Latvia is a European country - well-groomed fields and farms, chic roads, the Gulf of Riga and sandy beaches, lakes and reserves, parks and ancient castles, campsites and modern hotels, huge supermarkets and shopping centers, expensive foreign cars. There are flower beds, restaurants and cozy cafes everywhere.
In Riga, on Dome Square is the famous Dome Cathedral, built at the beginning of the XIII century. Divine services and concerts of organ music are regularly held here. Tourists have the opportunity to see unique woodcarving, creations of stone cutters, many other works of art. The old city is filled with history to the brim. There are many architectural monuments here: the Swedish Gate, Freedom Monuments and the Powder Tower, from which the cores preserved from enemy shelling still stick out, the Church of St. Petra. A wonderful panorama of Riga opens from the observation deck of the church. Immediately there is the Orthodox Christmas Cathedral, the Reformed Church, where divine services are held every Sunday, and St. John, consecrated as the Church of St. John the Baptist. The Riga Castle, once owned by the Livonian Order, houses the residence of the current President of Latvia. There are many museums in Riga: decorative and applied arts, History of Riga and navigation, photography, pharmaceuticals, automobile museum and open-air Ethnographic Museum. The automotive (or Motor Museum) has an interesting collection of cars assembled in different years at the most famous factories in the world. Almost the entire history of the automotive industry is presented here. The Ethnographic Museum exhibits an exposition of 90 traditional buildings in Latvia: churches, farms, mills, fishing houses.
A chain of small villages stretches from Riga itself along the coast - this is Jurmala. Rest here for every taste and budget. Hotels, boarding houses, wooden houses, modern cottages - everything is immersed in greenery and flowers. The air in Jurmala is healing. After all, the city is built right in a coniferous forest. And there's a sea nearby. And in the evenings concerts in the Dzintari concert hall, or dancing until the morning in a disco or fun in a night bar. You won't get bored in Jurmala.
In the small resort town of Sigulda there is the Turaida Castle, built in the XIII century. Related to him is a sad legend about a beautiful girl Rosa, who preferred death to shame - the harassment of the local feudal lord. But let's go back to the castle. The observation tower offers stunning views of the valley, where the picturesque Gauja River flows. The shores overgrown with forest, caves, ruins of the Middle Ages give this place an atmosphere of mystery.
In the resorts of Baldone and Liepaja, as in all Latvian resorts, both the climate is mild and the air is pine. Plus mud treatments and balneological procedures. Plus wonderful parks, beaches. In general, everything vacationers need.
There are many historical cities in Latvia. Cesis preserved the ruins of the ancient Livonian castle, Kuldiga mixed different styles in its architecture - Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic. The Ducal Palace - a landmark of Bauska - was built by Rastrelli himself and belonged to the Courland Duke Ernst Johann Biron. But Latgale is known all over the world for the fact that 10 years ago the Pope himself served mass in the Aglona Basilica.
Latvians like to eat. Here you have a fried pork leg, peas with bacon, fried sausages, sausages with beer, and wonderful fermented milk products. To get acquainted with all the national menu, it is better to go to any Riga restaurant or cafe and taste everything a little bit.
Capital: Riga.
Time: Coincides with Belarusian.
Geography: A state in northeastern Europe. It borders Estonia in the north, Russia in the east, Belarus and Lithuania in the south. In the west, it is washed by the Baltic Sea. The area of Latvia is about 64,500 km2.
Climate: The climate is transitional from marine to continental. Summer in Latvia is warm, spring and autumn are quite mild. The winter, which lasts from November to March, can be very cold.
Population: The population (estimated for 1998) is 2385,400 people, in the largest cities: Riga (924,000 people), Daugavpils (127279 people), Liepaja (113815 people). Ethnic groups: Latvians (letts) - 51.8%, Russians - 33.8%, Belarusians - 4.5%, Ukrainians - 3.4%, Poles - 2.3%. Life expectancy (as of 1998): 63 years for men, 75 years for women. The birth rate (per 1000 people) is 8.1. The mortality rate (per 1000 people) is 15.8.
Language: The official language of the state is Latvian. It belongs to the Indo-European languages, the Baltic group. Russian, English and German are widely used.
Religion: Evangelical Lutherans, Orthodox.
Currency: The new Latvian currency - Lat (1 lats = 100 centimes) - was introduced in October 1993. There are coins of 1,2,5,10,20,50 centimes and 1 and 2 lats, paper banknotes of 5,10,20,50,100 and 500 lats. Parex Bank, Land Bank, Riga Commercial Bank, Hansa Bank and other banks accept credit cards Eurocard, Mastercard, Visa, JCB, Diner's Club, American Express, Eurocheque and traveler's checks. Check with each credit card company information about their commercial acceptability and other available services.
Currency exchange: A large number of currency exchange offices are located in hotels, shops, post offices, railway stations, other independent institutions. Most banks are open from Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 16.00, some of them are open on Saturdays from 9.00 to 12.30.
Customs rules: When entering Latvia duty-free import: goods and other products for non-commercial purposes in the amount of 300 lats; personal belongings (clothes, toiletries) are excluded from this amount; food (except for products requiring heat treatment) in the amount of 15 lats; alcoholic beverages (for persons over 18 years of age) in the amount of 1 liter or 1 unit of original packaging, but not more than 3 liters; 200 cigarettes, or 20 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco (for persons over 18 years of age); import of currency is not limited. The removal of furs and hunting trophies requires a permit issued by the State Department of Forestry. Permission from the State Administration for the Protection of Cultural Monuments for the export of cultural and art objects is also required.
Electricity: Mains voltage - 220 V, 50 Hz. European-type two-pin plugs are used.
Communication: The international code of Latvia is 371. Phone calls through the operator: outside Latvia - 115, in Latvia - 116. In Lattelecom payphones, communication is carried out with the help of special phone cards, worth 2.5 and 10 lats. Cards can be purchased at kiosks, post offices and some stores. International telephone conversations can be carried out directly from the hotel, automatic phones on the street or from telegraph offices. The following tariffs per minute apply for phone calls: local (2 centimes), Latvia (6.5 centimes), the Baltic (23 centimes), Belarus and Russia (55 centimes), Scandinavian countries (60 centimes), Europe (93 centimes), North America and Israel (1.70 lats).
Shops: Amber is a good purchase in all three Baltic countries. Other purchases are folk art, wicker and ceramic products. On weekdays, shops are open from 10.00 to 19.00, and on Saturdays - from 10.00 to 16.00. Grocery stores and department stores are usually open from 8.00 to 19.00. Riga also has a sufficient number of grocery stores that work around the clock.
Accommodation: Latvia offers a wide range of accommodation options: from five-star hotels to campsites and youth hostels.
Tips: In restaurants, the percentage of service is usually already included in the bill. Otherwise, the waiter can leave 5-10% "for tea." It is also customary to tip taxi drivers and hotel employees.