Best Latvia
Aron Nimzowitsch (1886-1959) was a Latvian-born chess player and author profoundly influential in strategic thought. He championed the hypermodern approach, prioritizing dynamic play over rigid adherence to traditional pawn structures. His work, particularly *My System*, challenged established dogma...
Riga Centrāltirgus is a historic market hall located in Riga, Latvia. Constructed within repurposed World War I German zeppelin hangars, it opened in 1930 and remains one of Europe’s largest food markets. The building's unique architecture and significant role in Latvian history make it notable. It...
Rundāle Palace is an 18th-century Baroque and Rococo palace located in Pilsrundāle, Latvia. It was designed by the Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli and constructed in two phases between 1736 and 1770 for the Dukes of Courland. The building features ornate stucco decorations, ceiling...
The Rimi Riga Marathon is an annual road-running event held in Riga, Latvia, with a history dating to 1991. Its program includes the marathon distance alongside shorter races, allowing both experienced distance runners and recreational participants to compete on routes through the Latvian capital. T...
Jeļena Ostapenko is a Latvian tennis player who won the 2017 French Open as an unseeded competitor, becoming Latvia's first Grand Slam singles champion.
The Dogs of Riga is a crime novel by Swedish author Henning Mankell and the second book featuring police inspector Kurt Wallander. First published in Swedish in 1992, it begins with two murdered men found in a life raft and takes Wallander from southern Sweden to Latvia, where the case intersects wi...
Cēsis Medieval Castle is a historic Livonian Order stronghold located in the town of Cēsis, Latvia. Originally established around 1209, it became one of the order's most important political and administrative centers. The site features the ruins of the original medieval castle alongside a later mano...
Engure Lake Wetland is a shallow coastal lake and marsh complex in Latvia, designated a Ramsar site in 1995 and noted for breeding and migratory waterbirds.
The Riga Cathedral clock tower is the prominent western tower of Riga Cathedral, commonly called the Dome Cathedral, in Latvia's capital. The cathedral was founded in 1211 and developed over centuries, so its architecture incorporates Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, and later elements rather than repre...
Blizzard of Souls is a 2019 Latvian historical drama based on Aleksandrs Grīns’ novel about a rifleman’s experiences during World War I. The film premiered in Latvia and internationally, receiving consideration for the Academy Awards. It was ultimately not selected as the Latvian entry for the Best...
The Riga Art Nouveau District encompasses a concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in Riga, Latvia, primarily dating from the early 20th century. Riga contains one of the largest collections of Art Nouveau buildings in the world, with the style appearing in roughly a third of the city's central b...
The Supreme Court of Latvia is the country's highest court for civil, criminal, and administrative cases, operating as a court of cassation that reviews questions of law rather than routinely retrying facts. Its principal divisions are the Department of Civil Cases, Department of Criminal Cases, and...
The Western Dvina, known as the Daugava in Latvia, is a major European river that flows for approximately 1,020 kilometers. It begins in the Valdai Hills of Russia, travels westward across Belarus, and eventually empties into the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. As it passes through Latvia, the river...
The Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music is a higher education conservatory located in Riga, Latvia. Established in 1919, it is the national music academy of Latvia and offers undergraduate and graduate programs in classical performance, composition, and musicology. The academy is named after comp...
Rundale Palace is an 18th-century Baroque and Rococo palace complex in Latvia, designed by Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who also created the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Construction began in 1736 as the summer residence of Duke Ernst Johann von Biron of Courland. The palace features...
Jūrmala Beach is a continuous stretch of white quartz sand along the Baltic Sea coast in Latvia, extending for roughly 33 kilometers. It borders the city of Jūrmala, a major resort destination located just west of the capital city of Riga. The beach is characterized by its shallow coastal waters and...
Jelgava Palace is a monumental Baroque structure in Latvia designed by Rastrelli, built in the 18th century to serve as the winter residence of the Dukes of Courland.
The Riga Marathon is an annual road running event held each May in Riga, the capital of Latvia. Recognized as one of the largest running events in the Baltic states, the race features a flat, fast course that traverses the city's central districts and crosses the Daugava River. The routing allows ru...
The Riga International Film Festival (RIGA IFF) is an annual film festival held in Riga, Latvia. Founded in 2014, it screens contemporary European and international cinema, with particular attention to Baltic and Nordic productions. The festival typically takes place in October and includes competit...
The University of Latvia is a public research university founded in Riga in 1919, shortly after Latvia first declared national independence.
Rideļu Dzirnavas is a Latvian watermill built after Lake Engure was lowered in 1863, with a restored wheel and grain-grinding mechanism.
Turaida Castle is a 13th-century medieval fortress situated on a narrow ridge along the Gauja River in Latvia. The stone structure was built starting in 1214 under the direction of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and the Archbishop of Riga, replacing an earlier wooden stronghold. The site's most...
Cēsis Castle is a medieval fortification complex located in the town of Cēsis, Latvia. Founded in the early 13th century by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, it became one of the primary administrative centers for the Livonian Order in the region. The original stone castle was heavily damaged duri...
Riga Botanical Garden, established in 1867, encompasses over 160 hectares and features diverse collections of flora from Latvia and around the world, including medicinal plants, conifers, and ornamental species within its various thematic zones.
The Riga World Cup is an FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup held in Latvia's capital, one of the Eastern European stops on the international series with a tradition of strong regional participation.
Latvian castle in Bauska built by the Livonian Order around 1443–1456, later extended with a Renaissance palace that served the Duchy of Courland.
The National Botanical Garden of Latvia, established in 1962, encompasses over 70 hectares and features diverse plant collections representing various biomes, including boreal forests, wetlands, and Mediterranean climates, primarily for research and conservation purposes.
The Daugava is a 1,005-kilometer river rising in Russia and flowing through Belarus and Latvia, heavily dammed by Soviet engineers for hydroelectric power since the 1960s.
The Soviet Story is a 2008 documentary examining Soviet Union history from 1941 onwards. It incorporates interviews with historians, political figures, and individuals impacted by Soviet actions and the period’s events. The film was produced with sponsorship from the Union for Europe of the Nations...
The Latvian Academy of Music, founded in 1919 in Riga alongside Latvia's declaration of independence, is the country's principal conservatory and the oldest music higher education institution in the Baltic states.
