Latvia
I went to Rīga the capital of Latvia for a few days in December 2019. First time for me visiting the baltics and it was splended. The culture, the architecture, the people – just fantastic.
December in Rīga means going on to lovely christmas markets, snowy weather and sun never beeing very high. Take a train to the beach of Jūrmala and walk trough the snow. Get you some “Karstvīns” (mulled wine) and enjoy the view over the snow white beach. Listen to the rough Baltic Sea with it’s waves and breathe deeply.
The architecture of Rīga is a mixture of old classical buildings in style of Art Nouveau and large buildings of Constructivist Architecture from the soviet era. The historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mostly famous is the building oft the “Brotherhood of Blackheads”.
As explained earlier a trip to Jūrmala is a wonderful day excursion. You can get there by train easily an cheap. It’s a half hour train ride from Rīga main station and there are trains departing between every twenty to thirty minutes.
You’d like to know something about the history of the latvian craftsmanship od settlement history? – so visit the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia on the outskirts of Rīga near Jugla Lake. You can get there by bus from the city center in half an hour. It’s one of the largest Open-Air museums in Europe.
The latvian food is very substantial. If you’re a friend of meat it’s perfect for you. The latvian cuisine offers you a variety of classics. But if you’d like to have some fish or venison you’ll find something as well. Also Sauerkraut and russian food is very popular. I always went to the christmas markets to get some sausages with sauerkraut, accompanied by some “Karstvīns” (mulled wine) or a traditional latvian beer.
And if you’re in Rīga once, don’t miss the central market. It is located near the central station an offers you the freshest food you would find in town. One of the oldest markets in Europe and it is still not a touristic site. The market is mostly visited by locals doing their grocery shopping.
I love Rīga, it’s one of the most beautiful cities in Eastern Europe. If you’re going to a trip to Latvia – enjoy it!!!
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