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Day or night you could just wander around the city endlessly for months and never be bored. We also suggest getting out and exploring the peaceful forested regions and small lakes surrounding the city. One if the regions main attractions lies just about a 15 minute ride from the city center...is gorgeous 20 mile long white sand beach located in the neighboring town of Jurmala on the warm Baltic Sea. Even excluding the beach there are virtually a hundred things to keep you, and your family or friends, entertained. There is an aqua park, horse & bike riding, as well as a carnival with rides. Tents along the beach sell drinks & ice-cream, and nets are strung up for volleyball and netball tournaments. At the end is a national park that offers canoeing, hiking and bird-watching. The beach area is built up like a small Coney Island. and the walking lanes are filled with sidewalk cafes, fine restaurants, clubs with live music and plenty of gift shops for purchasing souvenirs. Even for a lone man there are endless opportunities to meet stunning ladies of local and Russian descent and the boardwalk is an excellent place to spend a fun day on the beach and a romantic evening of dining and dancing. In fact, I met a beautiful Russian lady during my 3 week tour of Riga and we spent several hours enjoying each other's company on the beach, laughing, drinking & dining and she even managed to talk me onto one of those wild jerking, twisting and spinning rides at the carnival. It was extremely difficult retaining my posture and my dinner. I really didn't need the dizzying effects of the ride, as I was quiet dizzy enough just being with her. She even taught me some exotic Russian dances. "Hey, I'm single and never too old for romance. She was my companion and my guide and without her I would definitely have been lost on many occasions. I would most assuredly not had as much fun.. During one of our daily strolls we wandered into the Occupation Museum, detailing Latvia’s struggle up to and after WWII, right up to the 90s when finally breaking away from the Soviet regime. The exhibitions were fascinating and informative. One of my most memorable days was when she took me on a 2 hour river cruise on a large open deck boat. There were quite a few people on the boat, but all I truly remember is her, the fresh cool breeze and the south local music from the boats speakers. I do vaguely remember some images of classic architecture on quiet a few churches and old buildings lining the river. The day of our arrival in Riga we drove around the city center, parked and
walked around for a while and finally spotted our pre-selected hotel. The fabulously stylish
Hotel Berg is directly in the center and within
a short stroll to everything. The hotel was a city classic and provided lavishly
modern and spacious suites, as well as a delectable breakfast.
We had researched it before arriving and after spending a full week in the hotel we
highly recommend it. The Hotel Berg definitely offers much more than simply a place to sleep.
Each suite is equipped with high speed internet, large television, coffee and
tea and the guests can enjoy full access to their fully equipped gym, heated pool
and sauna. The hotel has a full service bar and a friendly staffed restaurant
for divine dining
and both the bar & the restaurants offers a varied assortment of beverages, drinks and cocktails. From our first hour to our last we extensively explored the city and
the region and I remain impressed
with the city in general and especially with the local women's stunning beauty and sense of open
& adventurous
style of dress. Paris fashions have no meaning here as the women dress
wildly provocative and creative in a non conformists manner. I spent many
hours sitting in a sidewalk cafe in utter bewilderment of the endless parade of
absolutely gorgeous women strolling about. In general the country's people bestowed the
solaced strength and beauty of their Russian bloodline while retaining the
gracious style of their own colorful heritage. I am fortunate to have the
opportunities to travel our beautiful world and have toured practically
every country, region and city and remain impressed with the
people we encountered and the images captured during our 3 week stay in
Riga. As that we are both single we must admit in savoring quite a
lot of time dating and partying with a few local women. I now see why
this is a desired destination for large groups of German and especially
young English men. You guys in America; you really should get out more! Their currency is called 'Lats' and is fairly easy to formulate, as one Lat is equal to the approximate sum of one British Pound or 1.55 Euro cents and/or $1.83 US. ATM's and currency exchange vendors are plentiful, but for the best exchange rate use your ATM. Accommodation vary from 40 Euros upwards per night and also vary in amenities and services. The city has many fine hotels, such as the Berg, and another of our absolute favorites and highly referred is the centrally located Hotel Valdemars, a most welcoming and stunning hotel. The co-owner, Aleksandrs Cakste and his family operate the hotel which was first purchased by his Great-Great Grand Father, Anton, in 1910. During the Nazi occupation Anton and his family fled to Sweden. They, along with Aleksandrs, returned in 1989 and after the liberation from the Soviet Union in 1991 were able to reclaim the building. They promptly restored and remodeled the beautiful building to the first class hotel it remains today. The hotel Valdemars definitely has a lot of history and is one of the most accommodating luxury hotels I have had the experience of visiting. We stayed 12 days and became lifelong friends with Aleksandrs; sharing warm conversation at their covered outdoor restaurant and in their indoor bar. A more humble and charismatic man you will never meet. Hotel Valdemars; Book your room or 1 bedroom private suite through our company by filling out the form at the bottom of this review for a 10% savings, There are some less expensive lodging such
as the Dome Hostel, a reasonable, clean place to reside, with a selection of
mixed, or single sex dorms, but no en suites. The Dome provides just basic sleeping spaces, but do provide free internet and some local, non English television.
