Vecrīga
VEC-rī-ga
Old Riga
Usage
Refers to Riga's UNESCO World Heritage Old Town
Grammar Note
Old Town of Latvia's capital Riga, with Art Nouveau and Hanseatic architecture. UNESCO listed in 1997
Jūrmala
JŪR-ma-la
Jūrmala (coastal resort town)
Usage
Refers to the popular coastal resort near Riga
Grammar Note
Literally "seashore" in Latvian. Known for Baltic Sea beaches and pine forests. About 30 minutes from Riga
Gaujas Nacionālais parks
GAU-jas NA-ci-o-nā-lais parks
Gauja National Park
Usage
Refers to Latvia's largest national park
Grammar Note
Latvia's largest national park along the Gauja River. Features sandstone cliffs, medieval castle ruins, and hiking trails
Rundāles pils
RUN-dā-les pils
Rundale Palace
Usage
Refers to Latvia's magnificent Baroque palace
Grammar Note
18th-century Baroque palace designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, known as the "Versailles of the Baltics"
Kolkasrags
KOL-kas-rags
Cape Kolka
Usage
Refers to the cape where the Baltic Sea meets the Gulf of Riga
Grammar Note
"rags" means "horn/antler" and is used for "cape". Located within the Slītere National Park reserve
Sigulda
SI-gul-da
Sigulda (Latvia's Switzerland)
Usage
Refers to a scenic town known as "Latvia's Switzerland"
Grammar Note
Famous for Gauja Valley scenery and medieval castle ruins. Especially popular during autumn foliage
Turaidas muzejrezervāts
TU-rai-das MU-zej-re-zer-vāts
Turaida Museum Reserve
Usage
Refers to the reserve including the famous red-brick Turaida Castle
Grammar Note
An open-air museum centered around the 13th-century Turaida Castle, displaying Latvian history and folk culture
Latvijas Etnogrāfiskais brīvdabas muzejs
LAT-vi-jas ET-no-grā-fis-kais BRĪV-da-bas MU-zejs
Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum
Usage
Refers to the open-air museum showcasing traditional Latvian rural life
Grammar Note
One of the world's largest open-air museums near Riga, with reconstructed farmsteads and windmills
Liepāja
LIE-pā-ja
Liepāja (Baltic port city)
Usage
Refers to Latvia's third-largest city
Grammar Note
Name means "place of linden trees". Known as a city of music; famous for rock festivals
Daugavpils
DAU-gav-pils
Daugavpils (Latvia's second city)
Usage
Refers to the city known for its fortress and Mark Rothko connection
Grammar Note
Means "castle on the Daugava". Birthplace of abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko. 19th-century fortress preserved
Starptautiskā lidosta Rīga
Riga International Airport (RIX)
Usage
The largest international airport in the Baltics, about 10 km west of central Riga in Mārupe; city bus 22 reaches the Old Town in roughly 30 minutes and signs read Lidosta Rīga
Liepājas lidosta
Liepāja Airport (LPX)
Usage
A small airport in western Kurzeme about 7 km northeast of Liepāja; scheduled service is limited, so most travellers arrive from Riga by coach or train
Rīgas Centrālā dzelzceļa stacija
Riga Central Railway Station
Usage
Latvia's main railway station, southeast of the Old Town next to the Central Market; trains to Jūrmala, Sigulda and Daugavpils depart here and timetables list it simply as Rīga
Rīgas Starptautiskā autoosta
Riga International Coach Terminal
Usage
The long-distance coach station on Prāgas iela, just south of the Central Station and market; international buses to Tallinn, Tartu and Vilnius leave from here and signs read Autoosta
Rīgas pasažieru osta
Riga Passenger Port
Usage
The ferry and cruise terminal on Eksporta iela just north of the Old Town, about a 15-minute walk from the historic centre
Ventspils osta
Port of Ventspils
Usage
One of Latvia's largest ice-free ports, at the mouth of the Venta; passenger ferries to Sweden sail from here
Torņakalns
Torņakalns station
Usage
A Riga station on the left bank of the Daugava, the first stop after Central Station on the Jūrmala and Jelgava lines, close to the National Library
Imanta
Imanta station
Usage
Station in Imanta, a residential district in western Riga, served by Jūrmala-line trains and relatively close to the airport
Priedaine
Priedaine station
Usage
The first station inside Jūrmala; beyond it, cars crossing the Lielupe bridge must pay the town entry toll, though rail passengers do not
Lielupe
Lielupe station
Usage
Station at the eastern end of Jūrmala near the mouth of the Lielupe river, with marinas and water-sports centres nearby
Bulduri
Bulduri station
Usage
Station in a quiet villa district of Jūrmala with wooden summer houses, a calm beach and a long-established horticultural school
Dzintari
Dzintari station
Usage
Jūrmala station nearest the Dzintari concert hall and the forest park lookout tower, busy during summer open-air concerts
Majori
Majori station
Usage
Jūrmala's central station, right by the pedestrian street Jomas iela and the main beach; the usual stop for a day trip
Dubulti
Dubulti station
Usage
Jūrmala station famous for its 1977 modernist station building; the sandbar is at its narrowest here, so both the sea and the river are minutes away
Melluži
Melluži station
Usage
A quiet station in western Jūrmala surrounded by pine forest and wooden villas, with a beach for those avoiding the crowds
Asari
Asari station
