Exceptional Experiences in Latvia

Checking what's on my computer I found this list of exceptional experiences in Latvia that was made many months ago for some other website... But it never got published anywhere, so I'm giving myself the green traffic light to share this list with you. Some adrenaline, some adventures, some childhood dreams that can become reality. Take a look at this list and let me know if there is something you can add!

1) Spending a night in a jail

In 2009 The Ghost Hunters International team announced: the Karosta jail in Liepāja is one of the most haunted places in the world. This KGB prison, where more than 150 people got shot, is one of the most unusual hotels you can find around the world. Entering this place every visitor becomes a prisoner, and staying overnight there you will get a real prisoners cell. It should be noted that this place is not recommended for emotionally sensitive people.

2) Flying with no belts, ropes or parachutes

In 1979 Jean St. Germain, Canadian-French inventor, built the first vertical wind tunnel, and last 30 years  ‘Aerodium’ in Latvia has been working to develop this invention and make flying real for any person with no special previous training. In Sigulda you can fly without safety belts and rubbers, no ropes and no parachutes – just jump into the vertical wind tunnel to enjoy adrenaline and taste of freedom.

3) Song and Dance Festival where thousands are singing like one

Since 1873 Song and Dance Festival in Latvia has been significant event which brings together more than 20 000 performers - singers and dancers in Riga – all dressed in traditional costumes from all parts of Latvia. The festival is held in summer once per 5 years taking over the streets of Riga, concert halls and even the public transport. The next festival will take place in 2018.

4) Midsummer’s Night

The pagan tradition of celebrating the summer solstice is absolutely alive in Latvia. 23rd of June people are getting to the countryside to make bonfires at night, to drink beer and jump over the fire, to decorate themselves with flowers, to sing and dance, to look for magical ferns in dark woods at night and run naked around meadows staying awake until the sunrise.

5) Park of modern arts

Pedvāle Open-Air Art Museum is the area of 200 ha full of original and surprising sculptures, installations and art objects created in workshops for specific place using mostly locally available materials. Be ready to spend your day in meadows, forests and hills on the banks of the river Abava observing wildlife and interaction between the nature and modern art where every step in the trail can bring new surprises.

6) Bobsleigh for speed lovers

1420 meters long bobsled track where high-level competitions are held is available also for non-professionals to enjoy adrenaline when bob curves down in landslides with a speed of 100kph. Accompanied by athletes, visitors can enjoy winter bob, summer bob on wheels or special tourist bobs in the track built in 1986 and regularly bringing here bobsled professionals from several countries for their trainings.

7) The Secret Soviet bunker

2000 sq m large bunker 9 m underground has been a secret since it was created in 1980-ies. It is located in Līgatne, and the veil of secrecy has been removed only in 2003. Soviet memorabilia, projections of what would happen in case of a nuclear war, telecommunication unit for communication with Moscow Kremlin and more original features you can see there now. For brave visitors there is a possibility to participate at the reality game.

8) Latvian Sauna

Traditional Latvian sauna is a real trip into the world of power of nature: right herbs and branches of trees into sauna open the world of aromas and natural healing, jumping into the water of pond or lake (even in winter) right after sweating in the temperature of up to 100° C strengthens body, and a massage with leaves and herbs (which looks more like hitting a person) removes the stress better than any spa.

9) Off-road driving with Russian military cars

Off-road park in Saldus district near the lake gives the adventure of off-road driving through forests and rivers in Russian military jeeps in the former military landfill Zante. There are special tracks for several difficulty levels, and after the training and orientation rides groups are also invited to challenge everyone's driving skills in a competition.

  

10) Lonely beaches and naturally blue cows 

Western part of Latvia – Kurzeme offers to enjoy beautiful, quiet, lonely beaches on the Baltic Sea – for hiking, bird watching, nude swimming or being alone with the wild nature.  This part of Latvia is also the only place to see naturally blue cows. The secret of this natural color is nothing else than the water of the sea.

 

Don't Joke with it in Latvia!

In every country there are some prejudices and hot topics to talk about and be careful talking about. Here are some things which, depending on the local person you meet, in Latvia can be offensive and unpleasant to hear or talk about. 

