Latvia

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Latvia is bordered by Estonia to the north, Russia to the east, Lithuania to the south and the Baltic Sea to the west. Its strategic location has made it an international crossroad for trade, commerce and cultural exchange since ancient times. Vikings followed the ‘Amber Road’ through Latvian territory along the Daugava River to reach Byzantium and the Mediterranean Sea.

Rīga is the capital of Latvia, and has been visited in previous centuries by many politicians and monarchs. Also many famous scientists and artists such as the enlightened philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder, and the composer Richard Wagner. Today there are professional theatres in Rīga, Liepāja, Valmiera, and Daugavpils. Every regional town has a museum, and in Rīga the museums number more than 50 - the Museum of History and Shipping founded in 1773, being the oldest in the Baltic.

Internationally recognised festivals regularly take place in Rīga, the film festival "Arsenals" (in Rīga), the Middle Ages music festival (in Rīga and Bauska), and the ballet festival (in Rīga). Latvian choirs and folk dance troupes take part in a song and dance festival every 4 years, and have achieved a high level of recognition at Scandinavian song and dance festivals. Jūrmala is a favourite holiday-place in Latvia, well known for its health resorts, which are slowly regaining their former status.

Rīga, the oldest city in Latvia, has developed into an important economic, political and cultural centre since the Middle Ages. When the formation of an independent Latvian Republic occourred in 1918, Rīga became the capital. Today more than half of Latvia's population lives in Rīga, as well as the country's largest manufacturing concerns, as well as central government and administration boards. Amongst the 50 museums to be found in Rīga the oldest and largest are the Museum of History and Shipping, the Museum of Natural Sciences, the Museum of Latvian History, the National Art Gallery, and the Latvian Ethnographic open-air-museum. The National Opera and Latvia's most professional theatres are also situated in Rīga.

Rīga's 800 - year history has left its mark on the face of the city, where Middle Age dwellings and church towers coexist with art nouveau and eclectic architecture. Rīga's park land boulevard zone and the wooden buildings of the Pārdaugava region emit a unique charm. The value of Rīga's cultural and historical significance has been verified by the fact that its old city centre has been included in UNESCO's list of the world's most important cultural and natural sites.

EXCURSIONS IN LATVIA

Old Town Walking tour (max 3 hours- only guide)

Tour begins from hotel in direction to Old Town and then walking tour at the Old Riga, which was first referred to in chronicles in 1201, starts by passing pedestrian Kalku Street with Livu Square and it’s medieval buildings, Small and Great Guild Houses, Dome Cathedral, Stock exchange building, Riga Castle – Latvian president Residence (photo stop only), St. Peter’s Church, then passing Latvian National Opera House, city canal, tour ends at Freedom Monument and back to hotel.

City Tour including Old Town walking tour (max 3 hours)

Tour begins from hotel in direction to Old Town and walking tour at the Old Riga, first referred to in chronicles in 1201, starts by passing pedestrian Kalku Street with Livu Square and it’s medieval buildings, Small and Great Guild Houses, Dome Cathedral, Stock exchange building, Riga Castle – Latvian president Residence (photo stop only), St. Peter’s Church, then passing Latvian National Opera House, city canal, walking part ends at Freedom Monument and further by car/minivan continues to Art Noveau buildings district – the quarter is included in the UNESCO architecture values list, orientation city sightseeing Daugava River embankment, Riga Central Market (former zeppelins garage), return to hotel.

Visit to Ethnographical Open Air Museum (max 3 hours)

Tour to Open Air Museum starts from hotel and after 20 minutes drive through the city centre to 100 hectares Open Air museum featuring 18th century rural life in Latvia, with almost 100 traditional countryside buildings including farmsteads, churches, windmills, fishing villages have been moved here, the visit is organized to give a good impression of varieties of Latvia districts – Kurzeme, Zemgale, Latgale and Vidzeme and is useful supplement for modern architecture of Riga city center to see how Latvia looked more than a century ago. The museum is located at Lake Jugla.

Excursion to Jurmala (max 4 hours)

Tour to Jurmala starts in Riga from hotel and after 20 minutes drive from to Latvian favorite summer time vacation town of Jurmala, the vibrant Latvian sea resort, famous with its numerous fantasy-like wooden summer houses architecture on Jomas Street and strolls over 40 km near great sandy beach of Baltic Sea with its wooden, the SPA` s and health temples which are facing the white beach, where historically rich and the aristocracy have come for more then a century, enjoyed the calm tranquility of this place and took a walk next to the beach with chance to finding the amber.

