Things to Do in Latvia

About Latvia

Latvia announces itself first by scent: the sharp, resinous perfume of pine forest that hits you the moment you open the car door outside Riga, followed by the dense, malty aroma of rye bread baking in a wood-fired oven. This is a country built on silence and song—the crunch of your boots on frozen sand along the 500-kilometer sweep of the Baltic coast in January, and the sudden, overwhelming roar of a 20,000-voice choir erupting into harmony during the Song and Dance Festival every five years. Riga’s Art Nouveau district on Alberta iela is a frozen symphony of stone nymphs and gilded dragons, while the cobblestones of Old Town still echo with the clatter of 14th-century merchant carts. The catch: Latvia doesn’t shout. Its pleasures are quiet ones—the warmth of a pirts (sauna) followed by a plunge into an icy lake, the slow satisfaction of a bowl of grey peas with smoked pork (€8/$8.50 at Lido, the sprawling, cafeteria-style national institution), and the melancholy beauty of midsummer light that lingers past 11 PM. The magic here is in the spaces between things—the forest paths, the empty beaches, the pause between one folk song and the next. You come to Latvia not to be overwhelmed, but to listen.

Travel Tips

Transportation: Riga’s tram network is a surprisingly efficient, rattling time machine—single tickets are €2 ($2.10), but the 24-hour e-talons card for €5 ($5.30) is the obvious move if you’re hopping around. The buses connecting to coastal towns like Jūrmala are reliable and cheap (around €3/$3.20 one-way), but schedules thin out dramatically outside the capital, especially on weekends. If you want to reach the Gauja National Park castles or the wild beaches of Cape Kolka, renting a car is your only real option; expect to pay €35-€45 ($37-$48) per day for a compact. The insider trick? The Bolt app (like Uber) works flawlessly in Riga and is often cheaper than hailing a cab, which still has a reputation for overcharging the visibly lost.

Money: Latvia runs on the Euro, and cash is still king in rural areas and at markets like Riga Central Market’s legendary Soviet-era hangar pavilions. Card is accepted almost everywhere in Riga, but mind you, some smaller cafes still have a €10 ($10.60) minimum for card payments. Tipping is appreciated but not obligatory; rounding up the bill or leaving 5-10% in cash for good service is the norm. The biggest potential pitfall is the two-tier pricing you might see at some tourist-heavy spots in Old Town—a coffee that costs €2.50 ($2.65) for locals might be €4 ($4.25) on the English menu. A decent workaround is to simply wander a block or two off the main drags like Kalku iela.

Cultural Respect: Latvians tend toward a quiet, reserved politeness—loud conversations on public transport or in restaurants are generally frowned upon. When entering someone’s home, shoes come off at the door, no exceptions. The language is fiercely protected, and while most people under 50 speak excellent English, starting any interaction with a hesitant ‘Sveiki’ (hello) and ‘Paldies’ (thank you) buys immense goodwill. The national identity is tightly woven with song; if you’re lucky enough to be here during the massive Song Festival, observe with quiet respect—it’s less a performance and more a profound, collective ritual. Avoid comparing Latvia to its Baltic neighbors as if they’re interchangeable; the differences, from language to cuisine, run deep and matter.

Food Safety: Latvian food is hearty, simple, and almost universally safe. The dairy is spectacular—try the cold, tangy skābais krējums (sour cream) on anything. Street food as such is limited, but the Central Market is where you’ll find the real action: vendors selling warm, hand-sized piragi (bacon and onion stuffed rolls) for €0.60 ($0.65) each, and stalls with pickled mushrooms and cucumbers sold from giant barrels. Tap water in Riga is perfectly safe to drink, and the local craft beer scene has exploded—a half-liter of Labietis or Bādas alus at a pub like Ala Folkklubs runs about €4-€5 ($4.25-$5.30). The one rule: if you’re invited to a pirts (sauna) ritual, which involves being lightly whipped with birch branches, you accept the offer of a post-sauna fermented rye bread drink called kvass. It’s an acquired taste, but refusing is bad form.

When to Visit

Your experience of Latvia is almost entirely dictated by the month you choose. June through August is high season—long, luminous days with temperatures averaging 18-22°C (64-72°F), perfect for hiking in Gauja National Park or cycling the coastal trails. This is when Riga’s outdoor terraces spill onto the streets and Jūrmala’s beach resorts fill up; expect hotel prices to be 40-50% higher than in spring. The legendary Song and Dance Festival (next one in 2028) happens in July and books the entire city solid a year in advance. September is the sweet spot: the crowds have thinned, the forests blaze with amber and crimson, and you can find a charming apartment in Old Town for around €80/$85 a night, down from July’s €130/$138. Winter (December-February) is a different country entirely—dark by 4 PM, with temperatures plunging to -10°C (14°F) or lower, but this is when you’ll see Latvia at its most starkly beautiful. The frozen dunes of the coast are empty, Christmas markets glow in Old Town, and the pirts-and-plunge culture is in full swing. Just be prepared for only 6 hours of daylight. The shoulder months of April and October are likely your best bet for budget travelers—flights from Western Europe can dip below €100/$106, and you’ll have the medieval ruins of Cēsis Castle mostly to yourself, though you’ll be gambling with the weather (expect rain and a persistent, damp chill). For families, late June offers the magical ‘Līgo’ and ‘Jāņi’ midsummer celebrations with flower wreaths and bonfires, while solo travelers looking for quiet might actually prefer the profound stillness of a snow-covered January.