Latvia vs. Lithuania

There is no problem between Latvians and Lithuanians, we are friendly neighbors with similar languages, history, architecture, traditions and problems, even the names of these countries sound similar in different languages like Lettland & Litauen, Lettonia & Lituania, but... The same as Germany & Austria with the same language or Slovakia & Slovenia with similar names, Latvia and Lithuania are two separate countries. If you are in Riga and tell that you are glad to be in the capital of Lithuania, the face in front of you might change from friendly smiling to truly disappointed. Although it is not a big deal, but it is happening pretty often that foreign people being in Latvia keeps calling it Lithuania. The capital of Latvia is Riga and the capital of Lithuania is Vilnius. As a small country fighting for its identity and recognition, we just want people, who are visiting us, to know where they are. 

Latvians vs. Russians

You probably know something about the history of Latvia, you see in the map that Russia is our big neighbor and have heard something about Russians in Latvia. What’s the problem? It’s the BIGGEST problem for a lot of people in Latvia now. Just 20 years have passed since we have got the independence from Russia and there is a huge percent of Russian speaking inhabitants in Latvia, referendum about accepting Russian as the second official language in Latvia, Soviet time memories that are still alive. You don’t know you are meeting Latvian or Russian and both sides are quite nationally minded. If you discuss this topic with Latvian you will get a version of stupid, cruel, rude, uneducated Russians. If you talk with Russian you might get a story about stupid, racist, heartless Latvians and that Latvia actually is Russian country not Latvian. We are just all the time incited against each other by politics and mass media. Don’t say that Latvians and Russians have no difference between them. In fact, there is no problem for Latvians and Russians to be good friends, but if you meet some especially nationalistic person with strict opinion about what is happening and how it should be, this conversation can become never-ending and pretty uncomfortable.

Sex-tourism

A lot of inhabitants of Riga would throw eggs or tomatoes on me just because I mentioned it here. Stay calm: I’m not promoting Riga as sex-tourism destination! Riga has sparkling nightlife, more girls than boys and open-minded girls what leads to what is called "sex-tourism" here. You might also face people considering that every male tourist in Riga is sex-tourist. The word ‘sex-tourism’ in Riga is not used meaning the same as in Amsterdam or Thailand – it’s not about prostitution. This 10 minutes Youtube video gives some explanations: 

Freedom Monument

If you are in Riga there is no way you could miss seeing Freedom Monument – it’s 42 m high monument separating the Old Town from the new city centre with the majestic opera house on one side and the Bastion hill on the other side. We are all extremely sensitive about any joke you make about it. Mass media also have told us that many times foreign people find this almost holy place for relieving natural needs behind the monument. You get a penalty for this. Just don’t do it even if the police doesn’t see you (what is pretty impossible there in any time of a day).  This monument is embodiment of Latvian strength, history and identity. Read about it here:  Monument, Freedom & Flowers

At the end I should say that Latvians have sense of humor and they love joking about themselves (of course - we can joke about ourselves but are sensitive when others are joking about us - as anyone else). The picture below shows the world through eyes of a Latvian. :) 

If you have other observations, questions or something to add to this post - feel free to comment here!

Winter in Riga: What to Do?

Winter is not just about Christmas, although that’s what we all think starting from November till first weeks of December. Till the middle of December majority of us  is already tired of Christmas on every corner. For those, coming to catch Christmas mood in Riga, see previous post about Christmas Markets and the Nutcracker.

But!

What  about other winter activities in Riga? Ok, it’s cold here, so you walk around get into some cafe to warm up, walk again and get again in some random cafe. Nope, it doesn’t have to be like this. Here are some options  for you to enjoy winter in Riga:

Day of Museums! The best time to visit museums is winter, for sure! Art lovers, you have a lot to see here – huge collection of Latvian Art history in a permanent exposition you will find at the  Latvian National Museum of Art (K.Valdemāra Street 10a) and walking through the Old Town, you will find a lot of small art galleries. History lovers, check the Occupation Museum at the Town Hall square and War Museum at Torņa street with impressive medieval Powder Tower or huge Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation at Palasta street 4 (Old Town). The sunniest place in Riga is Sun Museum at the Old Town – different Sun items from different places in the world, the most playful place – Doll Museum,  the hottest museum (just opened in Riga) – Museum of Erotic. Maybe Art Nouveau museum?

