What awaits travellers in Latvia?
Latvia combines the Art Nouveau city of Riga with the seaside resort of Jurmala, Gauja National Park and the small town of Kuldīga. Almost 500 km of Baltic coastline and extensive forests shape the country. As a Schengen and eurozone member, Swiss, German and Austrian nationals enter without a visa.
Riga has the largest collection of Art Nouveau architecture in Europe, a legacy of the economic boom around 1900, when the city was one of the most important ports of the Russian Empire. Outside the capital, forest covers more than half of the country's area.
This page summarises Riga, Jurmala, Gauja National Park and Kuldīga, along with the best time to travel, entry requirements, getting there, and the advisories from the FDFA, the Federal Foreign Office and BMEIA (as of September 2026).
Sources: Latvia.travel, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia · Wikipedia
What kind of destination is Latvia?
Latvia has around 1.83 million residents across 64,573 km² and lies between Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. The country has been an EU and NATO member since 2004, and part of the eurozone since 2014. Its official language is Latvian, one of only two Baltic languages still spoken today.
Geographically, Latvia is mostly flat to hilly; its highest point is Gaiziņkalns at 311.6 m in Vidzeme. The Daugava, at around 1,005 km one of the largest rivers in the Baltics, crosses the country coming from Belarus and flows into the Baltic Sea at Riga.
Culturally, the country is shaped by the German Hanseatic and crusading-order era, periods of Swedish, Polish and Russian rule, and its membership in the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1991. On 21 August 1991, parliament declared the full restoration of independence, just a few months after the bloody «Barricades» days, when Riga's residents blocked Soviet troops with makeshift street barricades.
Around a quarter of the population speaks Russian as their mother tongue, especially in Riga and in the east (Latgale). The historic centre of Riga has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997, joined by the old town of Kuldīga in 2023.
Sources: Wikipedia · UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Which regions of Latvia are worth visiting?
The main stops are the capital Riga, the seaside resort of Jurmala around 20 minutes to the west, Gauja National Park near Sigulda, and the small town of Kuldīga in Kurzeme. Bus or rail connects all four regions from Riga, whether as day trips or as part of a round trip.
Riga
Riga's old town, with Dome Square, Town Hall Square and the «Three Brothers» ensemble of houses, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997. In the adjoining Art Nouveau quarter along Alberta iela stand over 800 buildings built in the Art Nouveau style, more than in any other European city.
Riga Central Market, housed in five former Zeppelin hangars, ranks among the largest markets in Europe; in the museum quarter, the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia documents the Soviet and German occupation periods. Freedom Monument Square is the site of the country's most important national commemorations.
Jurmala
Jurmala lies around 20 minutes' drive from Riga and stretches 32 km along the Gulf of Riga. Wooden summer houses from the 19th and early 20th centuries, wide sandy beaches and spa hotels with mud baths define this long-established seaside resort.
Gauja National Park
Founded in 1973, Gauja National Park near Sigulda, around 50 km northeast of Riga, is Latvia's largest national park at around 900 km². Sandstone cliffs such as the Erglu Cliffs, caves, and the brick castles of Turaida and Sigulda lie along the river valley.
Turaida, set in the valley above the Gauja, ranks among the best-preserved medieval castles in the Baltics; a cable car runs from Sigulda across the valley. In winter, the region is also known for luge and bobsleigh tracks.
Kurzeme and Kuldīga
Kuldīga, around 150 km west of Riga, is known for the Ventas Rumba, at 240 m wide Europe's widest waterfall, right in the middle of the historic old town of brick and wooden houses. Since 2023, the old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Further west lies the port town of Liepāja, with a long sandy beach and a lively music scene, and to the north the Vidzeme region with the country's highest point. Anyone wanting to combine Riga, Jurmala, Gauja and Kuldīga should allow at least 7 to 9 days for the four regions.
Between the four regions, suburban trains and long-distance buses run several times daily from Riga, so Jurmala and Sigulda can also be planned as day trips without a rental car. Kuldīga lies further off the rail network; for the northwest and the coast near Liepāja, a rental car is therefore worthwhile, to avoid the long connection times of the few bus services.
Sources: Latvia.travel, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia · UNESCO World Heritage Centre · Wikipedia
When is the best time to visit Latvia?
Latvia can be visited year-round; July and August are the warmest, with highs around 22 to 24°C, while January and February are the coldest, with nighttime lows around -5 to -6°C. June to August, with the brightest, warmest days, is the most popular time to visit Riga and the beaches of Jurmala.
