Latvia - Riga

We like to visit a different Christmas Market each year, and to take a few days to explore the city and its surroundings. In 2023 we visited Riga, the capital of Latvia and our third Baltic country. The current city dates from the 12th Century, and has seen many battles and alternating periods of occupation by Germans, Swedish and Imperial and Communist Russians - but despite that, the Latvian culture and language has prevailed. The Old Town has many beautiful buildings and is rightly UNESCO World Heritage listed, together with the fantastic Art Nouveau District which dates from the early 20th Century. The layer of snow gave it a magical feel, and the many fine cafes provided a very welcome chance to warm-up!