Skating! (Skating rinks are not opened yet, but will surely be there as soon as real winter is here). It’s a great  option to warm up in winter! You will find one skating-rink at the Old Town, one in the last stop of the Tram nr. 11 – Mežaparks (with natural ice) and many more. The most pompous shopping centre in Riga  - Galleria Riga - invites to the skating-rink on the top of the building! On the 7th floor above the roofs of Riga city center you can skate while enjoying panorama of Riga! /I’ll let you know as soon as winter is here and open-air skating-rinks open/

Some other winter sports? Take a day trip out of Riga - to Sigulda (around 1 hour drive from Riga) and get to know bobsleigh! Get to know it closer – not just watching, but also putting yourself into the place of a  bobsleigh sportsman! Bobsleigh season has already started! You can go there on your own, with your friends or join organized tours – almost all travel agencies are oranizing  tours to Sigulda, or ask at your hotel or hostel – a lot of them are really keen on it and glad to take Riga’s visitors to bobsleigh in Sigulda. By the way, Sigulda is also famous with its' beautiful nature and castles.

Nightlife in Riga? No changes there: Riga’s nightlife in winter is as active as in summer. Some cozy places for dancing and getting to know local people see here:  Where Locals Have Fun I, Where Locals Have Fun II

Picture:  The Entrance of the  Latvian National Museum of Art

All These Languages... And Your Little English – Latvian Dictionary!

*inspired by the question on Tripsofa.com  I saw today  - Do you typically pack a dictionary when traveling foreign countries? 

(Click on to see answers) 

I guess a dictionary is one of these things we usually want to take with us, but forget. I speak Latvian (which is useless abroad, but helps to deal with German, because Latvian has huge influece from German language), Romanian (which works perfect only in Romania, but helps to understand easier other Romance languages like Italian, Spanish), I understand well Russian which is great help for visiting Slavic countries and not only - when I was living in Romania with no local language skills I suddenly discovered that in a shop it’s easier to find what I need reading what’s written on products in Bulgarian as it is also Slavic language and I can read cyrilic script. Unfortunately I don’t speak so good Russian, but I have English and it works quite well! Well, that’s also true - hitchiking 4000 km in Eastern Europe I had no chance to speak English, but also in Poland Russian language kind of works as Polish is also Slavic language just with Latin script.

For short term visits I think you just need some basic phrases like ‘Hello’, ‘Thanks’, ‘Cheers’, ‘Bye’ etc.  And if you learn to ask something in a foreign language with no accent, you will get an answer in a language you don't understand! :) My grandmother used to say that it will be the end of the world when all people around the world will speak the same language. Well, it’s not going to happen so soon...

Anyway  - about Latvian language: it’s in the group of Baltic languages where are just 2 lucky – Latvian and Lithuanian – languages. (Estonian is not related to these languages). These languages are the sole survivors of a separate family of Indo-European origins and have kept thousands of years old connection to the Sanscrit language. I have heard that Latvian is considered as a very difficult language, I guess it’s because of our grammar, but I have personally met people who have learnt Latvian after spending one year in Latvia working togeather with locals. There is a huge influence from Russian and German languages in Latvian language. Around 2 million people are living in Latvia and ~3 million Latvian speakers you will find in total around the world. Sounds kind of exotic.

Here is your little English – Latvian dictionary:

Hello / Hi – Sveiki (Latvians also use ‘Čau!’ like ‘Ciao’ in place of ‘Hi’ or ‘Bye’)

Thanks – Paldies

Please – Lūdzu

How are you? – Kā tev iet?

My name is... – Mani sauc...

What’s your name? – Kā tevi sauc?

Nice to meet you – Priecājos iepazīties (this one usually seems too difficult for foreigners, so do not bother yourself trying to remember it)

Where is...?  - Kur ir...? / Kur atrodas...?

