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Travel to Latvia with travel insurance from Essential Travel

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Information on Latvia with travel insurance from Essential Travel

Travel to Latvia

Latvia is a tiny Baltic nation with a strong coastal capital, beautiful fairytale castles, vibrant music festivals and breathtaking river valleys. The country is in the process of reinventing itself as a newly independent nation and is an excellent destination to visit before the tourist hordes of the future catch on.

Riga is the amazing capital of Latvia and offers a modern bustle, as well as slight ethnic tension as the population here is predominantly Russian. The city is split by the Daugava River and is home to ancient German buildings set in the Vecriga (Old Riga). It only takes a few minutes of driving to get outside of Riga and into the serene countryside that is Latvia’s best feature.

The town of Bauska is home to an impressive castle built between 1443 and 1456 as a stronghold for the Livonian knights. In 1706, the castle was destroyed during the Great Northern War, but it was rebuilt in 1976. Inside, you’ll find exhibits of various objects found when archaeological excavations were made during the restoration.

Another worthwhile destination, Jurmala City, is one of the biggest cities of Latvia and is a comfortable health and recreation resort on the Baltic Sea with a population that doubles in the summer. The area of Jurmala contains a string of small towns and resorts stretching 20kms along the coast west of Riga, and you will be able to find plenty of museums, galleries, restaurants, pubs and inns in the area.

Kuldiga is an historic town in Latvias Kurzeme region and offers the remains of an ancient fortress, as well as a 17th century town hall, an 18th century granary, a water mill built in 1807, a regional museum, and a few churches. Alternatively, Sigulda is touted as the ‘Switzerland of Latvia’, and has a fine assortment of medieval castles and caves scattered along the Gauja Valley. It is also the stepping-off point to Gauja National Park – a brilliant but small health resort and winter sports centre.