Their accommodation is on the main street and right next to the old square,
which is good for
nightlife. It can be a little noisy, but is bearable.
There is a war and commemorative museum of Riga's history of occupations both
by the Nazis and a long 50 year occupation by the Soviet Union. To really
understand the regions history you will need to allocate several hours, as there
are vast
amounts of reading, but is very interesting and there are English audios. Close to the town centre is a
large forested park
with gorgeous flora and plenty of benches for those quiet moments. Latvians are very
proud of their romantic culture and it's displayed in the central park's river bridge;
covered in padlocks engraved with the names of married couples. There are open
roof bus and even buggy tours of the historical center of Riga and is modestly
priced, but worth the time and the cost, as the city is adorned with Cathedrals
and small elaborately decorated churches and parliament buildings. Some do
require a small entrance fee, but the view from the buildings spires offer
beautiful views of the city.
Latvia; Additional Tourism Information; If you would like to see the region from a gently moving railway carriage, Great Rail Journeys (01904 521936, www.greatrail.com) has a 13-day Baltic Explorer package from May. The price; from £2,250, ($4,000 US) includes first-class rail travel by train and ship, with stays in Berlin, Helsinki, Tallinn and St Petersburg, returning by air to London.. Those who want to explore away from the coast need only head 60km northeast of Riga to the Gauja National Park (www.gnp.lv). The park’s entry town, Sigulda, is easily accessible by train or bus. The best way to see the beauty of the place is by canoe down the Gauja river, which has plenty of campsites on its banks. The 30km stretch from Cesis to Sigulda is the most scenic, although if you have more time you could try a five-day paddle to Sigulda from Strenci. Click here for Feedback, or just Inquiries! Review written by touring editor; Michael Smith. This editorial in its entirety is the sole property of Travelers Digest and may not be distributed, sold or copied without prior written permission of Travelers Digest and/or its licensed representatives.
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Travelers Digest Navigation Eastern Europe Travel Directory
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We drove our rental car from
the enchanting city of Vilnius, Lithuania on a
6 hour journey into neighboring Latvia and another fabulous city, Riga. A
wonderfully bustling city with stunning women, graciously welcoming people,
loads of history, gorgeous architecture, endless walking streets, ample shops,
bars, parks, canals, and countless sidewalk cafes & many fine
restaurants. It was mid afternoon and the sky was deep blue and filled with sunshine. It was middle July and the average temperature
while warm, wasn't uncomfortable at around 24c. The nights, while slightly cooler, remain quite
pleasant. We do, however, strongly suggest renting a room with air conditioning. 
Shopping;
Riga appears quite good for shopping with an average shopping centre, however I
would not recommend it for a shopping adventure, as it doesn't offer any real
bargains like you will find in open bazaars. As Riga is situated on the Baltic sea, you will,
however, find a huge array of low priced amber in all shapes and sizes. It is
their national stone. There are many gift stalls scattered around the city
center for souvenir. The city is stunning and has centuries of splendid architectural history and
a lovely river for evening strolls or even a paddle-boat ride.
Riga is safe and very clean with extremely friendly people and prides its self on being home to
some of the world's most beautiful women. With that I definitely agree!
Riga
enjoys a modest winter, enchanting spring and fall and a temperate summer with
little rainfall.