Welcome to Latvia, an antidote to overtourism

Pirts, Suitsusaun, Savusauna, Badstu: A Latvian’s Field Guide to Baltic and Nordic Sauna Cultures

Pirts, suitsusaun, savusauna, badstu — a Latvian guide compares Baltic and Nordic sauna traditions, the löyly, and how to use each one without offending the locals.

A Brief History of Latvia, Told by the People Who Lived It

Eight hundred years of Latvian history through the voices of the people who lived each chapter — pagan, peasant, soldier, exile, citizen. From the crusader knights to the European Union.

The Castle of Light: Why Riga’s National Library Belongs on Every Traveller’s List

Riga's Gaismas pils — the Castle of Light. The Glass Mountain folktale, Gunārs Birkerts's design, the 2014 human chain, and why Latvians love it as much as visitors do.

The Cat House (Kaķu nams), Riga

What the Cat House on Meistaru iela actually is, the merchant-and-the-Guild story behind the bronze cats on the roof, and the architectural details most travellers walk past. Honest local's guide from Daiga.

Dainu Kalns at Turaida: A Sculpture Garden Carved Under Soviet Rule

How Indulis Ranka and Anna Jurkāne built the Hill of Dainas at Turaida between 1980 and 1985 — a folk-song memorial in granite that helped seed Latvia's Singing Revolution.

Dainu Kalns Sculpture Field Guide: All 26 Stones at the Hill of Dainas, Turaida

What every sculpture at Dainu Kalns means, the daina each one carries, and how to walk the hill in the right order. The complete English-language guide to Indulis Ranka's 26 granite sculptures at Turaida.

Day Trips from Riga: A Guide's Honest Answer to the Question I Get Every Day

A licensed Latvian guide's honest comparison of the three best day trips from Riga: Rundāle, Sigulda, Ķemeri — prices, times, and who each is wrong for.

The Freedom Monument (Brīvības piemineklis): Milda and the Three Stars

What the Freedom Monument actually is, who Milda is, the three gold stars, and why this 1935 column survived the Soviet occupation. From Daiga, a licensed Latvian guide.

The Hill of Crosses: A Quiet Lithuanian Hill That Outlasted an Empire

The Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai, Lithuania — a Catholic pilgrimage site the Soviets bulldozed three times and never destroyed. How to visit, when, and what it means.

The House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams), Riga

What the House of the Blackheads actually is, who the Brotherhood of Blackheads were, why it was rebuilt from 1948 ruins, and what's inside the museum. From Daiga, a licensed Latvian guide.

Inside Rundāle Palace: A Room-by-Room Guide to What You'll Actually See

Every room of Latvia's grandest baroque palace, illustrated with 286 original photos: Gold Hall, White Hall, Duke's enfilade, Duchess's wing.

Is Ķemeri Bog Worth It? A Latvian Guide's Honest Answer

Yes, with caveats. A licensed Latvian guide on what the Great Ķemeri Bog actually is, when to go, how to get there, and who should skip it.

Is Rundāle Palace Worth Visiting? A Latvian Guide's Honest Answer

Yes, on a weekday and if you understand it's a country palace, not Versailles. A licensed Latvian guide on what Rundāle is, when to visit, and who should skip it.

Is Sigulda Worth Visiting? A Latvian Guide's Honest Answer

Yes — the best all-round day trip from Riga. A licensed Latvian guide on Sigulda, the Gauja Valley, the three castles, when to go, and how to get there.

Jūrmala: The Seaside Town Latvians Have Been Going to for Two Hundred Years

33 km of white quartz sand, the shallowest swimmable Baltic Sea, wooden Art Nouveau villas, sulphur spas dating to 1838 — a Latvian's guide to Jūrmala from Riga.

Ķemeri Bog in Autumn: What the Bog Looks Like After the Sunrise Tours Stop

Arguably the second-best window of the year. A licensed Latvian guide on Ķemeri in September and October, peak colour, and whether DIY is worth it.

Konventa Sēta (Convent Yard), Riga

Konventa Sēta is a quiet medieval cluster of 16th-to-18th-century buildings on 13th-century foundations, between Kalēju and Skārņu iela in Riga’s Old Town. The dove on the keystone, the inner courtyard, the porcelain museum. From Daiga, a Riga local.

Krišjānis Barons: the man who saved 217,996 Latvian folk songs

Who Krišjānis Barons was, why his cabinet of 217,996 hand-written cards is on the UNESCO Memory of the World register, and why every Latvian schoolchild knows his face. A standalone biography from a Latvian guide.

Kristaps Porziņģis: from Liepāja to the NBA, and why Latvia watched every game

Kristaps Porziņģis was born in Liepāja in 1995, drafted 4th by the Knicks in 2015, and won the NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics in 2024. The story of Latvia's most famous athlete and the small Baltic country that watched every game.

May 4 in Riga: Latvia’s other independence day, the one with daffodils

May 4 is Latvia's Restoration of Independence Day — the second of two independence days, the one with daffodils, free trams, and a folk procession to the Freedom Monument. Notes from this year's celebration in Riga.

Latvian Food: An Honest Guide from a Riga Local

A licensed Latvian guide's honest guide to the food: rye bread, smoked everything, the pink summer soup, pickle juice, and where to eat in Riga.

