Latvia

A country of song and Art Nouveau on the Baltic Sea: the spires of Riga old town, the Art Nouveau façades of Alberta Street, and the white sands and pine forests of Jūrmala put a Hanseatic city and a seaside resort on the same map.

History: Riga was founded in 1201 and was an important Hanseatic city; its old town (Vecrīga) was inscribed as World Heritage in 1997; from the late 19th to the early 20th century Riga became one of the cities with the densest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture, represented by Alberta Street (Alberta iela). Latvia became independent in 1918, was incorporated into the Soviet Union after 1940, and regained independence in 1991; the Song and Dance Festival (Dziesmu un deju svētki) is UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and a core ritual of national identity. Rundāle Palace (Rundāles pils) is an 18th-century Baroque palace, and the Sigulda (Sigulda) area is the gateway to Gauja National Park. Legend: A legend is told about Riga's House of the Blackheads: the Black saint Maurice is the brotherhood's patron — the origin of “Blackheads” in this account has several explanations, to be verified, and should not be taken as a single historical fact. Another legend says the Rose of Turaida (Turaidas Roze) died for love; this too is a folk legend, to be kept separate from the castle's archaeological history.

• Riga old town and the House of the Blackheads (Vecrīga / Melngalvju nams) — Town Hall Square and Riga Cathedral.
• The Alberta Street Art Nouveau ensemble (Alberta iela) — sculptural façades and a museum.
• Rundāle Palace (Rundāles pils) — Baroque palace and French garden.
• Sigulda and Turaida Castle (Sigulda / Turaidas pils) — the Gauja valley, cable car and castle.
• Jūrmala beach (Jūrmala) — white sands, pine forests and wooden villas, a summer resort.

Intercity travel is mainly by bus and rail, with fairly frequent Riga–Sigulda and Riga–Jūrmala trains, and the Tallinn–Riga bus taking about 4 hours (subject to operators' announcements). Riga city transport is mainly buses, trolleybuses and trams; the old town is on foot. Ticketing: Riga's e-talons electronic ticket is the main method; buying from the driver on board costs about 2 euros, while an e-talons single bought in advance at Narvesen kiosks, ticket machines or post offices costs about 1.15 euros, with day and multi-day passes also available; after boarding you must validate on the yellow validator, with validation rules and fares subject to official announcements, and fines for unvalidated travel if checked subject to official announcements. Airport bus 22 connects the old town and the airport; any separate luggage rules are subject to official announcements. Rural and national-park services are fewer at weekends — check the day's timetable; in winter roads ice over, so walking and driving both require anti-slip care.

• Red Line: Do not make a noise at song-and-dance festivals or memorial places; do not intrude on military areas or private land; do not use flash photography during church rituals.
• Taboo: Latvians are reserved on first meeting — do not over-hug or cheek-kiss; do not conflate Latvian with Russian or Lithuanian; do not discuss Soviet-period history loudly in public while ignoring locals' complex memories.
• Good Manners: Shake hands on meeting and be punctual; remove shoes on entering someone's home and bring flowers (an odd number of stems is best, an even number for funerals — ask a florist for points to be verified); restaurant tips about 5%–10% or rounding up.
• Pitfalls for visitors: ① Buying a ticket on board but forgetting to validate on the yellow machine, then being checked; ② Assuming Riga's old fares (from the lats era) are still valid and buying tickets by an old guide, then travelling wrongly.

The currency is the euro and card payment is common; the best season is May–September, with tight beach and Song Festival-year accommodation in summer; winter days are short — bring warm and reflective gear; the Central Market (Centrāltirgus) is good for black bread, smoked fish and honey — mind opening hours.