Riga which country

The springs and falls are comfortable and cool, the summers are warm or hot, and the winters are cool, cold, and frequently bring large amounts of snow. The population of Latvia is just shy of 2 million making it the th largest country in the world by population. The ethnic layout of the country primarily is reflective of its location in Europe. The remaining population aligns with paganism, Judaism, and Islam.

Where is Latvia in the World? Geography By geographical size, Latvia is the nd largest country by landmass, with just less than 25, square feet of land.

Read full media profile. Image source, Getty Images. The Freedom Monument in Riga commemorates Latvia's struggle for independence between and Read full timeline. Latvia was occupied by the Soviet Union between and Related Topics. Published 10 April Published 26 March Published 9 November Tourism portal. With this perspective, we must admit that we were really amazed by the incredible developments that these countries have experienced in such a short time….

But that still gave us time to make some nice discoveries that we are about to share with you in the rest of the article. The concept of the free tours is always the same: registration is free and at the end of the tour it is customary to leave a tip to the guide depending on how you found the tour. See the Free Tour. Before the sad period described above, Riga was an important port city in Europe because of its strategic geographical location between east and west. Frankly, it is really nice to stroll through the small streets of the old town with its pretty coloured facades.

When we travel, we always love going to a local market with Fabienne. These are always very lively places that allow us to discover new flavours and see what people are buying in the country we are visiting. And on the market side we were spoiled in Riga since the central market is simply the largest covered market in Europe when we told you that Riga was an important harbour.

After the 1st World War, the market was set up in a rather unusual place since it is still in old renovated Zepellin hangars. There are many fresh and local products that are really cheap. You will be able to taste the different specialities without difficulty as you stroll through the market.

Before the First World War, Riga was an important city thanks to its strategic position and enjoyed rapid economic growth.

It was at this time that most of the Art Nouveau style buildings were built in the city there are still more than of them left today. Tallink operates ferry connections from Stockholm to Riga every other day.

Train connections to Riga are available from Moscow daily , St. Trains run daily on the Valga, Estonia. Lux Express is the largest passenger transport company in the Baltics, providing several daily departures from such cities as Tallinn, Tartu, Parnu, Vilnius, Warsaw, St.

Petersburg, Moscow, Minsk and others. Major highways connect Riga with Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kaunas and Vilnius. Headlights must be switched on at all times. There are some beautiful buildings in Town Hall Square.

The most popular is the Guild House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads — a group of unmarried merchants who are also known for putting up the world's first decorated public Christmas tree in Riga's Town Hall Square in Currently, the house is closed to visitors as it serves as the Presidential Palace as the Riga Castle is undergoing renovations. If you don't get a chance to go inside, you may still be able to see the President! The Barricades Museum around the corner from Town Hall tells the story of the occupations by showing how Latvia rose up against the Soviet Union to regain its independence during a time of revolutions.

The museum has photos, actual pieces of barricades and much more. Around the corner from the main square is St Peter's Church — the beautiful church is the tallest building in Riga and you can go to the top for a great view of the medieval and modern surroundings. The church is also used as an exhibition hall, sometimes hosting temporary exhibitions. The monument commemorates the soldiers who died fighting Soviet troops during the Latvian War of Independence. The meter-high Freedom Monument is built of red granite and travertine and is crowned by a copper sculpture of Freedom with three golden stars.