Enjoy your meal / Bon appetite – Labu apetīti

Goodbye – Atā / Uz redzēšanos

Good night – Ar labu nakti

Cheers! – Priekā!

Any other important word or phrase I need to add here? (In the picture: ‘veikals’ – ‘shop’)

The Top 5 European Cities For Summer Travel

Ok, there is one more month of summer in Latvia and Riga is one of these top 5 cities in the list! So, here are 5 cities - Riga (Latvia), Faro (Portugal), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Crete (Greece), Barcelona (Spain).  And here is one more reason to come to Riga this August: Riga celebrates it 810 years! So, are you coming?

See the list or Top 5 cities for summer travel here: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-five-european-cities-for-summer-travel-2011

Your 24 Hours in a New City

If you have just 24 hours (or less) in one city, you have to be well prepeared. You have to manage a lot and there is no time to get lost in the city if you have some special interests. I don’t think you wanna be in a hurry looking for something to see. You want to enjoy. Any new place should give you good emotions. And nobody knows better than you what are you interested in, so there is some work you have to do before these 24 hours:

1)      Find out the most famous places and look them up in the map to get an idea is it possible to see them all without being in a hurry. And choose. Study the map before you come.

2)      Find a guide! It doesn’t matter – trhough the agency or some local. Tell them who you are, what are your interests. Some agencies will give you the full programme for these 24 hours with details and maps. Some local people will show you the shortest way to fullfill your wishes. You can also start your day in a new place with guided tour and after – continue on your own. If you can get a bus tour through the city – it’s just perfect – in some hours by bus in the city you will see and get to know a lot. In Riga the duration for the most popular bus tour is 3 hours in which you see all the important places, after that you can come back to any place you saw during the tour and enjoy the rest of your time there – it solves a lot of problems.

3)      Check the working hours for museums and other places you know you would like to visit. Check it twice.

4)      Ask yourself what makes you happy, are you keen on something, what do you want to see, try, get etc. And get it exactly in that new place you are coming to!

5)      Time for lunch: forget Mc’Donalds! Choose something specific for that place, but just a little bit if you are not sure it won’t make any problems. You have no time to get sick.

6)      If you are carefully planning you tour and going to be really busy with sightseeing, tasting, watching etc, don’t forget to have in your plan some time to rest. It’s more important to feel good in this new place than to see everything. Anyway there is no chance to see "everything".

7)      Relax and don’t stick to your plan in case if something changes. Let the new place give you new emotions and impressions. Enjoy.

You are already here and not prepeared before? You want to make the most of your time here?

1)      Get to the tourist information centre.

2)      Know what you want.

3)      If you have no special wishes ask from the people you meet on your way: what should I see here and how to find it? Communication with local people is already an adventure which helps you to feel the city.

Why I think any of Baltic capitals - Vilnius, Tallin, Riga - are good for a short visit? These are not big cities and you can manage to see a lot, although I know people who  have chosed to spend even one months of their vacation in Riga to truly feel the city, but it's another story. 24 hours is for seeing the place not feeling it. Some help for your short term visit in Riga:

Freedom Monument

The Old Town

See Riga From Hight of Birds

Wonders of Art Nouveau

Get your Riga guide

Save Money And Get New Experiences On Holidays!

Let’s say that you are keen traveller who: doesn’t need luxury, is fine with basic comfort and doesn’t need a high level of comfort, loves new obstacles and adventures, who loves to meet new people. Maybe you cannot afford expensive hotels? No matter what is the reason, but these are some options for low budget lodging. And I’m sure – some of these options can become a great experience! Creative travelers who are willing to consider alternatives to hotels could pay a fraction of that price —or nothing at all — by taking advantage of the following options. And it's not only about money - it's also about people :)

Of course the first place we can imagine if we don’t stay at a hotel is hostel. Though they're commonly known as "youth" hostels, this form of accommodation can be ideal for budget travelers of any age. Even if you're not up for the cheapest option — a bed in a shared dorm — you can often get a basic private room at a hostel for significantly less than the cost of a low-end hotel.

