Latvia Holiday

The small Eastern European nation of Latvia has been hailed as the new destination for the discerning European traveller.

On the edge of the Baltic Sea and bordering Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus and Russia, Latvia is a small country that has retained its independent spirit and culture, despite centuries of invasion from all sides and decades of Soviet rule during the 20th century.

The republic enjoyed a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, but was annexed by the USSR in 1940.Latvia declared independence on August 21st 1991 and has enjoyed relative peace since then, with its economy flourishing and many tourists and holidaymakers discovering it as a lively and welcoming destination with plenty of decent hotels.

The capital city, Riga, is famous for its cafe culture and, with eight centuries of history, it is full of charming and impressive architecture. With just 800,000 residents, Riga is a relatively small capital and is delightful to walk around, with its cobble streets, old town squares and some of the best Art Nouveau buildings in the world.

St Peter's Church offers a picturesque view of the city from its spire, while the vast black stone Occupation Museum tells a darker tale of Latvia’s past, and the huge Central Market is worth a wander round. Riga also has numerous stylish bars and restaurants and some excellent nightclubs. Latvian food tends to be heavy and hearty, with nods to Russian cuisine.

The open air Ethnographic Museum near Riga is a collection of traditional farm dwellings, windmills, churches and other buildings set across 100 hectares of countryside. Visitors can see old crafts kept alive, enjoy a drink at the tavern, or simply wander around the working museum. The concentration camp at Salaspils tells the story of Riga’s Jewish population and the 100,000 people that died at the camp during World War II.

The Latvian countryside is beautiful and relatively unspoilt, with stunning river valleys, fairytale castles and forests. Medieval Sigulda offers a good base to explore the scenic Gauja valley and national park. Rundale Palace is southern Latvia is a138-room Baroque palace designed by the architect of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg.

Latvia has 531 km of coastline, with a number of excellent beach resorts, including Jurmala. Once the haunt of KGB generals, now houses casinos, seafood restaurants and nightclubs, against a pine forest backdrop. There are also a number of more active pursuits on offer in Latvia, including skiing, snowboarding and bobsledding in the winter months.

Many Latvians speak excellent English, making the country an easy holiday destination for travellers with only one language. The people tend to be very friendly and there is an energy and optimism that seems to have infected the country since it gained its independence.

A number of tour operators now offer trips to Latvia and flights to Riga are becoming increasingly cheap and available from most major UK airports. Now is a great time to visit, as the country is accessible, cheap and has not yet been overrun by Western European tourists. Dark and cold in winter, Baltic Latvia is bright and sunny during the summer months.