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Democratic Republic of Latvia, former Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

Administrative regions: Kurzeme, Zemgale, Vidzeme and Latgale.

Rural districts in Latvia : Aizkraukles, Aluksnes, Balvu, Bauskas, Cesu, Daugavpils, Dobeles, Gulbenes, Jekabpils, Jelgavas, Kraslavas, Kuldigas, Liepajas, Limbazu, Ludzas, Madonas, Ogres, Preiju, Rezeknes, Rigas, Saldus, Talsu, Tukuma, Valkas, Valmieras and Ventspils

Municipalities Latvia : Daugavpils, Jelgava, Jurmala, Leipaja, Rezekne, Riga, Ventspils 

Latvia is situated in the north-east part of Europe on the shore of the Baltic sea and borders with the two other Baltic states - Estonia and Lithuania - as well as Russia and Belarus.

Capital City of Latvia : Riga


car hire, hostels, hotels, tour operators, travel guides, transportation / traveling to latvia

links


Car Rental Latvia / Riga Airport

 Avis
 Budget Rent A Car
 Hertz

Hotels in Latvia

 Booking - Hotels in Latvia
Hotels in Cësu, Riga region, Rīga & Riga Airport, Cēsis, Dikļi, Rïgas and Valmieras.
 Expedia.com
 Hotels.com

Hostels / B&B

 Hostelbookers.com  - Great Hostels, Free booking
Hostelbookers.com is one of the worlds largest online booking services for hostels. All hostels you see here

Travel Agents / Tour Operators

 Rail Europe - Rail Passes, Train Tickets & Schedules 
 Select Travel
 Topdeck Tours
They take you to the most amazing places in Europe, their experienced tour leaders are the best in the business, and will help create the perfect atmosphere for a great holiday. Topdeck Tours encourage individuality, and the fun just flows naturally.




Travel Guides Latvia / Related books

Baltic States Insight Guide 
Paperback: 300 pages; Publisher: APA Publications Pte Ltd,Singapore; Rev Ed edition (January 10, 2007); ISBN-13: 978-9812586032

Transport / How do I travel to Latvia

 Riga Airport

  Airline Tickets / Discount Flights - Flights to Latvia - Flight tickets Riga

 Latvian Railways
Train Time Table, Route scheme, Information for passengers, Luggage, Prices of Tickets

 Riga Streetcar & Trolleybus Office
 Bus Routes to/from Riga

 Maps of Riga
 Online Maps [ Uni Texas - Perry-Castañeda Library - Map Collection Europe  ]


Links 

 Travel Insurance

 Latvian Holidays Tourist Information - Patricia LTD Tourist Office Riga Latvia

 Latvia Tourism - Map, Regions, Useful Information and links

 Government Latvia

 Riga  - capital city of Latvia

 Kurzeme - Kurzeme Region
Kurzeme is one of five Latvian regions. It is situated in the West part of Latvia - washed by the Baltic Sea in the West and the Gulf of Riga in the North. In the East it borders with Zemgale and in the South — the Žemaišiu region of Lithuania. The farthest northern point of Kurzeme is the Cape of Kolka which is part of the Slītere National Park.
The region has the longest in Latvia coastal zone of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga. The farthest from the sea inland territory is only 100 km from the sea shore. One of the most typical characteristics of the region is its highly maritime climate.
 Latgale - Eastern Region of Latvia - Land of Blue Lakes - Turisme Latgale ???
In this region, between Aglona, Kraslava and Ezernieki there are several hundred large and small lakes. This is a fisherman's paradise and a good destination for anyone who enjoys water and nature.
Latgale's close historic, economic and cultural links with Eastern Slavs have been the impetus for a different development pattern for the region, which has adopted various Slavic cultural elements. There is a very strong Catholic presence in Latgale. The many crucifixes seen along the roadside testify to the deep faith of the region's inhabitants. A very special place in Latgale is the Catholic spiritual centre, Aglona. At the end of the 17th century this village developed into a centre of Roman Catholicism.
Aglona has become an international centre of pilgrimage for people celebrating the Assumption of the Virgin Mary August 15th.
 Vidzeme - Northern region of Latvia - Tourism in Vidzeme
Vidzeme region is marked by contrasts. Embraced by the Baltic Sea, the Vidzeme coastline is changing dramatically from one point to the next. Within a short distance, the bustling, culturally- sophisticated seaport of Riga, Latvia's capital city, gives way to the white sand beaches and tourist attractions of Jūrmala.
Travelling northward, the landscape changes yet again as stones of various sizes tossed up by the tides on the Stony seaside of Vidzeme lend this part of the coastline a prehistoric, wild countenance. Travelling into the interior, you can follow the River Gauja, to visit so-called Switzerland of Latvia - Sigulda, and the Gauja National Park. En route you will see a rare combination of medieval castles, a sculpture park, legendary caves and picturesque hilly landscapes. As Latvia's downhill skiing centre and home of a world-class bobsled track, Sigulda will delight you in the winter as well as in all other seasons.
 Zemgale - Zemgale home page
Zemgale is the smallest of Latvia's regions and is blessed with a great number of distinctive castles and manor houses where you can see and touch history. The Bauska region in particular gives you an opportunity to travel along the path of history from the 9th century through the Medieval to the Baroque period. Bauska lies in the southeast section of Zemgale. This is where the Memele and Musa Rivers meet.
Aizkraukle County, Aizkraukle district, Bauska district, Bauska City, Dobele district, Dobele City, Jelgava district, Jelgava City, Jēkabpils district, Jēkabpils City


