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Member since:22.10.2003
Reviews:69
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I spent some weeks in Latvia in the summer of 2003, as part of a driving tour of the Baltic Countries (don’t call them The Baltic States or you’ll offend the locals- they are countries in their own right!). Latvia has absolutely heaps to offer the more independent, exploratory type of holiday-maker, although those who prefer their holidays ready-made would also find a great time to be had on a city break of Riga, the capital.
Getting there:- well, as we went by car we entered from Lithuania and exited into Estonia. The border crossing procedure in a British car was not a model of efficiency- although we had a European Green card, they’re not valid
in the Baltics, so we needed to buy separate insurance at each border. They do fairly lengthy checks (chassy number, all you documents in order, open your boot sir, are you smuggling any cheap Polish vodka, for example), and like to triple check your passport. Now that Latvia has joined the EU, you might not experience this charming welcome into the country- perhaps with one wave of a British passport they’ll smile and usher you through. Perhaps not though, so be prepared! You also need to carry a warning triangle, and preferably not buried underneath piles of camping equipment. The border guards are quite friendly and suitably bemused at seeing a car with the steering wheel the wrong way round!
Getting around:- the roads vary in quality from quite reasonable to dirt track, the further you venture from big cities. If you want to really explore hidden Latvia (and it’s well worth it) expect potholes and bad signs. However, in my book that all adds to the adventure!
Places to see
· Riga. A wonderful, big bustling city with gorgeous architecture, loads of history, ample shops, bars, parks, canals and sunshine. The average temperature in July in my guide book is 21c. When we went it was Boiling, going up into the high 20s every day. (This was when Britain was also experiencing a heat wave in 2003, but shows you can’t rely on the guide books!). You could just wander around Riga endlessly for months and keep finding new things. We found the Occupation Museum, detailing Latvia’s struggle up to and after WWII until the 90s when they finally broke away from the Soviet regime. The exhibitions are fascinating, informative, long and detailed and ultimately completely biased. Latvia was annexed by both sides during the war, and suffered under both too, but the exhibition would have you believe that no Latvian ever had a bad thought let alone be a Nazi sympathizer. Excellent. Other things you can do- go to the ballet- it’s so cheap! · Jurmala:- Very near Riga, Jurmala is the Latvians’ favoured tourist haunt. We found it impossible to camp, very difficult to find a hotel. The tourist office seemed helpful and booked us a room, but it turned out to be an ex state spa hotel and was truly disgusting. The other clientel were almost dead, and the room stank so much I gagged when I walked in. We had nowhere else to go though. Avoid Jurmala unless you have a good reason to go there. It’s not Latvia’s best and more trouble than it’s worth · Sigulda:- A national park and every bit worth the difficulty of getting there. If you’ve got a car, great, if not good luck! Sigulda is Green. It’s lush, forests of pine, the mud-coloured Gauja river idles by and the landscape is protected whilst hosting stacks of fun outdoor activities. There are other tourists here- we saw the only other GB car we saw in the whole country, but just the one. There’s a campsite situated on the riverbank which is basic but ok if you don’t mind slumming it for a few days. The showers are revolting, but you can always just jump in the river instead! You can hire mountain bikes, go horseriding, hiking, even go bobsleighing. The latter is great fun- in summer they put wheels on the sleighs and you rocket downwards at what seems like 90 miles an hour, caged in with a crash helmet. Then they tow you back up the hill! Sigulda’s national park is awesome. You get there by going to nearby Ligatne, home of the Education and Recreation Park. Although the animals are penned, they do have spacious enclosures, so much so that it can be quite hard to spot them. You have to do a lot of standing around quietly staring at undergrowth until you see some movement. If you’re patient enough you can see wolves, bison, red deer, wild boar odd cross breeds and big cats.
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Advantages: Cheap, friendly place to visit, interesting architecture. Disadvantages: Might not last too long in its current state. Freezing cold in winter.
TheDuke 10.03.2006 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Riga (Latvia)
Advantages: Cheap, friendly place to visit, interesting architecture. Disadvantages: Might not last too long in its current state. Freezing cold in winter.
TheDuke 10.03.2006 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Riga (Latvia)
Advantages: Lots to do and see, snow in the winter, fairly cheap to eat/drink, cheap flights available from RyanAir. Disadvantages: Very very very very cold in the winter, Things are Difficult to Find.
HannahBoo 17.03.2006 (17.03.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Riga (Latvia)
Jun 3rd, 2004
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