Best Latvia Day Trips & Things to Do

Latvia is a striking blend of metropolitan elegance and wild, untamed nature, with over half the country covered in forest. Its heart is Riga, the "Paris of the North," which contains the world’s highest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture, with intricate facades that are a feast for the eyes. Beyond the capital’s cosmopolitan buzz, the resort town of Jūrmala offers 33 kilometers of white quartz sand beaches and charming wooden villas. For a taste of history, the Rundāle Palace provides a stunning display of Baroque and Rococo grandeur, often called the "Versailles of the Baltics." Nature enthusiasts head to Gauja National Park to explore medieval castle ruins overlooking river valleys or to the "European Amazon" for canoeing.