Excursion to Courland with Jaunmoku, Kandava, Sabile  and Kuldiga (max 8 hours)

This excursion starts from Riga hotel and goes to the heart of Courland, once the most prosperous region of Latvia and whole Nord Europe in 16^th-17^th centuries, the route goes westwards passing on the way Jurmala and Kemeru National Park, further heading to town of Tukums, after passing Tukums continue to Hunting Manor House of Jaunmokas which was built for city mayor of Riga George Armistead in 1901. The name of the place Jaunmokas firstly was mentioned in the documents in 1544. An antique forest working tools exposition was arranged at the beginning of 90-ties. There are also varieties of the species of trees and bushes, which are growing wild in Latvia as well as with collection of the hunting guns. Further continue to the city of Kadava which was firstly mentioned in 1231, is situated in the valley of river Abava and was once an ancient city of Courians. Then visit the bridge over river Abava which is the oldest stone made bridge in Latvia dating back to 1873, also visit the castle ruins of Livonian Order (1253), Powder Tower and Kandavas Evangelic Lutheran Church (1730), further drive along one of the banks of Abavas river valley with its picturesque landscapes, eventually we arrive at town of Sabile (1253) also called as the Flower of Abava valley and was once the farest place in north where grapes were cultivated and wine was made, after Sabile we take a drive further in Abava valley heading for medieval city of Kuldiga, the ancient town of Courland (Kurzeme), which lies on the River Venta where the waterfall Rumba has formed which is the widest waterfall in Europe (240m), already in the 9^th century a settlement was formed near it and in the first part of the 13^th century the territory of the Cours was invaded by German knights, the proud of Kuldiga is the ancient brick bridge across the River Venta (1873-1874) and the old town with its 17^th - 18^th century buildings. An original feature of every house is its entrance door decorated with wood-carvings, the skylight windows above it and the tiled roofs which are characteristics exclusive to Kuldiga, as well as St Catherine’s Church, Kuldiga Old Town Hall and Town Square, The Holy Trinity Catholic Church. After the tour in Kuldiga, later return back to Riga.

Excursion to Gauja National Park (max 6 hours)

Tour to The Gauja National Park, which was established in 1973 and consists of more than 900 sq.km begins at Riga hotel and after 1 hour drive out of city, where the park is located in the area known as "Vidzemes Sveice" - the Livonian Switzerland and offers a unique combination of picturesque hill landscapes, the Gauja River, medieval castles, sculpture parks and fauna and flora that are already extinct in many countries in Europe.

First the sightseeing of Sigulda - a small idyllic town with 10.000 inhabitants, foundation of which dates back in history in the beginning of the 12th century when German Order built a large castle here and it was destroyed during the Great Nordic War - but the ruins of the main building and the 2 towers are left and are used for dance and song festivals and a new castle was built in 1881 and today it houses the city council and a nice restaurant, from the castle ruins there is a fabulous view of the Gauja River and it is also possible to go over the river by cable car (ticket is not included in tour price), during the tour also a visit of the famous bob-sleigh track and just outside a town there are possibilities of canoeing and rafting on the Gauja River.

Tour furthers to the other side of the river and visit of the Gutman Cave, a huge red sandstone cave and then up to the hill the ruins of the Turaida Castle, which was inaugurated by Bishop Albert of Riga and completed in 1214 and remained untouched until 1776 when it was seriously damaged by a fire, but now a part of the castle has been rebuilt, it is again possible to enter the tower and the main building and close to the castle you will find a little wooden church from 1750, the Daina Hill sculpture park of Latvian folksongs, and not to forget - the Tomb of the "Rose of Turaida".

Optional:

Cesis: located 90 km northeast of Riga in the Gauja National Park and sitting along the banks of the picturesque Gauja River, is one of Latvia’s three nationally treasured cities. The 20 thousand people of Cesis carefully retain all of the culture and character of this city. The tour goes in the Old Town center, with its narrow, cobbled streets and old wooden houses, creates a warm, seductive ambience, ideally suited to leisurely sightseeing, including St. John’s Church, which holds one of Latvia’s largest and mist sonorous organs and one of the most beautiful altarpieces. Just opposite the church there are the castle ruins of the Livonian order, built by German knights in 1209, the New Palace from the 18^th century is next to the castle, and today it is home to the extensive Cesis museum. The unique and harmonious combination of Cesis’ many parks, historical buildings, cobbled streets and quaint squares makes Cesis a very special place. As an added attraction, the banks of the Gauja River are just a short walk away, where you’ll find exquisite scenery, with old wooden cottages scattered amongst the pine trees.

Excursion to Rundale Palace ( max 6 hours)

The tour to Rundale Palace, which was built in the 18th century as the summer residence of the Duke of Courland, Ernest Johann von Biron and the palace was supposed to have 2 floors and 2 wings and additional servants' quarters, stables and a park starts in Riga hotel and after 1 hour drive enter in Rundale with its Palace. The construction was inaugurated in 1736 and as von Biron was favored by the Russian Czarina, Anna Ivanovna, he succeeded in engaging the Italian architect, Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the main architect of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Tour shows present 40 rooms on the first and second floors with original interior and furniture are open to the public, on the second floor the central part of the palace with the Duke's apartments, the Duchess and the other members of the family were living in the western wing, where restoration works are still being continued, the entire eastern wing was intended only for court representation, there you will find the impressive Throne Hall, the White Hall and the Small and Grand Gallery. According to history, the construction was interrupted in 1738 when von Biron and Rastrelli inaugurated the construction of an even larger residence in the Courland capital of Jelgava. When Czarina Anna Ivanova died in 1740 von Biron was exiled and could return accompanied by Rastrelli only in 1763 when he was reinstated by the Russian empress Catherina the 2nd. The palace and the interior was therefore only completed in 1763-1768 and it was fairly devastated in the course of time and in 1972 a comprehensive restoration of the palace was started.