Latvia is not renown for a world-class culinary tradition, but the food, influenced by German or Russian cooking, is simple, hearty and filling. Riga has an overwhelming choice of places to eat in all price ranges. Many restaurants now offer discounts and ‘happy hours’ to attract visitors, so eating in Riga shouldn’t be a problem any time of the day – or night.
In Latvia, there are both state-financed and fee-paying higher education. Public grants and scholarships are available for top students.
Latvia offers two levels of higher education programs – academic and professional (for example translators, bank staff, business lawyers, pilots etc.). University-type higher education institutions offer both academic and professional education, while the “non-university type” institutions provide only professional education.
Riga is the capital city of Latvia and also the largest city in the Baltic State Region.
You might not have ever heard of Latvia, but you might have seen pictures of elegant men and woman strolling arm in arm along the tiny streets of Riga, which is a mix of Russian glamour and elegant Art Nouveau boulevards!
Riga is a metropolis pulsing with life, romantic walks, live music and celebration. It’s a well preserved medieval city which still shows traces of its religious and Romanesque past and in 2014 was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for the uniqueness of its architecture in the “old town” and as one of the
All European cities have impressive architecture, but did you know that Riga has the largest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe? Wander around and marvel at the work of Latvian architects of the late 19th/early 20th centuries on over 800 buildings. The main streets to view are Elizabetes, Alberta, Strelnieku, and Antonijas. One of the finest buildings is the 1904-built Riga Graduate School of Law at Alberta 13 and while there, you may as well pop into the Art Nouveau Museum at number 12.
The language spoken in Latvia is Latvian, but most people speak English, often with an interesting mix of accents; American English, Swedish and Dutch. Oh, and they also have a warm sense of humour! Pretty much every European capital city has an “old” part of town and a “new” part of town. Cities taken over by the Soviet Union were able to hold onto the “traditional look” mainly due to the lack of interest in changing it, and a lack of finance.