 Daugavpils - City of Daugavpils - second largest city in Latvia
The city has a favourable geographical position as it borders on Byelorussia and Lithuania (distances of 33 and 25 km respectively). It is located some 120 km from the borderline with Russia.
Daugavpils is a big industrial centre and railway junction in the south-east of Latvia. It has railway connections with Riga, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vilnius and Panevezhis. Automobile routes to Lithuania, Byelorussia and Russia are highly developed.
Daugavpils is an important cultural centre in Eastern Latvia. The city is surrounded by beautiful lakes.
 Jelgava - City of Jelgava - fourth largest city in Latvia after Rīga, Daugavpils and Liepāja
Jelgava is situated 42 km from the capital Riga in the plain of Zemgale which gradually passes into the maritime lowlands. The city is devided by the slowly running Lielupe which passes its way to the sea, collecting waters from numerous minor tributaries, but the flood-land meadows give shelter to rare species of flora and birds.
 Jurmala - City of Jurmala - resort town possessing 150-year-old resort traditions
Jurmala with its romantic wooden houses in art nouveau [ Jugendstil ], its spacious beaches, forests, and calmly flowing Lielupe river is especially attractive in the modern world of standards, for it has not lost its singularity. At the same time every guest of Jurmala is glad to find available everything necessary to a city dweller appreciating comfort.
 Liepaja - City of Liepaja  - third largest city in Latvia, situated between the sea and a lake
The lighthouses of Liepaja are the first ones to welcome European sailors in Latvia. Liepaja has a unique cultural heritage of Swedish kings, German barons, Russian Tsars and Finnish Jeegers. For some time Liepaja has even been the Capital of Latvia. Liepaja attracts tourists with its beach and the sea, festivals and pubs, own symphony orchestra, organs and people.
 Rezekne - Rezekne - the city of seven hills
The city of Rezekne has grown on the ancient south-northern transit road Lithuania - Pskov. It is located in the eastern part of Latvia, in the centre of ethnographical region Latgale, in northern descent of Latgale Highland, in the cross of two international transportation trunk roads Saint-Petersburg - Warsaw and Riga - Moscow.
Rezekne has rich nature resources - river Rezekne, lake Kovsi, green hills, parks and forests.Beautiful landscape creates recreation faciliy for city inhabitants and visitors. City's layout structure reflects some stages of historical development and environment conditions. Valley of river Rezekne and main railway line divide the city's territory into parts.
 Ventspils - City of Ventspils  - Tourism Ventspils
Located in the north-west of Latvia at mouth of the Venta River that flows into the Baltic Sea. Its ice-free, world-class port is one of the major transit hubs between East and West.

 Bank of Latvia
 Baltic news & tourist info source
Upcoming Events & Concerts / Riga Guide / Tallinn Guide / Vilnius Guide / Rave-Club Music / Maps / New Nightspots / Plane&Ferry Schedules
 Jobs in Latvia
 Media.lv
 News - Baltic Times - paper
 Radio in Letland
 Radio Zemgalei
 Skiing in Latvia
 University of Lavia

Cuisine - Latvian Cooking

Latvian cuisine is wonderfully international. Because of its historic foreign influences, Latvian cuisine has incorporated the best from Swedish, German and Slavic menus.

