" - "House of God". Nowadays it is the main church building of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia.

The Domus Cathedral, along with St. Peter's Church and St. James Cathedral, is the dominant building of Old Riga and an urban planning element of the Old Town.

Riga's Town Hall Square

Town Hall Square is the heart of the Old Town and the place where you usually start to get to know Riga. In the 13th century, it was home to a large market where merchants brought their goods, which is why the square was called Market Square. Soon its territory was expanded and gradually built up, and in the XIV century the Town Hall appeared here.

The square is also home to other landmarks of Riga - the House of Blackheads, the Museum of Occupation and the monument to the knight Roland. During the holiday season, this place becomes the epicenter of fun and folk festivities. All kinds of fairs, concerts and performances take place here.

Kuldiga

Those who like to walk around ancient towns should go to Kuldiga in the western part of Latvia. This city attracts with its unusual architecture, here is one of the first churches in the country - St. Catherine's, 1252 and an ancient town square of XVII century.

Another attraction of Kuldiga is the waterfall on the Venta River. Although the waterfall is not high (about two meters), but it is wide enough over 100 meters. And it is located near the city, so it is easy to get to it.

The city of Jurmala

The shores of Latvia are washed by the Baltic Sea, and here are concentrated several beautiful, infrared developed sea resorts. The largest among them is the resort city of Jurmala - a real pearl of Latvia on the coast of the Gulf of Riga.

The first resort villages of Jurmala began to form here in the 18th century, and already in the 19th century most of the city's districts acquired the status of resorts. For more than two centuries Jurmala remains a place for a great sea vacation.

The list of attractions in Latvia in Jurmala includes more than 400 buildings of different orientation. A characteristic architectural feature of the buildings are facades abundantly decorated with lace wood carvings. The choice of attractions is wide, and the list can be added to endlessly, but the main tourist magnet here, of course, is the sea.

Gauja National Park

A great alternative to a summer vacation by the sea is a mini-vacation in the Gauja Park, because it is worth allocating a few days to visit it.

The nature park impresses with its variety of views: there are cliffs, springs, caves and unique natural and cultural attractions. There are also plenty of recreational options in the park: you can try old-fashioned crafts while walking along the trails. You can explore the views along the River Gauja and see wild animals, and ride the cable car from Sigulda to Krimulda.

Latvian National Museum of Art

The Latvian National Museum of Art is the oldest museum in Riga, founded back in 1869. At that time the art gallery was housed in the building of the city gymnasium, but in 1872 it merged with the Riga German Society for the Encouragement of Arts and in 1905 a building was built for the museum, where the museum is still located.

The exposition of the Latvian National Museum of Art is represented by 2 themes: Baltic art of the 18th-19th centuries, Latvian art of the 19th-20th centuries.

Turaida Castle

Just 50 kilometers from the Latvian capital there is a beautiful provincial town - Sigulda. Its visiting card is an honorable Latvian landmark - Turaida Castle of the 13th century. Once upon a time in the Middle Ages it was the bishop's residence, was the seat of the Livonian Order and even housed a garrison of Swedish soldiers.

Today the castle retains the imprint of antiquity, so the castle nowadays has acquired the status of a museum complex, and a museum-reserve has been created on its territories.

House of Chernogolovs

Being an architectural monument of the first third of the 14th century, the House of Blackheads, located in the capital of Latvia, was originally a meeting place for various public organizations in Riga. In the 17th century, its main owners were members of the association of foreign merchants, whose patron saint at that time was St. Mauritius. The saint was symbolized by a black head, which was depicted on the brotherhood's coat of arms and earned it the name of the Brotherhood of Blackheads.

Mitova Palace

On a flat island between the Lielupi River and its tributaries, the Mitov Palace - the most important historical monument of Latvia - was built in 1738 according to the project of architect Rastrelli. The construction was initiated by Duke Biron of Courland.

Today, the Mitova Palace is the largest baroque palace in the Baltic States. The palace was built in several stages and lasted several decades.

