Things to do in Latvia

25 things to do in Latvia

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Walk through Riga Old Town (Vecrīga)

  Stroll the cobblestone streets of Vecrīga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site packed with medieval churches, colorful merchant houses, and lively squares like Livu Laukums. The district's blend of Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance architecture makes every turn a photo opportunity.

  Riga

• Browse Riga Central Market

  Housed in five former Zeppelin hangars from the 1920s, Riga Central Market is one of Europe's largest markets. Wander pavilions selling smoked fish, cured meats, fresh berries, and Latvian bread, then grab a meal at the stalls outside.

  Riga

• Relax on Jūrmala Beach

  A 33-kilometre stretch of fine white sand along the Gulf of Riga, Jūrmala's beach is backed by pine forests and elegant wooden summer villas. In summer the water warms enough for swimming, and the dunes provide quiet spots away from the main promenade.

  Jūrmala

• Explore Turaida Museum Reserve

  This 13th-century red-brick castle perches above the Gauja River valley near Sigulda, surrounded by a sprawling open-air museum of wooden buildings and ancient burial grounds. Climb the tower for sweeping views and hear the legend of the Rose of Turaida.

  Sigulda

• Tour Rundāle Palace

  Latvia's grandest Baroque palace, designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli in the 1730s for the Duke of Courland, features gilded halls, a French formal garden, and a restored theatre. Often called the 'Versailles of the Baltics,' it rivals anything in Western Europe.

  Rundāle

• Walk the Great Ķemeri Bog Boardwalk

  A looping wooden boardwalk leads deep into Ķemeri National Park's vast raised bog, past dark mirror pools, moss hummocks, and stunted pines. Arrive at dawn when mist rises off the pools and birdsong fills the silence.

  Ķemeri

• See Venta Rapid in Kuldīga

  At 240 metres wide, the Venta Rapid is the broadest natural waterfall in Europe. In spring and autumn the water thunders over the sandstone ledge in the heart of Kuldīga, while salmon leap upstream through the shallows.

  Kuldīga

• Visit the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum

  Over 120 historic wooden buildings—farmsteads, windmills, churches, and fisherman's cottages—have been relocated to a forested lakeside park on the edge of Riga. Costumed craftspeople demonstrate weaving, pottery, and blacksmithing in summer.

  Riga

• Admire Art Nouveau Architecture on Alberta Iela

  Alberta Iela and neighbouring streets in Riga's Quiet Centre contain the world's densest concentration of Art Nouveau facades, many designed by Mikhail Eisenstein around 1900. Look for ornate faces, peacocks, and flowing botanical reliefs on nearly every building.

  Riga

• Hike the Trails of Gauja National Park

  Latvia's oldest and largest national park protects 90 kilometres of the Gauja River valley, with sandstone cliffs, ancient cave systems, and dense forests criss-crossed by marked hiking trails. Key stops include Gūtmaņa Cave and the Sietiņiezis cliff face.

  Sigulda region

• Tour the Karosta Prison in Liepāja

  This grim military prison operated from 1900 through the Soviet era and now serves as an interactive museum where visitors can experience a mock arrest, solitary confinement, and guided tours of cells still bearing graffiti from inmates.

  Liepāja

• Visit Cēsis Medieval Castle

  The ruined 13th-century Livonian Order castle in Cēsis lets you explore crumbling towers and vaulted halls by candlelight—guides hand you a lantern at the entrance. The adjacent manor park and new castle add extra layers of history.

  Cēsis

• See the Freedom Monument in Riga

  Rising 42 metres above the city centre, this 1935 copper and granite monument topped by a figure holding three stars symbolises Latvian independence. Locals lay flowers at its base daily, and it remains the emotional heart of the nation.

  Riga

• Taste Riga Black Balsam at a Traditional Bar

  This 260-year-old herbal liqueur made from 24 botanicals is served neat, with coffee, or in cocktails at bars throughout Riga's Old Town. Its bitter, complex flavour is an acquired taste—but trying it is a rite of passage for visitors to Latvia.

  Riga

• Discover Cape Kolka

  Where the Baltic Sea meets the Gulf of Riga, Cape Kolka is a wild, wind-blasted spit backed by the Slītere forest. Migrating birds funnel past by the thousands in spring and autumn, and the remains of a Soviet-era military radar station dot the dunes.

  Kolka

• Visit Aglona Basilica

  Latvia's most important Catholic pilgrimage site, this 18th-century Baroque basilica in eastern Latgale draws tens of thousands every August 15 for the Assumption of Mary. The white twin-spired church stands on a narrow isthmus between two lakes.

  Aglona

• Explore Daugavpils Fortress

  Built by Tsar Alexander I in the 1820s, this star-shaped fortress is the only one in the Baltics preserved almost entirely in its original form. Inside, the Mark Rothko Art Centre displays originals by the Daugavpils-born abstract painter.

  Daugavpils

• Explore the Līgatne Soviet Bunker

  Hidden 9 metres beneath a paper-mill village, this secret Cold War bunker was designed to shelter Communist Party leaders in case of nuclear war. Guided tours reveal propaganda posters, communication rooms, and a fully furnished conference hall frozen in the 1980s.

  Līgatne

• Climb Riga TV Tower for Panoramic Views

  At 368 metres, Riga's TV tower on Zaķusala island is the tallest structure in the Baltics. An observation deck at 97 metres offers 360-degree views over the Daugava River, the Old Town spires, and the forests beyond the city limits.

  Riga

• Visit the Latvian National Museum of Art

  Housed in a splendid 1905 Neo-Baroque building that reopened after a major renovation, this museum holds the country's largest collection of Latvian art from the 18th century to the present, plus a strong selection of Russian and Baltic German works.

  Riga

• Ride the Sigulda Bobsled Track

  One of the few bobsled tracks in Eastern Europe open to tourists, the Sigulda run sends visitors hurtling down the 1,200-metre ice channel at speeds up to 80 km/h in winter, or on wheeled bobsleds in summer. Professional pilots steer each run.

  Sigulda

• Hike in Slītere National Park

  Occupying the ancient Livonian coast on the Kolka peninsula, Slītere protects pristine dune ridges, primeval spruce forest, and coastal meadows rich in orchids. The old lighthouse offers views over the Baltic, and wild boar roam freely.

  Dundaga region

• Visit Ventspils Castle and Seaside Park

  The Livonian Order's 13th-century stone castle in Ventspils now houses a museum of local history, while the surrounding park features whimsical cow sculptures, a wide sandy beach, and a children's adventure playground loved by Latvian families.

  Ventspils

• Climb St. Peter's Church Tower in Riga

  The 123-metre Gothic spire of St. Peter's, rebuilt after a 1973 fire, has an elevator that whisks visitors to an open-air viewing platform. From here you can trace the Daugava River, spot the TV tower, and map the red-tiled roofs of the Old Town below.

  Riga

• Bar-hop through Riga's Old Town at Night

  After dark Vecrīga transforms: basement craft-beer bars, Soviet-themed cocktail lounges, and open-air terraces on every lane compete for attention. Start on Jāņa Sēta, follow the crowds to Mārstaļu Iela, and end at a late-night kebab stand on 13. Janvāra Iela.

  Riga