See. The Birdhouse Tree of Riga An unexpected sight in Esplanāde, this tree is covered in scores of colorful birdhouses. monument to Jānis Zvīdra An oversized stone head in Rēzekne, a fascinating slice of retro political history. Great Cemetery Once Riga's most prestigious burial ground, now a historic site with elaborate grave markers. RSU Anatomy Museum View a unique collection of anatomical materials, including a complete human skeleton.
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Atlas Obscura
In Riga’s elegant Esplanāde, one bare tree stands out from the surrounding greenery. Its trunk and branches are crowded with scores of small wooden birdhouses, painted in an assortment of greens, yellows, reds, pinks and natural tones. From below, the collection is so dense that the boxes can initially resemble an unusual lighting installation. Look more closely and the circular entrances revea…
Lonely Planet
Explore the best of Europe crowd-free during the autumn months with our pick of where to go for sun, food or beautiful fall foliage.
Lonely Planet
Get more from the city of Liepāja in Latvia with this guide, covering when to go, how to visit and must-do experiences.
The Guardian
From the Fanad peninsula in Ireland to the forested beaches of Finland, these are your favourite escapes without the fear of getting frazzled • Tell us about your favourite food festival – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucher Saulkrasti’s long beaches and scented pine forests are an hour from Riga on the frequent local train. The forests come right down to the long, long sandy beach and the…
Atlas Obscura
If you are driving through the town of Rēzekne in Latvia's Latgale region, keep your eyes peeled near the train station junction. Right there on a grassy corner, you’ll encounter an incredibly stoic, oversized stone head staring intensely into the distance. This is the monument to Jānis Zvīdra, and it is a textbook example of how the Soviet Union loved to turn local teenagers into monumental le…
Atlas Obscura
Established in 1773 in a location that was at the time outside Riga’s city limits, the multidenominational Great Cemetery (Lielie kapi) was once the city’s most prestigious burial ground. Members of the aristocracy, political leaders, religious leaders, business leaders, performers, artists, architects, and even a Nobel Prize laureate were buried in the cemetery. Wealthy people funded the const…
Atlas Obscura
In 1920, the scientists Gaston Backman and Jēkabs Prīmanis at the University of Latvia began assembling a collection of anatomical materials to be used for teaching and research at the university. This collection would grow over two decades and would eventually contain thousands of items. Rīga Stradiņš University made the collection available for public viewing in 2020, and the collection is no…
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