The next coming into my mind are homestays. I guess the most popular of them – CouchSurfing. Sleeping in someone's spare bedroom or on the living room couch is by far one of the cheapest ways to travel. Mostly it's free, and it's also a great way to meet locals. You can organize a homestay through long-established hospitality networks like Servas International, Hospitality Club or CouchSurfing.com.

You can try to find academic housing. When students go home for the summer, many colleges and universities open their dorms to visitors. Expect basic but very affordable accommodations (bathrooms may be down the hall, for example). University-Rooms.com is one to try — but it's worth calling a few local campuses directly to see if anything might be available during your trip. The local tourist board may also be able to help.

Take your tent and go camping! Sleeping under the stars can be a magical experience — and it's one of the cheapest options on the list, especially if you cook your own meals over a campfire instead of eating in restaurants every night.

Religious housing. Depending on where you're traveling, there may be affordable lodging offered by religious organizations — such as convents and monasteries in Italy (see MonasteryStays.com), or Christian or Jewish guesthouses in Jerusalem.

Farmstays. From rural B&B's to working ranches and cattle farms, this type of stay can cover a wide range of accommodations — and you don't necessarily have to be willing to milk a cow to take advantage of it. Farmstays are particularly popular in Australia and New Zealand. 

B&B's with shared bathrooms. And also bed & breakfasts can often save you money over hotel rooms, especially if you're willing to use a bathroom down the hall!

To Eat Or Not To Eat...

Check this out: I found some rules on the internet under the title „Professional Travel Health Advice”:

·         Don’t use unpasteurised milk, non bottled drinks , and uncooked food etc.

·         Use bottled or boiled water for cleaning your teeth and don't open your mouth and drink water in the shower.

·         Dishes containing raw or undercooked eggs, such as home-made mayonnaise, some sauces (e.g. hollandaise) and some desserts (e.g. mousses), are not a good idea.

·         Ice-cream that doesn't have a recognisable international brand name, and could be made locally, is often contaminated and could be a danger.

·         When confronted with cooked food, the holidaymaker should ensure that it has been thoroughly and freshly cooked.

·          Ice should be avoided unless made from safe water.

So, better don’t eat! Don’t wash! Don’t try any traditional food! And dangerous ice-cream... Well, I was always thinking that it’s a part of travelling...

I’m not a doctor and I can’t tell what’s better for you. My rules for travel healh would be: 1) If you know what kind of food you can’t eat, don’t eat it. 2) If you go to some exotic countries, check before – maybe you need some vaccine. 3) Keep with you some simple first aid things: a plaster, tissue-paper etc. 4) Sleep well 5) Try traditional food, but don’t get too excited by eating it, it can end up with vomiting even if you don’t feel it at the beginning, even if the food is extremally delicious (unfortunately). I had this experience with grape-leaves...6) In case of some unexpected health problems – please, look for a doctor. I mean, alternative medicine is very cool thing, but if you understand what is happening. Well, if you think your leg is broken better to go to a doctor.

There was also one very nice „professional” advice:

·         Drinks such as wine or beer, hot tea or coffee, and carbonated soft drinks or fruit juices that are bottled or otherwise packaged are usually safe to drink.

As long as you are able to see, smell, taste and understand – everything is ok with you. Enjoy!

Pictures: 1) Ice-cream - my favorite one from my childhood – made in Latvia. 2) Riga Black Balsam – made in Latvia and only in Latvia – pretty strong herbal liquer what makes it to be the best medicine in winter if you add it to your tee/coffee/hot balckcurrant juice... 3) „Green Spoon” – this symbol on food is the sign –qualitative food made in Latvia from high-quality staples.

Next time I’ll tell you some special traditional things Latvians do to keep themselves healty... Alternative methods you have to try here...

Time To Travel With Children

Long trip in a car: „Are we there yet mum? How long? When? Mum! Are we there yet mum?" Yes, it drives you mad... It might help to explain to them how long the whole trip will take by dividing the trip into sections. If you know the way you are going, add in that you are 20 minutes away from stopping at that place with the ducks and donkeys!