The Rose of Turaida: A Real 1620 Court Case Latvians Have Been Telling as a Legend for Four Centuries

Gold Domes Over Riga: A Visitor’s Guide to Latvia’s Orthodox Churches

Riga's four Orthodox churches — Nativity Cathedral, Holy Trinity Pārdaugava, St Alexander Nevsky, Grebenshchikov — what to see, etiquette, and the history behind the gold domes.

Planning Your First 48 Hours in Riga: An Honest Local Itinerary

A licensed Latvian guide's honest 48-hour Riga itinerary: what to actually see, what to skip, where to eat, and the practical answers most travellers want.

The Powder Tower (Pulvertornis) & Latvian War Museum, Riga

What the Powder Tower actually is, the cannonballs still in the wall, and why the free Latvian War Museum inside is worth two hours of any first-timer’s day in Riga. Honest local's guide.

One Border, Three Religions: How Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania Came to Believe Such Different Things

Estonia is the world's most secular country, Latvia is split between Lutheran and Catholic, Lithuania is overwhelmingly Catholic. One border, three religions, three histories.

Riga Castle (Rīgas pils)

What Riga Castle actually is, why the President lives in a 14th-century Livonian Order fortress, the National History Museum inside it, and how to see the riverfront elevation. Honest local's guide.

Riga Cathedral (Doma baznīca): A Local’s Guide

What Riga Cathedral actually is, why there's no dome on it, the 6,718-pipe Walcker organ, where to sit for the recital, and how to spend half an hour or half a day inside. Written by Daiga, a licensed Riga guide.

Riga from the UK: A Latvian Guide’s Briefing for British Travellers

Flights from the UK, money, language, what's open, what surprises British visitors. A licensed Latvian tour guide's honest briefing for travellers from the UK.

Riga in Winter: A Latvian Guide's Honest Take on Christmas, Snow, and the Quiet Months

A licensed Latvian guide's honest guide to Riga in winter: Christmas markets, weather, what to wear, costs, and which day trips still run in the cold months.

Riga Old Town: A Local’s Guide to Vecrīga

A licensed Latvian guide's deep guide to Riga Old Town (Vecrīga): what to see, what to skip, three walking routes, where to eat, safety, and seasons.

Riga’s TV Tower: The Tallest Free-Standing Structure in the EU, and the Story It Holds

At 368.5 m, Riga's TV Tower is the tallest free-standing structure in the European Union — taller than the Eiffel Tower. The history, the design, and how to visit.

Riga vs Tallinn vs Vilnius: A Latvian Guide's Honest Comparison of the Three Baltic Capitals

A licensed Latvian guide's honest comparison of Riga, Tallinn, and Vilnius. Which Baltic capital to pick, which does what best, and who each is wrong for.

Can You Do Sigulda AND Cēsis in One Day? A Latvian Guide's Honest Answer

Yes, with trade-offs. A licensed Latvian guide on combining Sigulda and Cēsis in one day from Riga: timeline, three castles, and DIY-vs-tour.

St James’s Cathedral (Sv. Jēkaba katedrāle), Riga

What St James's actually is, why it’s the Catholic cathedral of Latvia (and the only one in Riga to keep its red-and-white baroque portal), the ‘ringing rooster’ legend, and how it sits beside the Saeima. From Daiga, a licensed Riga guide.

St Peter’s Church (Sv. Pētera baznīca), Riga

Why St Peter's tower is the panorama of Riga, what to know before you climb, the 1721 lightning and the 1941 artillery, and what the interior actually looks like. Honest local's guide.

The Suwałki Gap: A Drive Through the Choke Point Between Us and the Rest of Europe

The Suwałki Gap — the 80 km Polish corridor between Belarus and Russian Kaliningrad that links the Baltic states to the rest of Europe. A Latvian's view from the road.

The Swedish Gate (Zviedru vārti), Riga

What the Swedish Gate actually is, why it was cut through the city wall in 1698, and how to walk Torņa iela — the best-preserved medieval street in Riga — from a licensed local guide.

The Three Brothers (Trīs brāļi): Riga’s Oldest Houses

What the Three Brothers actually are, why number 17 is the oldest stone dwelling house in Riga, the 1646 date carved on number 19, and how to read the lane in five minutes. From Daiga, a licensed Latvian guide.

Vērmanes dārzs (Vērmane Garden), Riga

Vērmanes dārzs is Riga's oldest public park (1817), at the eastern edge of the Old Town between Tērbatas and Merķeļa iela. The fountain, the cherry trees, and the place locals go in spring. From Daiga, a Riga local.

What’s On in Latvia: A Local’s Rolling List of Events We’re Spotting Around Town

A rolling, hand-curated list of upcoming Latvian events spotted on posters around Riga, Sigulda, Jūrmala, Cēsis and beyond — concerts, festivals, palace days, more.

Why Latvians Eat Pork: A Forest, a Pig, and a Thousand Years of Bacon

Why pork — not beef — became Latvia's national meat. A thousand years of forest, smoke and bacon, plus the modern dishes (karbonāde, pelmeņi) you should try.

A Day at Latvia’s Open-Air Museum: Why Locals Send Visitors to Brīvdabas

118 historical Latvian buildings on 87 hectares of pine forest, 10 km outside Riga. Why a quiet morning at Brīvdabas tells you more about Latvia than the Old Town.

Why the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia Belongs at the Top of Your Riga List

Soviet 1940, Nazi 1941, Soviet 1944–1991. The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia tells eight hundred years of Riga's story in one afternoon. Why visit, what to see.