Latvia is a beautiful country full of amazing architecture, stunning landscapes, beautiful cities, and welcoming locals. Throughout history, Latvia has been ruled by many conquerors, which has left an impact on the country’s culture. Traveling to Latvia for the first time can come with a lot of surprises that may amaze you. Situated between Lithuania and Estonia, the country has a massive shoreline at the Baltic Sea, with some of the most beautiful beaches you will ever see.
The country’s capital city, Riga, is the biggest city in the country, and also the most spectacular one. The city of Riga is full of stunning art nouveau architecture and iconic buildings and monuments that will leave you speechless with its beauty. There are many amazing sights and things that you’ll learn about during your Latvia vacation packages that make this country one of the most culturally rich countries in all of Europe.
Leisure travel guides bring you the ten things that you should know before booking your Latvia vacation packages, so you can be well prepared for an amazing holiday!
Contents:
1. Getting a Visa
2. Latvia is well connected
3. Expenses
4. Language
5. Latvia has the Fast Wi-Fi
6. Latvia is quite Wet!
7. More than half of the country is covered by forest
8. Latvia has the most number of models
9. Latvian flag is the second oldest in the world
10. Latvia is very particular about environmental preservation
11. Try prison life!
12. You can drown in Beer literally!
13. Latvians are freakishly tall!
Let’s get started!
Latvia became a member of the European Union in 2007 and has since become a member of the Schengen Area. The Schengen area in northern Europe includes several countries with fairly less restricted borders for easy travel. Traveling to the countries in Schengen Areas is basically like traveling to one big country. Tourists from Europe can travel to Latvia and its neighboring countries with a European passport, where the tourists coming from outside Europe need to apply only on a Schengen visa to visit all the countries. The Schengen areas include 26 countries, with a standard visa policy, for easy travel.
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Getting around town is very simple and straight in Latvia, with a wide network of buses and trains. The capital city of Riga is very well connected with its various parts and can be reached through buses. Traveling within cities is also quite easy in Latvia, owing to its wide networks of the railway. Most big cities around Riga can be reached by train. However, since 50% of the country is forest land, there are several spots and tourist attractions that cannot be reached by train and require you to take a bus. The buses operating in Latvia will take to almost all the places, with ease and comfort.
Latvia has recently adopted Euro as a standard currency for monetary transactions throughout the country. This makes it easier for tourists traveling from Europe or tourists traveling to multiple countries in Europe to avoid the hassle of changing currencies every time they cross the border.
Out of the essential expenses on Latvia vacation packages, food and transportation are quite cheap, with varying options when it comes to accommodations. Therefore, Latvia is the perfect destination for budget travelers who wish to explore Europe.
Latvian’s national language is one of the two Baltic languages, the other one being Lithuanian. The language has similarities with various Slavic languages such as Russian, Polish, and Czech. Most signboards in Latvia use the Cyrillic script, which can be hard to translate. However, most people in the capital city speak good English.
Latvia has one of the countries with the fastest internet speed in the world. With almost 13 MBPS, browsing and surfing the web is lightning fast in Latvia. You will have no problems in finding reception and staying connected with the internet for navigation, translation, payments, and entertainment on your Latvia vacation packages.
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In addition to its spectacular 500 km coastline, Latvia has a LOT of inland water bodies at the Baltic Sea. From streams, lakes, ponds, and waterfalls, there are endless beautiful sights by the water that one can explore on their Latvia vacation packages. With 12000 rivers and 3000 lakes of varying sizes, and in the most stunning places, you are always a short hike away from exploring some amazing scenes of natural beauty.
Latvia is one of the greenest countries in Europe, and the country takes its environment to protect guidelines and practices very seriously. Most than 50% of the land in Latvia is covered with forest. There are various spots throughout the country where you can go with your backpack and camp in the woods. However, due to dense forests and thick bushes, it is quite probable to encounter wild animals or get caught up in heavy rains, so make sure you’re aware of your surroundings and the weather.
It is quite a popular opinion that Scandinavian women are very attractive. However, this statement is proven by the fact that Northern Europe has produced more models than any other region in the world. Latvia is among the countries with the highest number of female models per capita than any other country in the world.
The Latvian flag is one of the oldest designs of flags that are still in use today. The red flag with the white horizontal stripe design was introduced in 1280. The only other country whose flag is older than Latvia’s in Denmark.
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Latvia is among the countries with the highest Environmental Performance Index. Out of the 54% of while forests, and secluded wilderness, the Latvian government has put 20% of the forest land under protection, from deforestation, hunters, and industries. In addition to this, there are 260 nature reserves, 42 nature parks, and four national parks in the country that are dedicated to preserving Latvia’s raw natural beauty, so locals and tourists can enjoy the scenic attractiveness of Mother Nature on their Latvia vacation packages.
One of the most unique and peculiar experiences in Latvia is definitely, having a chance to live prison life for a day. Situated on the west coast of Latvia, the town of Karosta has Europe’s only military prison that is open to tourists. Guests can take a guided tour to explore the prison and also check out the history and artifacts present in the museum. The prison also has the facility to offer guests the full prison experience by spending a night behind bars, accompanied by uniformed guards, organized drills for the inmates, prison outfits and food, and a lot of bad languages that make the experience close to the real deal.
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Latvians love beer! It is the most popular type of alcohol consumed by locals in the country. In fact, the capital city Riga, as a Beer Spa, allows you to soak up in a tub full of beer. The wooden tubs are filled with warm beer, which you can drink. However, if you find yourself thirsty for a ’clean’ glass of beer, you can pour yourself a mug with the help of the taps right next to you.
Latvian men and women are quite taller than an average American. People in Latvia are mostly above the 5.5 feet mark. In fact, the average height of Latvians is 5’9 inches tall, where the average woman is 5’7 inches tall, and the average man is 5’11 inches tall. During your Latvian vacation package, you will seldom find an individual who is below the 5’5 feet mark. Latvia also holds the record of producing one of the tallest female basketball players in history. So be prepared to walk among the largest population of some of the tallest people you will see.
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