Latvia
Capital: Riga
Population: 2 million
Language: Latvian (official), Russian
Currency: Euro
Location: Northeastern Europe on the Baltic Sea
Capital: Riga
Population: 2 million
Language: Latvian (official), Russian
Currency: Euro
Location: Northeastern Europe on the Baltic Sea
June 2019
Riga has a character to it. I know I’ve said this about several different places I’ve written about, but this one is particularly unique. Visually, the aesthetics of the city are quite amazing. The combination of neo-classical and neo-gothic architecture with wide open city streets provide scenic views throughout the city. Meanwhile, various parks and a wide river add elements of nature scattered about. Plus, unlike many other European cities, Riga isn’t overrun by hordes of tourists, and therefore holds onto its charm.
On top of that, it was one of my favorite cities to wander through (which was made all the better by having someone to wander along with - see Hanka in Awesome People). There are so many unique little cafes, shops, and places, while the old town has many twists and turns that can lead to seemingly hidden special spots.
Where to Stay
During my visit, I stayed at (NAME) Hostel, and if I am to return, I will absolutely stay there again. First of all, the place is in a great location. It’s in an area quiet enough to chill and relax, but close to the old town and city center where everything happens. The owner is super nice and helpful too, happy to share anything about the city. Right from the beginning, I felt right at home. On top of that, the building itself is very comfortable and welcoming. This includes the lounge area in the common room, along with a nice seating area out front, and a rooftop patio where you get a great view of the city. And best of all, the price is really affordable (just 13 euro per night as of 2019).
June 2019
Although my trip was short, it was pretty amazing. I arrived by bus from Estonia and I was there in late June of 2019 and went to the pagan solstice festival Lido. I wandered through a lot of the city and went out into the countryside where I visited the Baltic Sea. It was warm enough for swimming at the time, and was enjoyed by seemingly the whole local population of the country. Best of all though, I met Hanka there (see Awesome People and Czech Republic pages). It’s a fascinating little country, one that I definitely plan on visiting and exploring more in the future.
Based on the limited knowledge I was able to gather during my short visit, here is what I can advise if you decide to visit Latvia
Wander through Riga. The city is pretty awesome, architecture is fascinating, and it isn’t overrun by tourists yet
Visit the Baltic Sea. If you go in the summer, you can swim, but I’d imagine that it looks gorgeous in the winter too. Plus its really easy to get to from Riga.
Get into the countryside and see the forests.
Get involved in an old pagan tradition.
Find random hole-in-the-wall places. They’re really interesting and unique here.
Be there for the solstice.
June 2019
Surprisingly, I had made it 28 years on this planet without attending a pagan summer solstice festival. By now, you’d expect it to be my annual tradition, but somehow it had eluded me… That is until this year when I went to Latvia - a place where such a celebration is an official national holiday. Naturally, I made absolutely sure to attend. Here is my story of how that went.
Every year on the 23rd of June (yes, I know the solstice is technically the 21st) the entire city of Riga shuts down to hold a festival to honor their pagan roots. Rightfully so, it goes from 5:00pm to 4:30 in the morning the next day. I got there around 8:00pm with Hana (see Awesome People page) while the sun was shining as bright as mid day. Earlier on, she had gone to the forest to make crowns out of leaves for the two of us. Upon entering, we saw a makeshift structure that reminded me a lot of True Detective (see above), and in the distance, we could hear horns and strings playing what I assume to be traditional Latvian music. We walked through the entrance and saw what looked like the whole city along the river. A conga line zipped past us and massive wooden pyres could be seen in every direction. We then both decided to go to one of the many beer tents in order to better fit in with our fellow festival goers.
Drinks in hand, we walked over to the main stage and listened. All five members of the band were dressed in traditional attire and were really getting into the mood. They were fun and their sound perfectly fit the occasion. Best of all, most of the people around us seemed to be enjoying their drinks and the music, as opposed to being on their phones. Unfortunately though, the second band did not live up to the first’s performance, and instead decided to play tacky modern pop music. Because of this, we chose to make our way down to the river instead of hanging around the stage.
We stayed for a few more hours, in which some random guy swiped one of my beers when my head was turned (props to him for being quick and disregarding sanitation). Around midnight, the wooden pyres were set on fire and everyone began throwing their leaf crowns into the flames. The sun wasn’t fully down yet due to our far north location. We decided to check the main stage one more time, but it was another tacky pop band killing the authentic vibe (if only the first band stayed on all night), but the crowd still seemed to be in good spirits, probably due to the tremendous amounts of booze available. We then left and decided to walk around the empty city.
It all made me wonder, ‘why did we give up paganism?’ Why did we replace drinking and dancing celebrations of joy with solemn ceremonies of restraint, self guilt, and judgment of others (western monotheism) or the dull perspective that everything is meaningless (atheism)? I mean, with paganism, you get to give thanks to awesome things like the sun, nature, animals, water, and all that good stuff that keeps us alive in a daily basis. We’s be more grateful for everything, instead of plundering it all as if its just something to be exploited (damn it Des Cartes and your mechanical view of everything non human). Anyway, I digress. Overall, the event was pretty fun. Food and booze were very affordable and the crowd and location were awesome. I just wish the first band stayed on longer.
While staying in Latvia, I made sure to include a trip to the country’s Baltic coast during my visit. It turned out to be a really easy destination from the capital Riga. All I had to do was take a 30 minute train ride for less than 2 euro to the stop (NAME). And since there were trains going about every half an hour, I had plenty of options as to when to go. For this trip, I went with Hana (see Awesome People and Lido Festival pages). Once there, we walked about 7 or 8 minutes down a trail through a forest. Eventually, we got to a clearing at the end, and suddenly the scenery opened up to reveal the Baltic shore and all its glory.
Surprisingly, the area was pretty developed, but thankfully in a way that did not hinder the natural beauty and overall feel of the place. The water was so clean and blue and the sand was clear and smooth (unlike the beaches of Long Island Sound, which I had grown up alongside), and garbage was nowhere to be seen. There were numerous little pavilions and cafes, many of which happened to be modestly priced, and Latvians from seemingly all backgrounds were out enjoying the day. Some were relaxing, others were swimming, a few were playing volleyball, and some were even riding bicycles… on the sand.
Just a side note to my readers. The Baltic is not the Medeterranean. It’s much further north, and as a result, significantly colder. That said, if you can handle the temperature, there are far less tourists here and you can really enjoy the waters without having to dodge screaming families. Just don’t expect bath-like conditions. Instead, brace yourself for an exciting adrenaline rush.
Also, you can walk on clear sands as far as the eye can see. It was pretty interesting since the sand began right as the forest ended. It was almost as if it were a clash of two different geographical areas. Sandy beach meets northern birch tree taiga. I, personally, hadn’t ever seen anything quite like it, but it was pretty fascinating and provided a nice calming effect. And on the way back, Hana pointed out the tree in which she made our leaf crowns out of (see Lido Festival story again). So, for now, that’s all I have to say. Go there. You’ll like it.