Best Traditional Latvian Riga Old Town Heritage Tour Destinations
Browse more guides: Latvia travel | Europe destinations Best Traditional Latvian Riga Old Town Heritage Tour Destinations TL;DR Latvia - the central Baltic State - preserves the densest concentration of Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) architecture in Europe at Riga, plus a Hanseatic Old Town and the seaside resort town of Jūrmala. Major destinations: Riga Old Town and Art Nouveau District (UNESCO 1997), Jūrmala (Soviet-era spa resort), Sigulda and Turaida Castle , Rundāle Palace (Latvia's Versailles), plus broader Latvian cultural-tourism. Plan a 4-5 day Latvia trip. This is the Baltic Art Nouveau capital and the classic middle-Baltic-State destination. Background Riga was a Hanseatic League trading port from 1282; the Old Town preserves the medieval core. Russian rule 1721-1918, Soviet 1940-91. The Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) building boom 1900-1914 produced 800+ Art Nouveau buildings - one-third of Riga's central buildings, the densest concentration in Europe. UNESCO 1997 ...