Enjoying the Outdoor Life in Latvia
By John Coles, June 2024.
Flying towards Riga Airport, I was struck by the colours of the landscape: blue and green. The broad expanse of Riga Bay and the rivers and lakes were a glorious blue; the bogs and forests a rich green.
Half the size of England, but with just a fifth of London’s population, Latvia presents a pristine natural environment. Woodlands cover half the country, there are 12,000 rivers, 3,000 lakes, and more than three hundred miles of sandy beaches.
I travelled to Latvia as a guest of Baltic Nature Tourism. The organisation brings together tour operators, nature travel specialists and outdoor activity companies, showing how Latvia offers a varied range of outdoor travel experiences, from informative and relaxing coach tours to adventurous multi-day hiking and cycling expeditions.
Riga the capital city was founded in 1201 as a trading port at the mouth of the Daugava River. The Old Town preserves the medieval pattern of narrow streets and alleyways. Centuries of conflict have destroyed many of the original buildings, but some churches and merchant houses have survived or been rebuilt, creating a pleasant historical centre which is easily explored on foot.
A canal around the Old Town, once part of the city’s defences, forms the centrepiece of an attractive linear park. Paddling a kayak along the canal gives a unique perspective of the city. Nearby, the Central Market, located within five Zeppelin airship hangars, sells clothes, flowers and a tantalising variety of fresh food.
Riga’s Art Noveau
Riga’s architectural treasures are outside of the Old Town in the newer districts built beyond the canal in the early years of the nineteenth century. This was a period of prosperity for Riga because it was a major port of Tsarist Russia at the end of the railway lines from Moscow and St Petersburg. The location made Riga an important trading hub between Russia and Berlin and western Europe.
During those years new boulevards and parks were laid out, and often the buildings were constructed in the art nouveau style, which was popular at the time.
The style features elaborate and flamboyant decoration, flowing lines and curves; a contrast to the rigidity and uniformity of industrialisation. Riga has the world’s best collection of beautiful Art Nouveau buildings.
My journey took me from Riga to the western part of Latvia, a low-lying region of formidable bogs and deep forests, to historic towns and tranquil villages, and a wonderful coastline with rocky outcrops and white sand beaches.
Bog Walking at Krameri National Park
Almost 10% of the country is covered by bog, so the intrepid Latvians have created a novel way to traverse this wildernesses, designing a special plastic shoe which spreads the weight over a wider surface area.
A bog is an inland body of stagnant water, upon which a layer of moss grows. Only the top inch or two of moss receives enough oxygen to stay alive, so over millennia the moss below the surface forms a think sponge-like layer of decaying vegetation, which can be many feet deep. Where the moss layer has cracked or split the underlying water rises to form a pool or lake.
Krameri is just twenty minutes drive from Riga, so makes for an enjoyable excursion or day-trip. Once fitted our with our shoes we soon got used to the sensation of walking on the bouncy surface. Then our guide led us on an enjoyable two hour hike, pointing out the different plants which are supported by the bog and the dragonflies which hover over the ponds.
Once the capital of the Duchy of Courland, the pretty UNESCO-listed town of Kuldiga has a historical walking trail winding through the well-preserved centre and out along the River Venta. Cape Kolka, the point where Riga Bay opens to the Baltic Sea, is noted for flocks of migratory birds and is the start of a long-distance hiking path around the bay, along unspoilt and often deserted beaches.
Latvia can be explored on a guided tour or independently using a network of public buses or by renting a car. The roads are a delight for the driver, with little traffic and plentiful parking. There are many nature reserves with informative signage (in English), well-marked footpaths and cycleways. Latvia is a short flight from London and makes for a pleasant easy holiday. The open spaces, the absence of crowds, and the peace and quiet make it a fantastic antidote to the stress of life in the U.K.
