8 Interesting Facts About Latvia

Friendly people, beautiful nature and pagan holidays. Check out these amazing, but true and interesting facts about Latvia. Let's see how much you know about this incredible country!

Christian world

Государственный флаг Латвии

One of the last corners of Europe to embrace Christianity, Latvians are still very much pagan at heart. They worship nature by jumping over bonfires on Midsummer's Eve, and many family names are derived from birds, animals or trees.

The tallest women in the world

Latvians are people to admire. Latvia has the tallest women in the world, with an average height of 170 cm. The men are no dwarfs either, ranking fourth.

Riga Central Market

Рига, Латвия. Здание Латвийской академии наук, построенное на

The Central Market in Riga is one of the largest markets in Europe. It is famous for its pavilions located in giant airship hangars abandoned by the German army after World War I.

Beaches

латвия-река-гауя-возле-орлиной скалы

With over 500km of coastline, Latvia has plenty of beaches. There's a place for everyone, whether you want to have fun in the sun or stroll along the sand, and best of all, it's open to the public.

Forests

Яркий осенний пейзаж в Латвии. Фото мобильного телефона.

More than half of its territory is covered by forests, making Latvia a very green place. Locals love to pick mushrooms and berries, and in the middle of summer, young couples hide in the forest in search of a mythical flowering fern. There is no such plant, but the search continues.

Karosta

Большой грузовой корабль в порту. Грузовой терминал Вентспилса, Латвия

One of the attractions of the port city of Liepaja is a night in prison. The unforgettable Karosta district offers accommodation in a former military casemate with Soviet-style treatment.

Riga

Latvia has a huge capital city compared to its small population, as more than a third of the population lives in Riga. But you wouldn't know it on a summer weekend when everyone goes to their summer cottage.

Art Nouveau

памятник-свободы-в-риге-латвии

With over 800 Art Nouveau buildings, Riga is home to one of the world's largest galleries of this vibrant style. Alberta iela is a street almost entirely created by Art Nouveau genius Mikhail Eisenstein, and his son, film director Sergei Eisenstein, was one of the founders of modern cinema.