A short guide about Cruising to Latvia
Latvia is located on the Baltic Sea and shares land borders with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south, and both Russia and Belarus to the east. It is separated from Sweden in the west by the Baltic Sea. The Baltic countries are states of the European Union, and these sovereign states are Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; located in Northern Europe and became independent in the aftermath of World War I in 1918.
The country of Latvia may be less famous than its capital Riga, one of the most beautiful cities of the Baltic region. About a third of the population of Latvia lives in the capital and for all purposes it is the best base for exploring the country. Since Latvia is relatively small, most of the other sites can be seen as daytrips from the capital. Located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, Latvia's coastline extends for 531 kilometres and Jurmala is the best beach resort to go to. It has been popular with city dwellers from Latvia for over 150 years and the city houses some great Jugendstil architecture.
Apart from the beaches, there are forests where you can go hiking. Latvia’s low-lying plains are largely covered by forest, mostly pines, and the highest point of Latvia is the Gaizinkalns at 311.6 metres. Common species of wildlife in Latvia include deer, wild boar, fox, beaver and wolves. Latvia’s 5 major rivers include the Daugava, the Lielupe, the Gauja, the Venta, and the Salaca; and are resourced with dams and salmon fishing.
Tourabout has quite a number of tours to satisfy any traveller heading to the Baltics; from escorted tours departing from St Petersburg in Russia to bicycle and walking/hiking tours through Latvia’s low lying forests, or how about a tour that includes cruising the beautiful Baltics departing from Helsinki.