34 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Latvia - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Latvia

The Corner House

A former Latvian headquarters of the brutal KGB secret police is now open as a grim reminder of their atrocities.

ahvenas

Added by ahvenas

Riga Central Market

3,000 market stands in five former Zeppelin hangars.

Dampo

Liepāja, Latvia

Liepaja Northern Forts

These crumbling Latvian forts make for some haunting seaside ruins.

ahvenas

Added by ahvenas

Cinevilla

Spend the night in 1920s Latvia.

serflac

Added by serflac

Art Nouveau in Riga

Flamboyant architecture from the turn of 20th century.

stanestane

Added by stanestane

Black Cat of Riga

A black cat protests the City Guild in Riga's Old Town.

Dampo

The Three Brothers

The oldest housing complex in Riga is a mini timeline of architectural trends.

Added by osamms

Ligatne, Latvia

Ligatne Secret Soviet Bunker

A top secret Cold War bunker hidden beneath a Latvian spa facility is now open for tours.

ahvenas

Added by ahvenas

See All 34 Things to Do in Latvia See All 34 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Latvia

Kvass

Gastro Obscura

Kvass

You can find authentic versions of this sour Slavic brew at street stalls and monasteries.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Riga Black Balsam

Gastro Obscura

Riga Black Balsam

There's a legend that this Latvian herbal liqueur saved an ailing Catherine the Great.

Gastro Obscura

susarm

Added by susarm

Herring Under a Fur Coat

Gastro Obscura

Herring Under a Fur Coat

The most sobering salad of the Russian Civil War.

Gastro Obscura

cecilyannwong

Added by cecilyannwong

Gray Peas with Bacon and Onions

Gastro Obscura

Gray Peas with Bacon and Onions

Finish all your Latvian peas for good luck in the New Year.

Gastro Obscura

Atlas Obscura Trips

Baltic Odyssey: Monuments, Myths, and Memory

Take a deep dive into Baltic history and culture on this immersive adventure through Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, covering everything from ancient traditions to bunkers, silos, and grand memorial complexes.

Darmon Richter

Community Forums / Eastern Europe / Latvia

Top Discussions in the Latvia Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Castle of Light	2 May 28, 2019	540	May 28, 2019
Riga Aviation Museum	1 May 28, 2019	326	May 28, 2019
Skrunda-1	2 May 16, 2019	643	May 16, 2019
The World of Hat	1 August 16, 2019	136	August 16, 2019

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Stories
About Latvia

Bright night skies—like this scene in Helsinki, Finland—can be exacerbated by snow.

'Snowglow' Sounds Charming, But It's a Menace to Night Skies

Fresh powder can worsen light pollution, according to new research from Germany.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

August 13, 2019

Valts Ernštreits, a professor at Tartu University in Estonia, writes poetry in Livonian.

These Passionate Latvian Linguists Refuse to Lose Their Language

Livonian may be extinct as a native tongue, but it's still being used to write poetry.