The Republic of Latvia is situated in north-eastern Europe. Latvia is one of three countries known as the "Baltic States". The other Baltic State countries are Estonia and Lithuania. It is bordered by Estonia to the north, by Lithuania to the south and south-west, while on the east there is a frontier with the Russian Federation and to the south-east with Belarus. Latvia's territory of 64,000 sq. km. is larger than Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, and is divided into four historical districts: Kurzeme (western Latvia), Zemgale (southern Latvia), Vidzeme (northern Latvia) and Latgale (eastern Latvia).
The summers are warm, but the winters, that last from November until mid-March, can be very cold. The weather in autumn and spring is relatively mild. The heaviest rainfalls are observed in August. Snowfall is common in winter. The official language is Latvian. It is an Indo-European, non-Slavic and non-Germanic language and is similar only to Lithuanian. Russian, English and German are widely spoken. Tourism in Latvia is getting bigger every year as people are starting to visit this beautiful land which has only been open for a little over 15 years after the country gained its independence from the former Soviet Union. The main tourist destination in Latvia is the capital city of Riga and the nearby community on the sea called Jurmala.
Riga is a cultural city which holds beauty, great cuisine, many hotels, and great architecture. The smaller towns within Latvia in the countryside have many attractions and can be had a fantastic travel value. In the western portion of Latvia is the Kurzeme region and is becoming one of the more attractive tourist destinations as it boasts beautiful cities on the coast and gorgeous natural attractions
Jurmala is the best beach resort to go to. It has been popular with city dwellers from Latvia for over 150 years and the city houses some great Jugendstil architecture. Apart from the beaches there are also forests here where you can go hiking. Jurmala, a resort town possessing 150-year-old resort traditions, occupies approximately one-tenth part of the coastal line. Jurmala is the place for a city dweller tired of life to reacquire the feeling of being the Nature's child. 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. |
