Top 5 cities in Latvia - Baltic Nature Travel

Top 5 cities in Latvia: a guide through the highlights

Text by Valdis Čeičs, photos by Solveiga Kaļva, www.solveigakalvaphotography.com

Riga

On the top 5 cities in Latvia the first is Riga. The legend says ‘Riga is never ready!’, and in some way it is true. Being the largest city in the Baltics, its looks are changing continuously. Hundreds of years between being the German Crusader stronghold and becoming the capital of the Republic of Latvia have left their signs.

Riga Old Town is the territory where the Crusader castle was built, and you can see some of its elements till nowadays. However, the most prominent architectural style in Riga is Art Nouveau. The city center with its quality and quantity of Art Nouveau buildings sometimes even trumps other metropolises known for it. Riga has even its own Art Nouveau museum. The most famous streets are Alberta, Elizabetes and Antonijas street, but don’t stop there! Riga offers more than 800 Art Nouveau buildings, so take your time, lift your eyes up and enjoy the beauty of Brīvības, Terbatas, Barona, Valdemara and other streets in the city center!

Riga stretches also on the other side of the Daugava River. The left bank has developed from Baltic German manor houses and farming land to modern urban areas. The districts closer to the city center, for example, Agenskalns, and Kipsala Island, have preserved their romantic wooden architecture. The districts further away from the city center, for example, Imanta and Ziepniekkalns, are examples of Soviet architecture from the 70s and 80s. In Ziepniekkalns you can find the longest 9-floor living house in the Baltic States (Ozolciema Street 18)!

Highlights:

Liepaja

Liepaja is the most exciting seaside city in Latvia. Being the former capital of Latvia it plays an important role till nowadays. Not only the wind is born in Liepaja, but also most of Latvian rock musicians! The city has a lot to offer on each corner – bars in the city center invite you to enjoy live music, sailors on the promenade welcome you on their boat decks to enter the Baltic Sea water, lovely architecture in the Old Town asks you to leave your plans aside and just wander around.

From all the top 5 cities in Latvia, Liepaja has a unique combination of partying mood on the beach, freedom vibes of rock music all around the city and historic atmosphere at the military harbour territory Karosta. Karosta has the only military prison in Europe which is open for tourists!

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Kuldiga

On the top 5 cities in Latvia Kuldīga is the most romantic town in Latvia where you can get lost wandering around beautiful cobblestone streets. You can still feel the breath of the 17th-18th century building style. The city center with the widest waterfall of Europe is so impressive that even fish start to fly! No joking, in the spring vimbas swim against the current across the waterfall and it looks like they are flying. Although, the main reason for visiting Kuldīga is its lovely architecture and charming atmosphere, it is a great destination for nature lovers too! You can relax on the beach at the Venta River or, if you are brave enough, walk across the waterfall, as well as explore various hiking routes starting from the city center and going along the Venta River.

The best is to enjoy Kuldīga slowly. Numerous restaurants and coffee shops wait for you in the small winding streets. Take a cup of coffee or glass of wine and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! Many modern art lovers seek inspiration in Kuldīga Artists’ Residence.

Highlights:

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Read more about Kuldīga in our blog – Kuldīga: a Perfect Place for Romantics

Cesis

Cesis is the third oldest town in Latvia, and it has kept its medieval spirit until today. Cesis attracts tourists with lovely streets and the medieval castle ruins which you can explore in a candle light. For a great view of the whole town, you can climb up to the tower in the new manor house right next to the medieval castle.

The compact old town has many places to enjoy a good meal. By accident or not, you might discover a cultural hub for local artists. In the evenings, Vidzeme concert hall and other venue places offer to enjoy music, varying from classic to electronic.

Maybe Latvia has no mountains, but we do have a lot of beautiful sandstone outcrops. Some of the most beautiful sandstone outcrops are located nearby Cesis – Ergļu (Eagle) cliff, Zvartes rock, Liela Elite (Devil’s owen) and Licu-Langu cliff. If you are careful enough, you will spot some caves too, for example, Kalejala (Blacksmith’s cave). A unique natural limestone outcrop from the post-glacial period, Raunas Staburags, is located just 23 km from Cesis. The Gauja National Park has established several easy and accessible hiking trails for everyone, for example, Cirulisu dabas takas.

Highlights:

Join our tour in Cēsis – Cesis: Medieval heritage and natural treasures!

Jurmala & Kemeri

Jurmala is a modern seaside resort city with a 200 years long history. The core of the resort are romantic wooden houses built for the ones who like to escape the stone walls. Jurmala lurks visitors with its fine sand beach and variety of recreational facilities. Jurmala stretches 30 km along the Riga Bay, and is very easily accessible on foot, by bicycle or train. Each part of the city has its own name, the most prominent are Majori, Dzintari and Bulduri. These districts will impress you with their splendour – fancy restaurants, five-star hotels and stunning villas. For the evening entertainment, enjoy a walk on the Jomas Street where most of the restaurants, bars and cafes wait for you.

