Latvian Tourism Newsletter
May, 2012
Top stories
Culture tourism
Latvia is one of the few European countries where still today, just like hundreds of years ago, a celebration of the summer solstice is held. The shortest night of the year – from June 23 to 24, is spent in front of bonfires that burn bright until sunrise, singing Līgo-themed folk songs. Women and girls wear a crown of flowers on their heads, while men wear a crown of oak...
The 17th annual Early Music Festival, which will be taking place from July 11 to 14, allows for a contemporary person to sample the feel of Renaissance, Medieval and Baroque periods through music.
The festival’s concerts attract listeners to the ancient churches and halls of Old Riga, as well as Mežotne Palace, the Koknese Castle ruins and the beautifully restored Lestene...Entertainment tourism
This July in Jelgava (central Latvia), sand sculpture artists from around the world will to create mesmerizing sand sculptures and amaze local residents. About 500 tons of sand will be brought into the city for the festival.
The 6th International Sand Sculpture Festival "Summer Signs" will be held in Jelgava from July 13 to 15.
Persons visiting the festival will also have the...
From July 6 to 8, the annual Jomas Street festivities in the Latvian coastal resort city of Jūrmala will be held, where various stages will be set-up on the pedestrian boulevard with concerts being held throughout the weekend.
Various well-known Latvian and foreign musicians will perform during this year’s Jomas Street festivities. There will also be an Alternative Music Stage,...
From July 10 to 15, the International Music and Film Festival "Mūzika un kino" will be held in Riga and Jūrmala, which will feature a wide range of concerts and performances by artists from Russia, Europe and the United States.
Performing in this year’s festival will be American indie-rock group "Brazzaville", as well as Argentine tango dancer Mariel Martinez, who has captivated...
At the beginning of July, the summer concert series of the international music and jazz festival "Rīgas Ritmi" will be held at the Riga Congress Building.
On July 5, Japanese pianist Hiromi Uehara will perform a concert.
Hiromi is one of the most remarkable pianists of the past half century. While her recordings display brilliance, one has to see her live to truly appreciate her...
One of the main festivals of this summer’s classical music calendar will be held in the picturesque town of Sigulda, where "Grammy" award winning Baltic chamber music ensemble "Kremerata Baltica" will be organizing a special music festival from July 5 to 8.
The chamber orchestra "Kremerata Baltica" was formed in year 1997 by renowned Latvian/German violinist Gidon Kremer,...Culinary tourism
As part of the "Delightfully delicious destination - Riga" project, Latvia’s top chefs will be offering dishes made with locally grown spring greens.
In May, the first local Latvian grown greens appear — asparagus, salad, sorrels, sweat peas, sprouts, radishes, rhubarbs, chives, and other. With nature starting to become green again in May, it has created a taste of salad and...Shopping tourism
Born in Riga. Inspired by the city’s elegance and history. Jeans with character and attitude. The design on these jeans have been made to visually make the lower part of the body slimmer, as well as hide trouble spots.
These jeans are made in Latvia and handmade to fit each individual body, so that they look and feel great when worn. They can be ordered on-line. Each pair of jeans...
After three years of hard work restoring the production of legendary "Erenpreiss" bicycles in Latvia, Gustavs Erepnreiss’ great-grandcousin Toms Erenpreiss has completed the development and offers for sale four new "Erenpreiss" models.
"Erenpreiss" models "Tom", "Gustav", "Paula" and "Greta" can be bought at "Gandrs" stores in Riga and Valmiera.
There were several bicycle...Nature tourism
It is possible to take a relaxing journey on one of Latvia’s two remaining narrow-track train lines, which the locals lovingly call "mazbānītis" (little choo-choo train).
Travelers visiting Latvia can have a unique experience when visiting northern Vidzeme Province, as this is where the only functioning narrow-track diesel engine train line in the Baltics is located. The train...Tourism industry news
The Latvian capital Riga is the cheapest and easiest to reach for a short getaway, according to an annual tourism report by the British postal, travel and insurance company "Post Office".
According to the "Post Office" report, Riga is the cheapest of 23 city break destinations for the second year running for meals and drinks, sightseeing, travel and hotel accommodation.
This...
This year’s sixth annual "Positivus" music festival near the Latvian coastal town of Salacgrīva continues to gain international recognition.
Every year, the festival has been attracting more and more interest from Europe and the rest of the world. Various foreign media have described the festival as having a friendly and relaxed atmosphere and always a interesting and great...
The "Great Baltic Tour 2012" is an adventure campaign that takes place in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It is an exciting way to spend free time and is full of new impressions and adventures that can be experienced across thirty different tourist attractions, ten in each country.
This year’s "Great Baltic Tour" will be the sixth to take place, and has been becoming more popular...Useful Information
The State Tourism Development Agency has set up an official tourist information hotline 1188 to heighten convenience and comfort for visitors while in Latvia, offering support, advice and trouble-shooting 24h in the English, German, Russian and Latvian languages.
Tourist Hotline 1188 offers:
• Informative support in emergency situations (for example, theft, scams, rip-offs, consular...
