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Riga Cathedral
Cathedral in Riga, Latvia
Formally the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary: Riga's Evangelical Lutheran cathedral, where Latvia's Archbishop of Riga has his seat.
Photo: Chris06, CC BY-SA 4.0
LV · Curated travel guide
Latvia: 10 places worth the journey
Riga Cathedral, Freedom Monument, Riga Castle and 7 more — what each one is, and why it is worth the detour.
- Places
- 10
- Language
- Latvia
- Currency
- EUR
What to see in Latvia
Chosen from everything Wikidata knows about Latvia and ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions describe them, which is about as close to "famous" as open data gets.
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Freedom Monument
Memorial in Riga, Latvia
A monument in Riga, Latvia, honouring soldiers killed in the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920), and seen as a key symbol of Latvia's freedom, independence and sovereignty.
Photo: Nenea hartia, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Riga Castle
Castle in Riga, Latvia
A castle on the banks of the Daugava in Riga, Latvia's capital, founded in 1330.
Photo: Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0
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Gaiziņkalns
Highest hill of Latvia
Latvia's highest point, 312 m above sea level, in the Vidzeme Upland a short way west of Madona, a town in central Vidzeme.
Photo: BirdsEyeLV, CC BY-SA 3.0
St. Peter's Church, Riga
Church in Riga, Latvia
Dedicated to Saint Peter, a church in the Latvian capital, Riga, serving as one of the parish churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia.
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
House of the Blackheads (Riga)
Historic building in Riga, Latvia
A building in Riga's old town, Latvia, first put up in 1334 as a warehouse and a place for merchants to meet and celebrate.
Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0
Riga Radio and TV Tower
Television tower in Riga, Latvia
Run by the Latvian State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC), a tower in Riga, Latvia, that is taller than any other in the European Union.
Photo: Nasta Faley, CC0
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Rundāle Palace
Building in Bauska Municipality, Latvia
Built for the Dukes of Courland in two phases, 1736–1740 and 1764–1768, one of the pair of great baroque palaces they had in present-day Latvia; Jelgava Palace is the other.
Photo: Arian Zwegers, CC BY 2.0
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North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve
Protected area in Latvia
In Latvian Ziemeļvidzemes biosfēras rezervāts (NVBR), Latvia's only biosphere reserve, in northern Vidzeme in the country's north-west, along the Estonian border. It takes in varied natural and semi-natural habitats in untouched and traditional landscapes.
Photo: Gatis Pāvils, CC BY-SA 3.0
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St. James's Cathedral, Riga
Church in Jēkaba iela , Latvia
Riga's Roman Catholic cathedral, in Latvia, consecrated to Saint James the Greater.
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
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About Latvia
Officially the Republic of Latvia, a country of northern Europe's Baltic region and one of the three Baltic states, with Estonia to its north and Lithuania to its south. Russia lies to its east and Belarus to its southeast, and across the sea to the west it shares a maritime border with Sweden.
Officially The Republic of Latvia. Known locally as Latvija.
Based on the Wikipedia article, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0: the facts are Wikipedia's, the wording is this site's.
Questions travellers ask
What is worth seeing in Latvia?
This guide lists 10: Riga Cathedral, Freedom Monument, Riga Castle and Gaiziņkalns and others.
How were these places chosen?
By machine, from open data, with no human ranking them and nobody able to pay for a place on the list. Everything Wikidata records in Latvia that is a building, a landform, a protected area or a tourist attraction, has coordinates, a photograph and an English Wikipedia article, is ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions wrote about it. Provinces, cities, airports, stations and stretches of sea shared with the neighbours are filtered out.
What language is spoken in Latvia, and what currency?
Latvia. The currency is EUR.
How do I get mobile data in Latvia?
A travel eSIM is usually the cheapest way, and avoids a roaming bill. The plans suggested at the foot of this guide start at $1.81 for 2GB per day. The eSIM is data-only and sits alongside your normal SIM, so calls, texts and WhatsApp keep working on your own number.
Which networks would my phone use in Latvia?
Tele2 and LMT. Your phone picks whichever has the best signal where you are, the same way a local phone does.
One practical note: staying online
Maps, tickets and translation all want data, and roaming is the expensive way to get it. A Computatus eSIM eSIM connects to Tele2 and LMT once you land, and installs by QR code before you leave.
See 11 Computatus eSIM plans for Latvia from $1.81
| Plan | Data | Valid | Price | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2GB per day Cheapest | 2 GB | 1 day | $1.81 | Get it → |
| 2GB per day | 2 GB | 1 day | $2.15 | Get it → |
| 3GB for 15 days | 3 GB | 15 days | $2.69 | Get it → |
| 3GB for 30 days | 3 GB | 30 days | $2.86 | Get it → |
| 3GB per day | 3 GB | 1 day | $3.04 | Get it → |
| 5GB per day | 5 GB | 1 day | $3.67 | Get it → |
No app needed. Install by QR code before you fly, keep your own number for calls, and it connects the moment you land.
Tele2 5GLMT 5G
A commission on plans bought through these links is what pays for this guide. Nothing above depends on it: the places are chosen before any price is looked up.