The history of Latvia, like that of its neighbour Estonia, is largely one of foreign occupation. The indigenous Balts were overwhelmed at the start of the thirteenth century by German crusading knights, who massacred and enslaved them in the name of converting them to Christianity. The Germans continued to dominate both land and trade even after political control passed to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, then Sweden and finally Russia. During the second half of the 19th century the Latvians began to reassert their identity, achieving independence in 1918-20 after a war in which - with Estonian help - they beat off both the Soviets and the Germans. This hard-won independence was extinguished by Soviet annexation in 1940. As conditions in the Soviet Union relaxed during the late 1980s demands for increased autonomy turned into calls for outright independence, and in mid 1991, as the attempted coup against Gorbachev disintegrated in Moscow, Latvia declared its independence for the second time.
These days Latvia is engaged in turning over the economy to private ownership and struggling to put to rights the results of Soviet-era stagnation and neglect. Environmental damage aside, the most enduring legacy of Soviet occupation in Latvia is a Russian minority population of thirty percent.

	Location:	Eastern Europe, Baltic State
	Size:	24,938 sq miles
	Population:	2,311,480
	Capital City:	Riga
	Language:	Latvian
	Currency:	Latvian Lat (Ls)
	Country Code:	+371
	Time Zone:	GMT+2
	Electricity:	220 volts AC, 50Hz, 2 pin plugs
	Ferry Ports:	Liepaja, Ventspils
	Airports:	Riga International, Ventspils International, Liepaja International
	Dept. of Tourism:	www.latviatourism.lv

By Car If you're driving in Latvia you'll soon notice that road conditions can vary dramatically. There's no motorway apart from a brief stretch linking Riga and Jurmala. Roads linking major towns are usually in a reasonable state, but off the beaten track conditions deteriorate rapidly (although services are improving all the time). Speed limits are 50kph in built-up areas and 90kph on the open road.

By Bus A better form of transport than rail in Latvia, Opt for an express (ekspresis) bus if possible to avoid frequent stops. Buses are also useful for travelling to other Baltic countries, with services linking Riga with Tallinn and Vilnius.

By Rail SJSC Latvian Railways provides domestic travel as well as international. Internationally, trains to Riga are available from Moscow, St. Petersburg (Russia), Minsk (Belarus) and Vilnius (Lithuania).

By Ferry Ferry services run between Liepaja and Ventspils in Latvia and Rostock in Germany and Nynäshamn and Karlshamn in Sweden.

By Air Riga International Airport is served by various European Airports - London, Munich, Frankfurt, Oslo, for example. The International Airport at Liepaja is served by Copenhagen and Moscow.

Riga's Historic Town Centre

Although many of the oldest buildings were destroyed by fire and wars, the historic town centre boasts many fine Gothic, Baroque and Classism buildings.

Rundale Palace

Located 77km south of Riga, in the midst of the Latvian countryside, is the opulent 138-room Rundale Palace. Highlights include the "Gold Hall" throne room and the "White Hall" ballroom with its dazzling stucco ceiling.

Jurmala

Jurmala - the Baltic Riviera - is only about thirty minutes south of Riga by train. It was once a favourite haunt of Boris Yeltsin and also of the Tzarist nobility. Today its sandy beaches backed by dunes and pines are teeming with pleasure-seekers, especially at weekends.

Riga Cathedral

A testimony to centuries of German domination, its walls lined with German memorial slabs. A stunning combination of architectures on the outside, its simple interior is an awesome place of worship and its east wing houses the Museum of History and Navigation.

Cesis

The pretty town of Cesis has an atmosphere as close to that of pre-war small-town Latvia as it's possible to get. Its crumbling Old Town has a thirteenth-century church, a castle and a regional history museum.

There is a lot to see and do in Latvia from the untouched nature to the historic buildings dating back to the days of the great trading in the Hanseatic League. You can also see elements of the Soviet reign, making you step back and wonder what could have been without those awful years!

The most obvious destination in Latvia is Riga, a city whose architectural treasures have largely survived five decades of isolation. Riga is also the largest city in the Baltic States. Places within easy reach of the capital include the resort area of Jurmala, and the gently scenic Gauja Valley with the attractive small towns of Sigulda and Cesis.

The palace of Rundale, 80km to the south of Riga, also makes a great day-trip. These are just a few possibilities, with much more waiting to be discovered along Latvia's hundreds of miles of unspoilt coast and amid the forests of the countryside.