 A Taste of Latvia - by Siri Lise Doub
Here is a glimpse at the fascinating cuisine and culture of this Baltic country, from the culinary customs of pagan times to the modern cafes of Riga. The author includes 100 easy-to-follow recipes for classic Latvian dishes, along with bits of folk songs, poetry, mythology, historical accounts and local customs that reflect Latvia's rich history and cultural traditions.
Hardcover 248 pages (March 2000); Publisher: Hippocrene Books, Inc

History of Latvia

Independence: 6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Known for the most part as Livonia, the area that now constitues Latvia was under the influence of the German Sword Brethren from the 13th century onward. However, in the 18th and 19th century, Russia gained control over Latvia and neighbouring regions. With Russia devastated by revolution and World War I, Latvia declared its independence in November 18, 1918. From 1934 was an authoritarian state. This period of independence lasted only briefly, as the Soviet Union annexed the country on 17 June 1940 in accordance with the Soviet-Nazi agreement (Ribbentrop-Molotov pact) of 1939... see WikipediA

 Latvian History - WikipediA
Latvia before 13th century, Latvia in 13th to 18th century, Latvia in Russian empire (18th century to 1917), The first independence (1918 to 1940), World War II and Soviet Period (1940 to 1991), The Second Independence (from 1991)
 The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Path to Independence 
By Anatol Lieven
World attention has focused on the newly independent Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, as they struggle to become politically and economically viable. In this book, Anatol Lieven presents an intimate and engaging portrait of the history and culture of the Baltic states from their ancient origins to their contemporary status.
Paperback 478 pages (August 18, 1994); Publisher: Yale University Press
 Imagining the Nation: History, Modernity, and Revolution in Latvia
By Daina Stukuls Eglitis
Every epoch produces its own notions of social change, and the post-Communist societies of East Europe are no exception. Imagining the Nation explores the fate of contemporary Latvia, a small country with a big story that is relevant for anyone wishing to understand better the nature of post-Communist transitions. As Latvia and other former Soviet-bloc countries seek to rebuild and transform their societies, what is the central dynamic at work? In Imagining the Nation, Daina Stukuls Eglitis finds that in virtually all aspects of life, the guiding sentiment among Latvians has been a desire for normality in the wake of the "deformations" that marked the half century of Soviet rule. In seeking to return to normality, many people look to the West for models; others look back in time to the period of Latvian independence, from 1918 to 1940, before the years of Soviet domination. Ultimately, the changes in Latvia and other East European countries are closely tied to a vital reimagining of the past, as the logic of progress long associated with "revolution" is amalgamated with nostalgia for what is gone. The radiant utopias of revolution give way to widely shared aspirations for a return to the normal in politics, place names, private property, and even gender relations. Eglitis draws upon published and unpublished documents, campaign posters, maps, and monuments, as well as interviews with Latvians from all walks of life. The resulting picture of life in contemporary Latvia offers fresh perspective on a dilemma facing millions throughout the post-Communist world.
Paperback 280 pages (August 2004); Publisher: Penn State University Press

 Latvian Museum Association
The website of the Latvian Museum Association is an online information centre for everyone interested in the culture and history of Latvia.
 Riga
Historically, the city of Riga was founded around the year 1201. However, the land area which is now Latvia was a major trade route by the Vikings from Norway traveling to Russia and Central Europe dating back several thousands of years.

Music, Culture & Entertainment

 Latvian National Opera
Performances, Tickets, Opera Festival
 Music In Latvia
Genres, Groups, Ensembles, Recordings, Links, and more

Web Portal / Latvian Search Engine / Directory

 All - portal / search engine - a.o. towns and disticts
 Latnet - latvian portal / search engine
 Go Baltic - Baltikum Tourismus Zentrale [ german language ]
Fremdenverkehrszentrale Estland, Lettland und Litauen
Gut zu wissen, Anreise, Reiseziele, Events, Aktivitäten, Übernachten, Reiseveranstalter, Reiseliteratur

 Phonebook Lavia


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