Station data for Riga and Jurmala show a very similar temperate continental coastal climate; thanks to its proximity to the sea, Jurmala stays minimally milder in winter than Riga, which lies slightly further inland, while in summer the two places barely differ.
Riga and Jurmala through the year
| Riga | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | -1 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 18 | 11 | 6 | 2 |
| Low °C | -6 | -5 | -3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 1 | -3 |
| Rainfall mm | 59 | 48 | 46 | 48 | 51 | 76 | 82 | 80 | 59 | 78 | 74 | 63 |
| Jurmala | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | -1 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 18 | 11 | 6 | 2 |
| Low °C | -6 | -5 | -3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 1 | -3 |
| Rainfall mm | 52 | 43 | 41 | 43 | 44 | 69 | 72 | 73 | 55 | 71 | 68 | 57 |
Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station RIGA (4 km, 26 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station RIGA (17 km, 26 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.
Riga reaches highs around 23.8°C in July, with nights around 13.1°C; most rainfall comes in July, with around 82 mm. Jurmala shows practically identical summer figures, and in winter, at -6.4°C in January, is minimally milder than the surrounding area; the lower autumn rainfall is spread somewhat more evenly in the coastal climate.
From May to July, days are long, with sunsets not before 10 pm. Winter from December to February regularly brings snow and frost, and the sea near Jurmala can partly freeze over; winter tyres are mandatory for driving outside the cities.
The Latvian Song and Dance Celebration, held every five years in Riga, along with Midsummer (Jāņi) on 23/24 June, rank among the biggest public events; during this time, accommodation in Riga and Jurmala is often fully booked.
Sources: Latvia.travel, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
What do you need to enter Latvia?
Swiss, German and Austrian nationals need no visa for tourist stays: Latvia has been a Schengen member since 2007, and a valid passport or national ID card is sufficient (as of September 2026). What is decisive is always the current information from the official bodies.
- Switzerland: a valid passport or identity card is sufficient for Swiss nationals; the FDFA advises always carrying a copy of your documents separately from the originals while travelling.
- Germany: a passport, provisional passport, national ID card or provisional ID card are accepted; according to the Federal Foreign Office, every traveller, including children, must be able to identify themselves at the border.
- Austria: BMEIA requires a passport or national ID card valid for the whole stay; for minors travelling along, a written consent form from parents or guardians is additionally recommended.
- Other nationalities: separate visa rules apply depending on country of origin; Latvian embassies and consulates provide information.
Checks at the internal border with Estonia and Lithuania are dropped thanks to Schengen, though a valid ID document must still be carried. Things are markedly stricter at the external borders with Russia and Belarus: only a few crossings are open, and they involve registration and checks, which is why tourists are better off avoiding them.
What is binding for trip planning is always the up-to-date pages of the FDFA, the Federal Foreign Office and BMEIA, along with information from the Latvian representations.
Sources: Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA, Switzerland · Federal Foreign Office, Germany · Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria
What vaccinations and health precautions do you need for Latvia?
No vaccination is mandatory for entry. Healthytravel.ch recommends the routine vaccinations under the Swiss vaccination schedule as well as a vaccination against TBE (tick-borne encephalitis), especially for the greater Riga area; in studies, over 20% of ticks examined there tested positive for Borrelia bacteria.
According to healthytravel.ch, all travellers should be vaccinated against polio, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, measles-mumps-rubella and chickenpox. Because of several measles outbreaks in Europe, all visitors should be immune to measles; the CDC additionally recommends hepatitis A and hepatitis B for unvaccinated travellers.
Latvia ranks among the TBE risk areas of Central and Eastern Europe, with a particularly high risk in the greater Riga area, extending into the city's own green spaces. After time spent outdoors, the body should be checked for ticks; redness appearing several days after a tick bite can indicate Lyme disease and should be checked by a doctor.
Hepatitis A is recommended by healthytravel.ch for travellers visiting relatives or acquaintances in rural areas with basic hygiene conditions. The CDC additionally names leptospirosis from freshwater contact and hantavirus from rodent contact as risks not preventable by vaccination.
Medical care is of a high standard in Riga, simpler but adequate outside the capital. The European Health Insurance Card is valid for emergencies; travel insurance with repatriation cover is advisable for trips into rural areas.
Sources: healthytravel.ch, Swiss Expert Committee for Travel Medicine · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
How safe is Latvia for travellers?
Latvia is considered a safe travel destination; the border areas with Belarus and Russia call for heightened attention as a structural matter, and the current situation published by the FDFA, the Federal Foreign Office and BMEIA should be checked before departure. Everyday risks are card fraud in Riga's bars and clubs, and road traffic accidents.
