Visitors to Latvia sometimes find it difficult to understand their nickname "Baltic Switzerland". Indeed, one tenth of the country is below sea level, sometimes as high as -50 m, and the relief is the flattest in the world. Moreover, Latvia is far from being as boring as the image some people sometimes want to give it. Here are the best places for tourists in Riga Latvia sightseeing:
Historic center of Riga
Riga, formed in 1201 by the Bishop of Livonia, Albert de Buxhövden, was a great center of the Hanseatic League which prospered through trade with Central and Eastern Europe in the 13th-15th centuries. The urban fabric of its medieval center reflects this prosperity, although most of its oldest buildings have been destroyed by fire and war. Riga Latvia tourist information can be accumulated from Baltic transfers.
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THE RESORT TOWN OF JURMALA
The seaside resort of Jurmala is actually a string of small seaside resorts along 40 kilometers of coastline along the Gulf of Riga. With its 32 kilometers of splendid white sand beaches, its air full of sea salt and pine fragrances, Jurmala is the star resort of the Riviera.
Sigulda
The picturesque town of Sigulda, on the banks of the Gauja, is a tourist center of rest and winter sports. For skiing enthusiasts, go to the "Suisse de Vidzeme" where ski slopes and stepping stones are laid out in winter. History lovers will appreciate a visit to the castle of Sigulda and to the castle of Turaida: a must visit!
BAUSKA
Bauska, one of the oldest towns in Latvia, is in historical Courtland. It is of great tourist interest and contains many sites to visit: - The ruins of the castle of Bauska (built between 1443 and 1456), on the upper bank of the Musa. The particularity of this castle, with very thick walls (2 to 4 meters), is that it was one of the rare fortresses built.
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KULDIGA
Kuldiga, the western city of Latvia, is one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Latvia. It is also known for housing one of the deepest waterfalls in Europe, the Ventas Rumba, which reaches 249 meters deep. This natural waterfall has long been associated with many historical events and legends.
DUNDAGA
South of Cape Kolka, south-west of Latvia, the village of Dundaga is surrounded by a superb green companion wedged between three small lakes. Dundaga saw the birth of the story "Crocodile Dundee", drawn from the exploits of ArvidsBlumentals, a fellow expatriate in Australia during the Second World War.
MAZSALACA
Truly a paradise for superstitious, the small town of Mazscalaca is known for its many famous sites of Latvian folklore. The most impressive sites are certainly the staircase of dreams, which would have the power to reveal to lovers if they are really compatible, the source of the Grotto of the Devil which, according to current legends, possesses healing properties or even the famous Pine of the Loup-Garou to which the inhabitants of the region attribute the faculty of transforming whoever crawls on its roots the nights of full moon, in werewolf!
THE BASILICA OF AGLONA
The Bailic of Aglona was built as a pilgrimage site and the main Catholic Church in Latvia. It was built in 1699. The building was originally a simple wooden church that adjoined a monastery. An enormous court was indexed to him on the occasion of the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1993. The basilica, in Baroque style, has two large towers with impressive dimensions.