Bauska Castle

Bauska is a city in central Latvia, in the Zemgale region. Founded back in the 15th century by German knights, today Bauska is rich in historical monuments and preserves the events of centuries-old history. For example, confirmation of this is the Bauska Castle, built at the confluence of the Musa and Memsele rivers for the knights of the Livonian Order.

Now there is a museum here. The castle complex includes the ducal palace, which houses the exposition, as well as the ruins of the Livonian Order castle with an observation tower. The court life of the Middle Ages, holidays and everyday life, outfits, habits, basics - all the past is reflected in Bauska Castle very clearly and realistically.

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Aglona Basilica

Aglons Basilica is an important center of Catholicism in Latvia.

The church was built in the late Baroque style. The basilica building is crowned by two towers about 60 meters high. The interior is decorated with a cross vault, arches, columns, which are richly decorated with rococo decorative elements. The church furnishings date back to the XVIII century, the aisles were installed in the early XIX century.

Kemeri National Park

Not far from the resort Jurmala, which we have already described above, is the Kemeri National Park. The area of the park is colossal - more than 38 thousand hectares, and these territories are occupied by forests and swamps, under which one of the soil layers is formed hydrogen sulfide mineral water.

This attraction of Latvia is famous for its very rich vegetation and fauna - for example, there are about 900 ferns, more than 2200 species of mosses, one and a half hundred lichens, more than 500 species of mushrooms. A quarter of the plants growing in the park are included in the Red Book of Latvia.

Nowadays, the park is especially popular for walks along specially laid trails and eco-tourism.

City of Cesis

Cesis is a city that is a quirky mix of hipster culture and centuries-old history.

Here you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the ancient city and medieval life, visiting the ruins of the castle, relaxing in one of the cozy cafes and attending a variety of events from the world of art and culture.

City of Liepaja

Liepaja, known as "the city where the wind is born", is a port settlement with unconventional sights and a beautiful sea. From architectural Art Nouveau style and historic churches to Karosta harbor, an aggressive military district from the Soviet times, Liepaja will leave no one indifferent.

Cat House

There is another interesting monument in the capital of Latvia - Kishkin House, which is steeped in legend. The building was built in 1910 at the expense of a rich merchant. The cats were placed on it in such a way that they were returned with their backs to the Guild building, which flatly refused to accept the poor thing into its ranks. Because of this arrangement, a scandal arose and the merchant had to turn the cats in a different, more diplomatic direction. To this day, tourists can see them on the unique architectural object.

Ethnographic open-air museum

One of the largest European museums is located in Latvia, just half an hour's drive from its capital.

Here on a vast territory of 90 hectares are collected ancient buildings of the past centuries (17th - 20th centuries) - houses, outbuildings, temples, mills and even entire households with many household items typical of that era - there are 118 buildings.

All these buildings were dismantled and carefully taken from all Latvian regions and then built again on the territory of the museum.

Botanical Garden of Riga

The Botanical Garden of the University of Latvia is blooming and green all year round - gardening enthusiasts interested in botany and those who want to spend time in a good environment learning new things will find something interesting there.

The collection of the botanical garden is extensive and carefully thought out - there are about 6000 different plants in the greenhouse and outdoor collections.

Daugavpils Fortress

Historical and architectural sights play an important role in shaping the portrait of the country, the presentation of which in Latvia will not do without an ancient historical monument in the city of Daugavpils, the last fort of the bastion type in Europe.

The fortress, located on the territory of 150 hectares on both sides of the river Daugava, in its structure resembles the planning of a military town. Some of the buildings are decorated in the Empire style, while the rest of the structures are decorated in the Gothic style.

Today, the fortress premises house a modern art center with works by many Latvian and foreign artists.

Karosta Prison Museum

In the Latvian city of Liepaja, which we have already mentioned above, there is an unusual historical museum of interest to many tourists. This is Karosta Prison or brig, which was erected in 1900 and served as a hospital.

This object is unique in that it is the only prison in Europe open for excursion visits. The place is known for horrifying and sometimes bloody events.