Choose the time for travel when they could sleep in the car. You can try leaving before sunrise and get several hours of quiet driving time before they wake up and want entertainment.

And now they want it! So, try classic car journey activity – singing!!! Maybe you can find a CD of music that everyone will enjoy! You can also try radio-productions, taped books – a wonderful way to pass the time together in the car and enjoy a book together as a family. You don’t need to buy them: borrow from your friends or a local library!

If I was a child I would really love this advice: a goodie bag for each child filled with simple cheap toys that you think can keep them amused. No, it won’t cost from you millions if you search at the cheaper isle of the toy store. It could keep them quiet and happy. Don’t give it before the trip, wait when they start: „Are we there yet mum?” You can also include there coloring books,  crosswords, sticker books, crayons etc. I guess you know better what would your children like.

Just some planning and creativeness and you can make you car ride enjoyable for the whole family. Oh, and children need variety – don’t forget it.

If you come to Riga with your children, visit LIDO recreation centre – while you will enjoy absolutely tasty Latvia food, elegant wooden interior and live Latvian music, your kids will find for them a lot of attractions, in winter there is also skating-rink. You can visit Mezhapark (Mežaparks – Forest park) with the Zoo (and animal feeding shows), kid’s railroad and modern playground. There is also the lake, so after a nice, hot summer day in the Zoo you can go to swim, before getting back to the centre of Riga. You can also enjoy white sand beach in Jurmala. Favourite indoor places to which kids usually pull their parents are Livu Aquapark in Jurmala and Go Planet complex in Riga. Actually, with kids I would advice you to go out of the city: hiking, palaces, skiing, flying in the vertical wind tunnel in Sigulda, forest with characters from fairytales in Tērvete, besides, you can book theme excursions (for example, to the airport or chocolate factory).

Pictures from Latvia: 1) Giraffes at the Riga Zoo; 2-3)Tērvete Nature Park; 4-5) LIDO recreation centre

Searching For The Hotel... Cheap...

There is a newspaper called „Baltic Stand By” for tourism professionals. In the last one I saw this: „Guests will always search per rate and not per discount” And this is true. Sometimes you don’t see any discount offered even on the home pages of the hotels, so when booking a hotel room, make sure you ask about discounts that may be available. And there are also hotels which has the same „Special Offer!” for years...

Try shopping early for your hotel room, especially if you're planning to travel during peak season, always call in advance, rates tend to get higher as the season approaches.

Sometimes hotels will reserve a block of lower-priced rooms, available on a first come, first serve basis. Getting the best lodging deal is often based on timing and planning ahead. Don’t try to guess! Talk with them! Ask!

If it’s possible, plan your vacations on off seasons: hotel rates,  airline tickets and car rental rates are lower during this time due to lower demand, you can get as much as a 50% discount if you book a room during off season.

Some hotels give discounts to certain people like students, military contingents, senior citizens, honeymooners etc. Some hotels and even car rental companies, give "free days" if you use their services for more than a week! And sometimes, hotels provide free airport pick-up. Use it, if you have a chance! Ask your confirmation number as soo as you reserve a room.

And thanks to the biggest encyclopedia in this world called Internet you can check out photos of the property, rooms, the surrounding area and of course reviews of those who have stayed at the same hotel before you. There is nothing better than reviews!!! Of course, there are different travellers with different needs – that makes reading them interesting. But even if you don’t have any special needs and you really need just a place to sleep, check the area where you are staying – or it may cost for you more than you are planning to spend.

On October 15th 2010, the Riga Tourism Development Office spokeswoman Guna Caune informed that Riga – the capital of Latvia has been recognized as the world’s cheapest travel destination, quoting the latest study by the world’s leading hotel reservations site Hotels.com, aimed to determine the world’s five most and least expensive travel destinations.

According to the Hotels.com study, Riga’s hotels offer rooms for an average of 52 pound sterling per night. Meanwhile, the Swiss city of Geneva ranks as the world’s most expensive travel destination, as the average room rate in Geneva’s hotels is 155 pound sterling per night.

Pictures: Hotels & hostels in Riga.