According to ethnicityology, the capital of Latvia – Riga – is undoubtedly the main asset and attraction of the country. The city is already more than eight centuries old, although it is known that people have lived here since the early Neolithic. The city can be called a real monument in the open air. Fairs, festivals, a rich preserved history and much more await tourists. The main historical and at the same time tourist center of Riga is “Old Riga” (Vecriga district). In this place, more than a dozen of the oldest buildings of the city have been preserved, and among them the buildings of the Small and Large Guilds, which were built in the 19th century, and on the walls of which surprisingly beautiful paintings have been preserved, can be considered the most interesting. No less interesting may seem the “Cat’s House”, built in 1910, and on the spiers of its towers there are two figurines of cats. The symbol of the city is the Dome Cathedral, built in the 13th century. Today, the building of this cathedral houses the world’s largest organ. There are also many museums in the city: the Museum of Literature, the Historical Museum, the Latvian Museum of Medicine, etc. The most famous resort in Latvia, Jurmala, is of no less interest to tourists. The resort town is located along the 32-kilometer shore of the Gulf of Riga, and prestigious hotels and sanatoriums are located on its shore. The wonderful climate, cool sea and coniferous forests make the rest in Jurmala one of the best in the country. Hundreds of nightclubs and entertainment venues operate in the “resort heart of Latvia”, so recreation here is possible not only during the day, but also at night, when the best entertainment venues in the country open their doors. 180 km from Riga, on the shores of the Baltic Sea lies the industrial and commercial center of Latvia – Ventspils. Surprisingly, but despite the developed industry in the city is very clean. The lighthouse, which is fenced with piers, deserves the greatest attention here. And the piers themselves serve as a place for walking. The third largest city in Latvia and a rapidly developing commercial port is the city of Liepaja. Now a special economic zone has been created here. The most interesting places are: Tirgonu Street, which is considered the best place for walking, Trinity Church, where one of the largest organs is installed. In addition, Liepaja is known for the largest park in the country (Seaside) in which more than 170 species of various plants grow and there are wooden houses built in the 18th century. Among which it is worth highlighting the house of Peter I and Charles VI. For people visiting Liepaja for the first time, it may seem that time has stopped here. There are still untouched old buildings in the center, wooden houses on the outskirts, which have been declared monuments of wooden architecture, entire blocks are real museums. Separately, it is worth highlighting the city of Korosta, which many consider to be part of Liepaja, but in fact it is a separate attraction. Korosta is a military town with a long history, so there are many traces of the war. Since then, there have been such sights as a steel drawbridge, which was built in 1906 and is still in operation today. A little further than the bridge is the truly impressive Cathedral of St. Nicholas. Near the cathedral there is a famous military prison, which consists of several two-story stone buildings. The first prisoners in it were the sailors, who took part in the revolution of 1905. After Latvia became independent, the prison buildings served for the Latvian army, and later they became a tourist attraction. Another interesting tourist city is Tukums. This is a very old city, in which significant architectural and historical monuments remain. For more than 600 years, Brivibis’ main square has served as the city’s marketplace. Merchants came to this place not only from nearby areas, but also from the capital of Latvia. At the moment, the square has become the main place of rest for citizens and foreign tourists. The only thing left of the Livonian Castle (13th century) is the Castle Tower. For more than 250 years, this tower has been used as a prison and granary, and at the moment the Puppet Museum is open in the tower,
National cuisine of Latvia
Local dishes seem simple in appearance, but they are very tasty and satisfying. The local culinary school has absorbed the traditions of the peoples of the Baltic states, as well as part of the German, Belarusian and Polish cuisine. Typical for this country are fish dishes with a side dish like potatoes. Special attention is paid to fish here, most often it is Baltic salmon, lamprey cooked in various ways, eel, cod liver and smoked fish. In addition to potato dishes, you can often find vegetable dishes, from which a variety of salads and soups are made. Cold beetroot “Auksta Zupa” is considered a traditional Latvian dish. Meat is also widely used here, the most popular is beef steak with onion clopps sauce, meat baked in an egg, lamb in cumin sauce. It is characteristic that that in one dish several types of meat are used at once. The visiting card of Latvia all over the world is the “Riga Black Balsam”. In addition to it, a variety of liqueurs are produced in the country.
