Visiting Latvia: what to do from Riga to Courland

Latvia reveals itself through its contrasts: Riga's Hanseatic old town and Art Nouveau facades, the castles of the Gauja valley, a baroque palace in the middle of the fields and an almost empty Baltic coast lined with pine trees.

Why travel to Latvia?

Latvia combines Riga, whose historic centre has been UNESCO-listed since 1997, with landscapes of forests, rivers and beaches that remain very quiet. A eurozone country in the middle of the three Baltic states, it fits easily with its neighbours on a trip through northern Europe.

What to discover in Latvia?

Riga, between Hanseatic town and embassy district

Allow two to three days for the capital. The old town, with its Lutheran churches and guild houses, can be explored on foot in half a day. To the north-east, the embassy district holds most of the Art Nouveau buildings put up in the early 20th century, among the densest concentrations of the style in Europe. Keep a morning for the Central Market, housed since 1930 in former zeppelin hangars, and an evening for the park along the canal. By train, Jūrmala and its wooden villas are about thirty minutes away.

Vidzeme and the Gauja valley

Created in 1973, Gauja National Park is the country's oldest. Sigulda, about an hour and a quarter from Riga by train, is the base for sandstone cliffs, Gutmanis cave and the castles of Turaida and Krimulda, linked by a cable car over the river. Further on, Cēsis keeps a medieval fortress visited by lantern light. Allow two days, ideally in late September for the autumn colours. Via Valmiera and Valka, the road continues into neighbouring Estonia.

Courland and the Baltic coast

The west of the country, or Kurzeme, deserves three days by car. About two and a half hours' drive from Riga, Kuldīga, whose old town has been UNESCO-listed since 2023, spreads around the Venta waterfall. To the north, Cape Kolka marks the meeting of the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea, in a national park of forests and dunes. To the south, Liepāja and the former Karosta naval base tell the story of the 20th century. Swimming is realistically limited to July and August, as the water stays cool.

Zemgale and Latgale

South of Riga, the farming plain of Zemgale is home to the baroque Rundāle Palace, about 80 km from the capital: a day trip to combine with Bauska castle, not far from the border with Lithuania. To the east, Latgale, the land of lakes, is the most Catholic region of the country: Aglona basilica draws many pilgrims every 15 August. In Daugavpils, about three and a half hours from Riga by train, an art centre devoted to Mark Rothko, who was born in the town, occupies the fortress.

Cities to visit in Latvia

Featured destinations appear first.
Coming soon.

Latvia's must-sees

Six places to grasp the country, from the capital to the far reaches of Courland.

Alberta Street

A Riga street lined with Art Nouveau buildings and sculpted facades, several designed by Mikhail Eisenstein, with a museum devoted to the style.

Riga Central Market

A vast covered market set in five former zeppelin hangars, selling smoked fish, rye bread, honey and seasonal produce.

Turaida Castle

A 13th-century red-brick castle overlooking the Gauja valley near Sigulda, with a keep offering views over the forest.

Rundāle Palace

A baroque residence designed by Rastrelli for the Duke of Courland in the 18th century, with restored state rooms and a formal French garden.

Venta Rapid

A wide, low waterfall in Kuldīga, often described as the widest in Europe, where fish can be seen leaping in spring.

Cape Kolka

A sandy point where the waters of the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic meet, at the end of a road lined with Livonian fishing villages.

Frequently asked questions

Riga or Tallinn: which one for a weekend?
Tallinn has a more compact and more medieval old town, Riga is a larger city, with its Art Nouveau district, its Central Market and livelier nightlife. With four days or more, the bus between the two, about four and a half hours, lets you see both.
How do you get from Riga to Jūrmala without a car?
The suburban train leaves from Riga central station and serves Majori and Dzintari in about thirty minutes, with frequent departures in summer. Get off at Majori for the Jomas iela pedestrian street and the beach, then walk back along the sand towards Dzintari.
Can you visit Rundāle Palace without a car?
Yes, but it takes longer: a bus runs from Riga to Bauska in just over an hour, then a local connection or a taxi covers the remaining ten or so kilometres. By car or on an organised tour, the palace combines more easily with Bauska castle in a single day.
What to see in Kuldīga in one day?
Start with the Venta Rapid and the long brick bridge spanning it, then wander the old town of wooden houses along the Alekšupīte stream. In spring, you can watch fish trying to leap the waterfall. The town is also a good stop on the way to Liepāja or Cape Kolka.
When is the Līgo festival in Latvia?
On the nights of 23 to 24 June, around the summer solstice. Latvians leave the cities for the countryside, light bonfires, wear wreaths of oak leaves or flowers and sing through the night. As a traveller, expect shop closures and book transport and accommodation in advance.

Plan your trip to Latvia

Day-by-day itinerary, budget, bookings and packing in a single app.
Aperçu de l'application PlanTripNow