Baltic States Part I - Latvia
A year ago, my oldest daughter Alex and I travelled to Moldova and Transdniestr, stopping on the way in Riga, capital of Latvia.
Riga is the largest of the Baltic capitals and, as opposed to Tallinn and Vilnius; it has a city-feel. Trouble is, I can’t quite seem to warm to Riga, even though I’ve been there several times. I first visited in 1992, on a curiosity-trip of the Baltic states following the break-up of the Soviet Union. Later trips have been stop-overs mostly, so on this one, I decided to spend a few days and have a better look (again). And yet…
Riga does have much to commend it though, including its UNESCO-listed Old Town, the thought-provoking Occupation Museum and the Art Nouveau - or Jugend - district (Elizabetes Street).
My first time in Riga, I stayed at Hotel Latvija, one of the few hotels in town, very reminiscent of Riga’s then recent past. Passing by on our stroll through town, I wanted to see if this old Soviet hotel had changed much, so we had drinks in the hotel’s panorama bar. Well, it has of course been modernized, but the views from the top floor are just as spectacular - and I still got a little old-Soviet feel.
This time, we stayed at Homestay, a great rambling B&B by the pretty Mezaparks. Recommended!
Tags: Baltic states, Blogsherpa, Europe, Latvia, Riga, Travel, UNESCO World Heritage Sites
