Latvia is my first experience of Eastern Europe. I have been meaning to visit the region for quite some time, but never had the opportunity to do so; unlike Western Europe which I have mostly covered through work. Latvia is known for its lovely Christmas markets at this time of the year. Riga, the capital of Latvia, is also the place where the tradition of decorating Christmas trees first began.
Latvia felt really foreign to me on the first couple of days; probably because of the language. I wasn’t sure what common words like iela (street), laukums (square), pils (castle), grūst (push), and vilkt (pull) meant. However, most locals in the tourist areas speak good English.
We spent most of our time visiting the Christmas markets and sights in Old Riga. Armed with free maps, which are plentiful, we easily covered the old town on foot. I’m not one for museums, but did enjoy the Christmas festivities and stunning architectures.
The public transport in Riga is cheap and reliable. We used the public buses and trams to get to and from the airport, as well as to visit sights that are further away from the city centre; such as the Latvijas Etnogrāfiskais brīvdabas muzejs (Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum). The open-air museum is an 87 hectare piece of woodland by Jugla Lake, showcasing historical architectures and items from the various Latvian regions.
Having covered most of Riga, we decided to venture out to Sigulda for a day, by train. There are no English train announcements, and many train stations/stops are not signed. However, Sigulda is a major station, and many people disembark there. If unsure, the ticket inspectors onboard the train should be able to speak English.
The bobsleigh and luge track in Sigulda, which plays host to international competitions, offers visitors the chance to experience a bobsleigh ride. Unfortunately for us, there was a competition that weekend, which meant the rides were not available. Other than the track, Sigulda also has old castles and nice green sceneries. We chose to walk from the train station to Turaida Castle, on the other side of the Gauja River. It was fairly straight-forward to get there following the map obtained from the Information Centre at the station; except for the final kilometre where you actually had to walk along the main road. While it was an enjoyable walk, it may be advisable to take the bus instead if you’re short on time.