Latvia
A great place for a short break
Astra (one of our leisure travel consultants) recently went on a trip to find out more about historic Riga, the capital of Latvia, a country she had never visited. The following is a summary of her report:
"I can warmly recommend a short break in Riga. My journey to Riga International Airport from London on Air Baltic was comfortable and uneventful. I was surprised at just how quickly I was able to claim my bags! No sooner had I reached arrivals then my bags appeared.
As we made our way into the centre of Riga (approx 15 minutes by car) I was immediately taken by the beautiful architecture, a mix of Art Nouveau and colourful 15th century designs. Crossing The River Daugava we passed the magnificent Riga Castle, residence of the first lady president Vaira Vike-Freiberga.
We arrived at our hotel in no time. The Hotel Europa Royale is a new luxury hotel housed in a restored 19th Century Mansion, once home to the writers’ guild and very centrally located across from Vermanes Garden.
Starting from these Gardens, one of Riga’s oldest parks and a wonderful place for relaxation and the arts, we embarked the following morning upon a guided city walk.
The garden plays homage to Kr. Barons a compiler of Latvian folk songs who also appears on the 100 Lat note. Did you know that there are around 2 million national folk songs? That’s approximately 1 song per Latvian!
Also located in these famous gardens is The Latvian National Opera Theatre, which stages a wealth of classical and modern productions.
In the heart of the park we found the Freedom Monument (Brivibas Iela) designed by famous Latvian architect Karlis Zale. Fondly nicknamed Milda, a female bronze casting holds up 3 golden stars which symbolise 3 Latvian regions; Latgale, Kurzeme and Victzeme. The friezes around the base depict Latvians singing, working and fighting for their freedom. A popular activity for locals is to place fresh flowers at the base to commemorate the mass deportation of Latvians to Siberia under oppressive Soviet rule in 1949. Guards of honour stand at the base from 09.00 to 20.00.
From Vermanes Garden we were guided towards Riga Old Town, which has been included on the UNESCO world heritage list as one of the world’s largest and best preserved areas of Art Nouveau buildings. It is a city with architecture that reflects the country’s turbulent history from 1201 to present day.
Riga Old Town is also host to many clubs, restaurants and bars with much to offer those looking for a base to explore the individual boutiques and quaint market square, located adjacent to The Three Brothers.
Some of the must see sights to include in an Old Town tours are:
- Three Brothers – These are the best example of medieval residential buildings, the oldest of which was constructed in the 15th Century.
- House of Black Heads – First documented in 1334 and occupied by The Black Heads Merchant Guild. The Black Heads were an organisation of unmarried foreign merchants. This beautiful Gothic building was totally destroyed in WWII and later rebuilt as an exact replica. Every historic and listed building, once it decays beyond repair, must be rebuilt to exact original specifications, to preserve Latvia’s heritage.
- Dome Cathedral – Is the largest Cathedral in the Baltic States. Founded at the beginning of the 13th Century under Bishop Albert, this vast Cathedral has become an icon of Old Town Riga. In past centuries it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, and therefore plays host to a variety of architectural styles.
As if all this wasn’t enough to whet our sightseeing appetites, we went onto Riga’s Lido Recreation Centre for lunch. A quirky log
cabin, equipped with its very own windmill. The Lido offers a full variety of food and live entertainment. Lunch was served in a delicious array of Latvian cuisine; stuffed tomatoes, marinated wild mushrooms and an abundance of smoked meat and fish. Whilst the inside was delightfully seasonal there was plenty to catch your eye and put you in the Christmas mood with an outdoor skating rink a huge Christmas tree and several Christmas displays.
From the Lido we continued with credit cards burning holes in our pockets to The Bergs Bazaar. Kristaps Bergs originally created this shopping and residential enclave between 1887-1900 and has since undergone a radical face-lift, celebrating its original splendour whilst incorporating modern state-of-the-art facilities.
My favourite shop was Emila Gustava Sokolade, a chocolatiers where I sinfully indulged in a gloriously rich hot chocolate, which in my opinion far exceeds the chocolatiers in Belgium.
Also located in The Bergs Bazaar is The Hotel Bergs, which made it onto the 2005 Tatler’s guide as one of the top ten luxury boutique hotels in the world.
We finished off our day with a meal at The Reval Hotel Latvia followed by cocktails at the Skyline bar. On the 26th Floor of the hotel The Skyline Bar provides an excellent position from which to admire Riga’s sights.
The morning of Day two saw us take a visit to Rundale Palace (Rundales Pils), a former summer residence of The Duke of Courland, Ernst Johann Biron. Approximately 1 hour outside of Riga this beautiful palace is one of Latvia’s most popular historic tourist attractions and is home to Latvia’s largest Collection of Baroque and Rococo Art.
From there we moved on to The Mezotne Palace Hotel for lunch where we enjoyed a delightful 3-course meal. The Mezotne Palace Hotel is set in the Latvian countryside on the banks of The River Lielupe. The landscape rather reflects that of a country manor in rural England. I believe that The Mezotne Hotel would make a great escape from Riga as part of a multi centre trip in Latvia.
The last part of the day saw us make our way through to Jurmala approximately 20 minutes drive from the Capital Riga.
Since the 19th Century, Jurmala has been a playground for large numbers of tourists due to its location on the Baltic Sea and miles of white sand. It has also been closely linked with health and well-being and as a result boasts a large number of luxury spas
I was struck again by the Latvian architecture. To me the little wooden houses and hotels all painted in different pastel colours very much reminded me of a toy town. This theme carried through to the main pedestrian street where I found an abundance of café bars, bistros and shops. I am sure in the summer months these provide a pleasant evening after a full day on the beach.
On day three, I decided to treat myself with a little something at The Jurmala Spa hotel. My first impressions of the Spa were great modern décor, relaxed atmosphere with intimate surroundings. I have to be honest that the massage itself was fairly rough and not as relaxing as I had hoped but I am sure that someone more experienced would have found the treatment exhilarating!
The rest of the morning I spent browsing through the shops and indulging in fabulous cups of hot chocolate before my flight back home. What more can I say, except I am already looking to take my partner, best friend and her husband for a short break to Latvia next year! "
