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Latvia Travel For the Very First Time: Riga is One of the Best Cities in the Baltic Region
Latvia Travel For the Very First Time
Part of it being caressed by the beautiful Baltic Sea, Latvia is one of the Eastern European countries that made an impactful impression on me. Located within the Baltic region, it shares a maritime border with Sweden, and it is bordered by other Baltic states like Estonia in the northern part, and Lithuania in the southern end. With neighboring countries like Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Belarus, the distinctive synthesis of cultures and memoirs in Latvia is experienced in every cobblestone street and Gothic spires you’ll see within the cities. I decided to visit Riga, Latvia’s largest city, and official capital, and make it my primary country to visit among the Baltic states --- because, who would want to miss a highly affordable yet incredibly charming European city such as Riga? No, not me.
Despite Latvia being part of a temperate climate zone, during the time I visited Riga, the weather was remarkably pleasant – not too cold, no torrential rainfall, not too humid – just like any typical Asian who would want the same weather for their tropical country. Particularly in the month of February, during the days I was there, I’ve experienced some light drizzles that were hasty and bearable. The Latvian winter weather’s surprisingly pleasant, even if the streets were wet with rain pour, and even if it was already night time. So, it’s safe to assume that it’s one of the most tolerable Baltic cities to visit during the early months of the year, especially if you want to enjoy winter without scaring yourself too much on the extreme European winter weather. Maybe I just got lucky, you tell me? So, for me that’s one point for Riga, right?
Another one plus is the plethora of points of interest and Tripadvisor approved places to see, do, and experience here. Riga attractions are literally everywhere, and they have some of the most unique ones I’ve ever found in Eastern Europe – for one, I was stunned that they have lots of different kinds of Escape Rooms and Games and Entertainment Centers! Does this mean they just enjoy being locked up and try to escape? Maybe so lol. But, equally intriguing to find out about is their love for cats – they even have famous landmark known as the Cat House, which is a custard yellow building at Meistaru, adorned with two black cat statues on the roof. Does this mean they are obsessed with cats like a crazy cat lady? Maybe no. But, I’ll leave it up to you to expose the reason why cats are “a thing” in Latvia.
How about Riga Latvia Nightlife? Out of all the nights I stayed in Latvia, I could count with my hands (read: one finger) the times we did not party like a college kid. We went out almost every night and hung out at local bars, resto-bars, pubs, and hipster vibe induced places. This was quite a shocker, yet again, because it was never a plan to go explore some nightlife in Riga; but, why should we say no to it? The fact is, everything is close to “Asian-affordable” without compromising so much about the European quality.
So much for the overview and summary of the ever-rad Riga. Will you join me instead for another travel series, this time on one of the countries with pronounced architecture, tasty food, and inexpensive materialistic finds. Let’s go and share musings about this northeastern corner of Europe. Meow.
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