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Gauja National Park:
Gauja National Park located 32km north of Riga between Sigulda and Valmiera, is the country’s biggest national park. It covers huge area featuring caves, rocks and dense woods. The park was created to protect the river valley and its home to number of historic towns and buildings as well as wonderful landscape. Visitors to the area will have an experience of a lifetime in the natures lap. The area has all the beautiful and natural locales to relax. It’s an ideal location for walking, hiking, horse riding, canoeing, biking and boating. You name it and you can look forward to enjoy numerous outdoor activities and in winters one can go cross-country skiing and bobsleighing. |
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Beaches, Jurmala:
A beach holiday in Latvia - Yes, for those who thought that they would miss out on a beach holiday in Latvia this definitely comes as a surprise as the Beaches, in Jurmala provide with an excellent opportunity. It’s a lovely place along the coast, west of Riga city, and it’s a thirty kilometer long stretch of beaches. All along the beaches a number of resorts and hotels have come up offering with finest of facilities. Visitors can soak themselves in the sun baked beaches and catch up on tanning in these beautiful, un-spoilt beaches. Moreover it’s located away from the hustle bustle of the town. |
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Kuldiga:
Kuldiga is one of the oldest, best-preserved and picturesque towns in Latvia built on the banks of the Venta River in Kurzeme. It is believed that it stands on the site of an original Cour settlement dating from Viking times. It hosts a number of historical buildings including many churches and the remains of an ancient castle which was once the site of fierce Latvian tribal battles. The city is also known as for one of Europe's widest waterfalls with a span of about nine hundred feet. |
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Rundale Palace:
The Rundale Palace is one of the most outstanding monuments of Baroque and Rococo art in Latvia, built between 1736 and 1740 as a summer residence of the Duke of Courtland Ernst Johann Biron. It was designed and supervised by Russian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The palace contains some of the finest examples of Baroque and Rococo art in the country. The place leaves tourist awestruck. |
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Powder Tower:
The Powder Tower for the first time was mentioned by the name of the Sand Tower as it stood on the Sand Road that led to the town. At the beginning of the 14 century the tower was a main part of Sand Gate fortification system, consisting of 25 towers. From the 17th century the Powder Tower served as a gunpowder warehouse. So it gained the name "Pulvertornis" meaning Powder Tower in English. Today, it houses the Latvian War Museum. |
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Riga Castle :
Riga castle is intentionally located on the banks of the Daugava form where one can oversee all the ships, coming into the port. This was built in the year 1330 as a residence for the Livonian order governing body. Though, Riga Castle later served as the seat of the secular powers. Riga Castle was rebuilt at the end of the 18th century, and at the beginning of the 19th century the second floor was built. Also, in the 18th century, the square near the castle with the tower on each corner was constructed. The castle’s gate, interiors and furniture was designed by A.Cirulis. Now the President of Latvia has a residence in one of the castle's wings. |
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Freedom monument:
In central Riga, the Freedom Monument holds a very momentous site for Latvians. This strong symbol of the nation was built in 1935 with the help of citizen's donations. The monument was the work of an outstanding Latvian sculptor Karlis Zale. In the late 80s - early 90s the monument became a spiritual centre of the nation, a symbol of people's desire for independence. The monument is an image of Liberty holding three stars in stretched hands crowns the monument and symbolizes unity of the country. The three stars represent the three historic regions of Latvia: Kurzeme, Latgale and Vidzeme. |
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Three Brothers:
Located in the heart of the Old town, Three bothers is an architectural collection that bears unofficial name Tris Brali. It's a good example of the medieval Riga lodging buildings. The oldest house called the White Brother is the most medieval and dates back to the 15th century. It has typical characteristic of Latvian medieval architecture and is the only premise that survived originally from that time. The year of birth of the middle Yellow Brother is 1646 which is written on the facade. The Green Brother is the youngest. It was constructed in the middle of the 18th century. With the pediments facing the street these houses present the main principles of the medieval architectural manner. |
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Great and Small Guilds:
The Great and Small Guilds are eclectic style buildings which were the "family nests" of the two Riga families of tradesmen and merchants. The Great Guild joined together the merchants and jewelers, which was known in the Middle Ages as St. Mary's Guild. The building for Great Guild was constructed in the 50s of the 19th century. Up to 1939 it played host to private organization of Riga German community. In 1963, after fire, it was rebuilt for concert needs and today the Great Guild hosts the Latvian Philharmonic Society.
The Small Guild's owner was a closed fellowship of craftsmen that had been formed in the 18th century and in the middle of the last century unified representatives of more than 400 professions. Craftsmen did not have such an important influence on city's activities as merchants did. So their guild was called the Small Guild, just opposite to the Merchants' Guild. Now the Small Guild also serves cultural and entertainment needs. Artistic parties and concerts are held there. |