BMEIA warns above all about credit card misuse in cafés, bars and nightclubs in Riga; card payments there should be made with caution. According to BMEIA, Latvia has one of the highest road death rates in the EU, which calls for extra caution in traffic.
The FDFA notes increased security checks in the border areas with Belarus, as well as at immigration checkpoints outside those areas. The risk of an attack cannot be entirely ruled out in Latvia either, but there is no specific indication of heightened threat.
Heavy rainfall can locally cause flooding and landslides; weather warnings from local authorities should be observed. Offences against drug laws are punished strictly even for small quantities.
Sources: Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA, Switzerland · Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria
How do you travel to Latvia and get around the country?
International flights land almost exclusively at Riga Airport (RIX), around 10 km from the centre, with nonstop connections to 92 destinations in 39 countries, the densest route network in the Baltics. Key hubs are Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Helsinki and Zurich.
| Hub | Airline/connection | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt (FRA) | Lufthansa and others | connections to worldwide long-haul routes |
| Amsterdam (AMS) | KLM | connections to worldwide long-haul routes |
| Istanbul (IST) | Turkish Airlines | connections towards Asia and the Middle East |
| Zurich (ZRH) | Air Baltic, Swiss (seasonal) | direct connection to Switzerland |
| Helsinki (HEL) | Finnair, Air Baltic | transfer point towards Scandinavia |
| Warsaw (WAW) | LOT | dense frequency, Central European transfer point |
At around 10 km from the centre, Riga Airport (RIX) is the largest and best-connected airport in the Baltics; the national airline Air Baltic serves around 73 of the 92 nonstop destinations from here. An airport express bus links the airport with downtown in around 30 minutes.
Long-distance buses run several times daily from Riga to Tallinn (around 4 to 4.5 hours) and to Vilnius (around 4 hours); between the three Baltic capitals, the long-distance bus is the usual connection. Suburban trains to Jurmala run every half hour, taking around 30 minutes.
A rental car is worthwhile for Gauja National Park, Kuldīga and the coast outside Jurmala, since bus connections there run less frequently.
Sources: FlightConnections · Latvia.travel, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia · Federal Foreign Office, Germany
What money do you need in Latvia, and how do you pay?
The national currency is the euro, since 1 January 2014. Card payment is standard in Riga and Jurmala; in smaller towns and at markets, it's worth having some cash on hand as well.
In Riga, Jurmala and the larger towns, contactless payment by card or smartphone is widespread; because of card fraud in bars and clubs, BMEIA nonetheless advises caution when using cards in nightlife venues. ATMs are found in every town and at the airport.
Tipping is not obligatory; 5 to 10% is customary in restaurants for good service. At Riga Central Market and at stalls outside the towns, cash is often the only accepted payment.
Museum admissions, rail fares and restaurant prices sit in the mid-range for Europe, cheaper than in Scandinavia; Riga offers the Riga Pass, a combined ticket for museums and public transport.
Sources: Latvia.travel, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Where is best to stay in Latvia?
In Riga, most travellers stay in or right next to the old town or in the adjoining Art Nouveau quarter. In Jurmala, hotels line the beach promenade, while small guesthouses and country hotels dominate in Sigulda and Kuldīga.
Riga's old town offers boutique hotels in historic merchant houses, while the adjoining Art Nouveau quarter on Alberta iela offers quieter accommodation within short reach of the centre. Around the central market and the station district, prices are often cheaper.
In Jurmala, hotels and spa resorts are concentrated along the beach promenade Jomas iela; in Sigulda and Kuldīga, small guesthouses and country hotels are common, ideal as a base for Gauja National Park and trips into Kurzeme.
What do you eat in Latvia?
Latvian cuisine is hearty and based on potatoes, rye, cabbage, peas and pork. Piragi, dough pockets filled with bacon and onion, are among the country's best-known snacks.
Traditional dishes include grey peas with bacon, cabbage rolls and smoked fish from the Baltic Sea. Rye bread is a fixed part of practically every meal, often in a dark, slightly sour variety.
Riga Central Market, housed in five former Zeppelin hangars, is one of the largest food markets in Europe and offers a good overview of regional products such as wild mushrooms, berries and smoked fish.
The herbal liqueur Riga Black Balsam, produced since the 18th century, is considered Latvia's best-known drink, served neat or in coffee. Craft beer has become firmly established in Riga in recent years.