Kemeri, the oldest part of Jurmala city where the first therapeutic facilities were established, is located on the outskirts of Jurmala. On the rich grounds of sulfur spring, sanatoriums, pavilions, rotondas and bridges across artificial canals were built for recreational and healing purposes. Most of Kemeri splendour has moved to Jurmala center, leaving a rich variety of historical buildings and sightseeing objects to travelers. The town is part of the Kemeri National Park which includes several bogs, dunes and sulfur springs.

Highlights:

Join our tour in Ķemeri – Hiking tour: Rromantic town, green dune, bog and sulfur water in Kemeri

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What travelers say about us

Angela B

2026-01-02

I booked the Trakai snowshoeing tour. This company did a great job communicating with me leading up to the tour date. Unfortunately there wasn't enough snow for snowshoeing so they arranged a hike instead. Tomas was a great guide. He provided a lot of interesting information during both the walk/hike and the tour of Trakai. He was also so kind as to bring tea (which was great on such a cold day) and Šakotis (very delicious), which we enjoyed after walking through the trails at Varnikai Forest. If I am in the Baltic region again, I would definitely consider another tour with Baltic Nature Travel. Thanks for a great time!

Rob and Natalie

2025-10-08

Baltic Nature Travel (BNT) did an outstanding job organizing our 17 day self-driving tour through Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania in Sept. 2025. Every detail was carefully planned and implemented - transportation from & to the airport and ferry; rental car delivered to our hotel; personal guides in the capital cities. The hotels were in excellent locations and often family owned, with great breakfasts included. The trip was designed so that we spent two nights at several places, which made pace of our trip just right. Two hotel had saunas and pools - a good respite. Our trip included urban and rural experiences, lots of opportunity for walking and exploring. As American visitors, we appreciated the reception we received from local residents and the fluent English spoken by most. BNT has our very highest recommendation.

Micha Wierdsma

2025-09-28

We had booked the Best of Ķemeri National Park tour. We had an amazing day together with Rolands. He picked us up right on schedule, and in the car his enthusiasm for the tour was immediately apparent! He told us all about the day, about what we could expect. The tour exceeded all our expectations, it was truly beautiful. Rolands was very informative, told us all about the area, the history, the nature. Not only did we enjoy the hiking and breathing in the fresh air, we also learned some very interesting things! Rolands was very friendly and talkative and we could ask all the questions we want, even about the Latvian language and traditions. He was also very helpfull, when my wife had trouble with some paths, he helped her. Even when she stubbed her toe, it didn't take any joy out of the day.

Julie Grewe

2025-09-22

Our family had the privilege of working with Valdis and his company Baltic Nature Travel, both as our travel planner and guide for what became the most significant, symbolic, and memorable trip of our lives - a family heritage discovery journey through Latvia. Valdis brought Latvia to life for our family in a way we will never forget. From the very beginning, he thoughtfully prepared an itinerary that balanced cultural highlights with deeply personal experiences. He went out of his way to make phone calls and track down historical places in the countryside - sites that were far off the beaten path - so we could walk the same roads our ancestors once did. Because of his dedication, we were able to visit the towns our relatives grew up in, stand in the schools they attended, and step into the very churches where they were married. These moments were profoundly moving and would not have been possible without his diligence and care. Beyond the heritage aspect, Valdis ensured that every detail of our journey was seamless. He made restaurant reservations, arranged impeccable hotel accommodations, comfortable transport, and found us the most wonderful driver, Aldis, whose skill, kindness, and courtesy elevated the entire experience. Both Valdis and Aldis were not only professional, conscientious and gracious at every turn, but they quickly became trusted companions - friends we now consider part of our extended family. We could not recommend Valdis and Baltic Nature Travel more highly. From the first time we were in contact, until our trip was over, Valdis truly took care of us. For anyone seeking assistance or guidance in their travels to Latvia or across the Baltic States, I would choose Valdis a hundred times over. His passion, knowledge and personal touch transformed our trip into something truly unforgettable. -Julie Birznieks

Joan Burns

2025-09-15

Our road trip through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania was outstanding! Baltic Nature Travel made it easy by suggesting the itinerary, choosing accommodations and arranging car rental. They provide great advice on things to do, places to eat and they were happy to make special arrangements to personalize our experience. A first-rate company!

Hodo the Frobbit

2025-09-12

We had the most amazing trip hiking through the Gauja national park. Valdis at Baltic Nature Travel was absolutely brilliant. He made planning the holiday incredibly easy, and was always on hand to answer any questions we had. If I could rate the experience ten stars, I would.

Jessica Dickstein

2025-09-01

I would highly recommend Valdis and Baltic Nature Travel for a trip to Estonia and Helsinki. I worked with Valdis over a few weeks to plan a custom trip for my family - including a toddler and our parents. He was very easy to communicate with and helped me plan the perfect trip for 12 days - the quality of the guides was fantastic and the itinerary was well planned for self drive. We absolutely loved Estonia and everything we were able to see and on our grand adventure!

ellen drost

2025-08-30

Odense Carolinekilde Rotary klub is very satisfied with our experience in Riga and Jurmala. Everything was well organized. Good restaurants. Our guide Rita was very skilles with great knowledge and serviceminded. She spoke very understandable English. We really liked her personality. We give your company the bedst recommendations.