Holy smokes. Why don't more people come here? Latvia is awesome. It’s of course not unheard of, but there aren’t many tourists, and not many visitors go there other than Russians and the small contingent of Canadian military personnel. Most people hear -via and think of some gloomy east-European backwater with Dracula-type castles and starving peasants. It’s not.
I spent two months there in 2020 (of all years to travel). The downside of Latvia is that it’s far north, and so summer is the best time to go, when it’s still not going to get much above 20 Celsius. But Latvia has beautiful Art Nouveau architecture from its early 20th century time of independence; good beaches (with admittedly, uh, bracing ocean water) and a nice seaside village, Jurmala; forests with ginormously tall trees; well-connected and cheap public transport; excellent savory soups and food; cool old ex-Soviet secret bunkers; hot, willowy blondes; low travel costs; and some of the best beer I’ve had in my life. And a strange liking for '80s English rock music and ice hockey, if you’re into that. Most of the pictures I took here are Riga and Jurmala.
Latvians are conservative and initially a touch wary of strangers due to former decades of Soviet informants. But once they open up they have a wonderful rough-and-tumble charm, and I’ve never seen a more kid-friendly culture. I don’t think Latvians have ever seen a child, or forest they didn’t love. Going into the woods for mushroom picking isn't some euphemism... it's a thing.
If You Go
English is not as widespread here, but it's doable, and people in service jobs usually speak some. Latvia sometimes feels like it should be unsafe, when you see rough-looking hombres turn the corner... and then they're pushing baby carriages. It's generally fine, and even Riga has a small-town feel where people know each other's business, although some of the wealthy expat Russians can be aggressive, whether in person or on the road. Again, pack for cool weather even if you come in summertime.