What culture and festivals shape Latvia?
Latvia has three UNESCO World Heritage sites: the historic centre of Riga, the cross-border Struve Geodetic Arc, and since 2023 the old town of Kuldīga. Added to that is the intangible heritage of the Baltic song and dance celebrations, inscribed jointly with Estonia and Lithuania and celebrated in Latvia every five years since 1873.
The three Baltic states jointly registered their song and dance celebrations as intangible cultural heritage with UNESCO in 2008, after the tradition had already been recognised as a masterpiece in 2003. The Latvian Song and Dance Celebration (Dziesmu un deju svētki) dates back to 1873 and gathers tens of thousands of participants from across the country in Riga.
Midsummer, Jāņi, on 23 and 24 June, is the country's most important folk festival: flower wreaths, bonfires and the cheese Jāņu siers mark the shortest night of the year, and many Latvians spend it in the countryside.
Independence Day on 18 November commemorates the proclamation of the republic in 1918 and is marked nationwide with light installations and a military parade in Riga. Riga's Art Nouveau quarter is considered one of the best-preserved of its kind in Europe.
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre · UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
What experiences are worthwhile in Latvia?
Highlights include the Art Nouveau architecture and central market of Riga, the beach promenade of Jurmala, the castles of Turaida and Sigulda in Gauja National Park, and the wide Ventas Rumba waterfall in Kuldīga.
Riga
A walk through the old town, taking in Dome Square, Town Hall Square and the Powder Tower, can be combined with the Art Nouveau quarter on Alberta iela into a single day. The central market in the former Zeppelin hangars and the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia round out the picture of the city.
Jurmala and the coast
Jurmala offers 32 km of sandy beach, wooden summer houses and spa hotels with mud baths; the beach promenade Jomas iela is car-free. Further west lies Liepāja, with a long beach and a music scene unusually active for the Baltics.
Gauja and Kurzeme
In Gauja National Park, hiking trails and cable cars connect the castles of Turaida and Sigulda with sandstone cliffs such as the Erglu Cliffs. In Kuldīga, it's worth a look at the 240 m-wide Ventas Rumba, especially in spring during the traditional fishing of leaping salmon.
- Rundāle Palace: a baroque palace south of Riga, designed by the architect of the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg.
- Riga Zoo and National Museum of Art: a family-friendly and cultural complement to the city programme.
- Erglu Cliffs (Erglu klintis): a sandstone formation up to 22 m tall in Gauja National Park.
Sources: Latvia.travel, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
How do you travel responsibly in Latvia?
Suburban trains connect Riga and Jurmala in a more climate-friendly way than the car, and long-distance buses cover the connections to Tallinn and Vilnius. In national parks such as Gauja, marked trails apply to protect the sandstone formations and forest.
- For Jurmala and Sigulda, use the suburban train instead of a rental car; both routes run every half hour.
- In Gauja National Park, stay on marked trails to avoid damaging the sensitive sandstone cliffs.
- At Riga Central Market, favour regional products; this eases individual traffic to supermarkets on the edge of town.
Sources: Latvia.travel, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Which countries can Latvia be combined with?
The most obvious choices are Estonia via the land border north of Riga and Lithuania to the south; both capitals, Tallinn and Vilnius, are reachable by long-distance bus in around 4 hours. A round trip through all three Baltic states can be done in 10 to 14 days.
Long-distance buses run several times daily from Riga to Tallinn and to Vilnius; between the three capitals, the long-distance bus is the usual connection. Riga Airport is also the densest hub in the Baltics, which makes onward flights to Scandinavia or Central Europe easier.
Travellers with more time combine Latvia with Estonia and Lithuania into a classic Baltic round trip; the three capitals lie 4 to 5 driving hours apart, with Kuldīga and Gauja National Park as worthwhile stops along the way.
Sources: Latvia.travel, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Who is Latvia suited to, and who less so?
Latvia suits travellers who want to combine architecture, nature and Baltic beaches in a compact trip and are happy with short distances from Riga. It suits less well anyone relying on southern warmth or a dense rail network between the regions.
Latvia works well for city trips with an interest in architecture, for families wanting to combine Riga with the beach at Jurmala, and for nature and hiking fans in Gauja National Park. For a combination with Estonia and Lithuania too, Riga is a practical starting point thanks to its dense airport network.
Latvia is less ideal for anyone counting on a Mediterranean climate or a dense rail network between regions: outside Riga and Jurmala, a rental car is usually needed. Winter is long and dark, and the sea at Jurmala is warm enough for swimming only from June.