I spent another 5 days in Latvia. These are my experiences from the country and the capital Riga. I personally really liked this country. Here’s the story.
Basic informations
Latvia is the center of the Baltics. It has access to the Baltic sea. The capital city is Riga. Our hotel was near the center. The currency is €. It is really affordable. Train tickets were the cheapest of the Baltics. Official language is Latvian even tho almost everybody speaks Russian there.
About the trip
We had a lovely time in Latvia. It was the cheapest of the Baltics. We had a nice hotel near the center for a good price and the trains were also cheap. We arrived in the evening and we were surprised because the lights went of in the underground. That was a little scary, everybody just turned the lights on their phone and went on as nothing happened. The whole trip was very peaceful tho. Riga was a really put together city and good taken care of. Same as in Lithuania, the support to Ukraine was big here. A few times we had a problem with a language barrier as people didn’t really speak English there. I noticed that young people are raised there with good manners. The children tho, don’t blame me, I like puppies more, there were a lot of kids running everywhere and screaming a lot. But I suppose that’s what kids do.
We saw a lot of beautiful places in Riga and nearby surroundings. Here are some of my experiences and tips.
Jūrmala
Jūrmala is a city on the coast. It was our first destination. From Riga it is very easy to get there. We paid around 2€ for a ticket and we got there in 20 minutes. When we got there, we went to a beautiful park with a lookout tower with an amazing view. The park was full of lights that would be beautiful in the evening. There were also attractions for kids and for adults as well. Close to there was a small forest with a beach behind it. It was nice but a little windy so we headed into the city. There was a lovely pedestrian zone that brought me a little back in time and gave me a really good retro vibe. It was not a season so most of the shops and cafes were closed. Overall I really had a good feeling about Jūrmala and I really liked it.
Jelgava
Jelgava was a small city we decided to visit because of the atmosphere. The train tickets were also really cheap and we got there in 45 minutes. It was nice to visit it. There was an island in the city in a river Lielupe. There was a Jelgava Castle that was really pretty with a park around it. On the other side there was a park with a few restaurants and statues. There was also a park with statues made of sand, sadly closed. As well as a sandy beach. I can imagine the great atmosphere during the summer there.
Riga
In Riga there was actually a lot to see. I really liked the city. Most of the sights were close to the center. The Freedom Monument was one of the most famous sights. It was really high and breath taking. Near the monument was a lovely park with a lot of friendly and hungry birds. You could feed them from your hands. I felt like a Disney princess. Very close from there was a famous Cat House, that is basically just a building with a cat statue on the roof. Another famous building was the Three Brothers, those are 3 houses next to each other hidden in a small street. Riga was great for wandering the streets, they were beautiful with gorgeous buildings. The House of the Black Heads is also worth seeing. There are plenty of museums. The pedestrian zone is huge. There is a list of things to see and I put them all on the map.
Tip: If you go there in summer, you can enjoy all the attractions near the sea. In the winter tho, you can enjoy the snowy winter wonderland.
Public transport
Using the trains was very easy in Latvia and also very cheap. The train station was close to us. Nearby is also the bus station. You can buy tickets at the station or online. When we got into the first train, it kinda took me back in time with the old brown seats. I felt like I was in a retro movie but I liked the vibe. Other trains already had new seats but the trains looked older. When we got in, our tickets were controlled and we had a peaceful time. We were also using trams but finding the tickets wasn’t very easy. We couldn’t find them at any stops at first, then we found the automat underground. We were lucky cause we had control.
Shops and food
We liked the shopping centers, there were good and affordable shops. We were surprised about an ice rink in the middle of the shopping center with kids playing ice hockey, it was cute. The big problem we had was, they don’t have normal bread! I’m sorry for the Dutch and French people. We had to look for Lidl to find some baguettes. When we wanted to eat in McDonald’s we had to show our Covid certificates, that happened the first and only time. Overall the same as in Lithuania I was happy with their pastry that was mostly sweet. The thing I really liked was the Riga Market. It was huge. There were a few buildings selling food or clothes as well as an outside area. I have to say that the fruits looked delicious there.
Tip: If you are picky, look for Lidl. They have the same products as in the other countries.
I’m happy for my trip to Latvia. I really liked it and it was totally worth it. Latvia is a less known country with not so many tourists. I think it should be on your list as a traveler. It is a beautiful country with a gorgeous capital and lovely cities and beaches. It is also very cheap, which makes it even better.