Usage
Station in a residential part of western Jūrmala, a few minutes' walk from a relaxed stretch of beach
Vaivari
Vaivari station
Usage
Station for the Jūrmala district that hosts the national rehabilitation centre, known for its boardwalk-equipped accessible beach
Sloka
Sloka station
Usage
Station in western Jūrmala where buses connect towards Ķemeri National Park; some trains from Riga terminate here
Ķemeri
Ķemeri station
Usage
The gateway station for Ķemeri National Park; the sulphur-spring park and the Great Ķemeri Bog boardwalk are reached on foot or by bike from here
Tukums II
Tukums II station
Usage
Terminus of the Riga-Jūrmala line on the eastern side of Tukums; the II distinguishes it from the town's other station, Tukums I
Zemitāni
Zemitāni station
Usage
Junction station north of central Riga where the line towards Sigulda and Cēsis splits from the coastal line towards Skulte
Skulte
Skulte station
Usage
Terminus of the coastal line running north from Riga, used for reaching the seaside at Saulkrasti and Zvejniekciems
Carnikava
Carnikava station
Usage
Station for the town at the mouth of the Gauja north of Riga, known for its lamprey fishery and busy with beachgoers in summer
Lielvārde
Lielvārde station
Usage
Station for a town on the Daugava linked to the epic Lāčplēsis and famous for the patterned Lielvārde belt
Koknese
Koknese station
Usage
Station for Koknese on the Daugava, where a medieval castle ruin half-submerged by the reservoir stands in a riverside park
Krustpils
Krustpils station
Usage
The railway station serving Jēkabpils and the junction where the Daugavpils and Rēzekne lines diverge; the town centre lies across the Daugava
Rēzekne II
Rēzekne II station
Usage
The main station of Rēzekne in Latgale, where long-distance trains from Riga call; the town also has a second station, Rēzekne I
Līgatne
Līgatne station
Usage
Station inside Gauja National Park; the historic paper-mill village and the nature trails are several kilometres away, so continue by bus or taxi
Rīga
Riga
Usage
Latvia's capital and the largest city in the Baltics, at the mouth of the Daugava; its Old Town and Art Nouveau district are UNESCO-listed
Doma laukums
Cathedral Square (Doma laukums)
Usage
The largest square in Riga's Old Town, facing the cathedral and lined with cafe terraces; a natural starting point for sightseeing
Rīgas Doms
Riga Cathedral
Usage
Founded in 1211 and one of the largest medieval churches in the Baltic region, known for organ concerts on its 19th-century instrument
Sv. Pētera baznīca
St Peter's Church
Usage
The Old Town church with the landmark spire; a lift takes visitors to a viewing gallery overlooking Riga's rooftops and the Daugava
Melngalvju nams
House of the Blackheads
Usage
The ornate merchants' guild house on Town Hall Square, destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt in 1999; one of Riga's signature buildings
Rātslaukums
Town Hall Square
Usage
The Old Town square framed by the House of the Blackheads and the town hall, with the Roland statue and the Christmas market
Rīgas pils
Riga Castle
Usage
A castle founded in 1330 on the bank of the Daugava, now the residence of Latvia's president; the interior is largely closed but the exterior and Pils laukums are open
Trīs brāļi
The Three Brothers
Usage
Three of Riga's oldest dwelling houses standing side by side on Mazā Pils iela, each from a different century so their facades can be compared
Zviedru vārti
Swedish Gate
Usage
Built in 1698 and the only surviving gate of Riga's city wall, on Torņa iela alongside the remaining stretch of ramparts
Pulvertornis
Powder Tower
Usage
A 14th-century round defensive tower in the Old Town, now housing the Latvian War Museum
Brīvības piemineklis
Freedom Monument
Usage
The 42-metre symbol of Latvian independence erected in 1935, on the edge between the Old Town and the boulevard district, with a changing of the honour guard
Bastejkalns
Bastion Hill park
Usage
A landscaped hill park along the city canal next to the Freedom Monument, a pleasant walk between the Old Town and the boulevards, with canal boat trips
Vērmanes dārzs
Vērmanes Garden
Usage
Riga's oldest public park, opened in 1817, in the middle of the shopping district with an open-air stage and flower beds
Esplanāde
Esplanāde park
Usage
A large park in the boulevard district between the National Museum of Art and the Orthodox Nativity Cathedral, often used for city events
Latvijas Nacionālā opera
Latvian National Opera
Usage
A 19th-century theatre beside the city canal, home to Latvia's opera and ballet companies, with tickets cheaper than in Western Europe
Latvijas Nacionālais mākslas muzejs
Latvian National Museum of Art
Usage
The art museum in Esplanāde park, holding the main collection of Latvian and Baltic painting, with a rooftop terrace view
Latvijas Nacionālā bibliotēka
National Library of Latvia
Usage
The modern landmark on the left bank of the Daugava nicknamed the Castle of Light, with exhibition halls and upper floors overlooking the Old Town across the river
Latvijas Okupācijas muzejs
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
Usage
A museum covering the Soviet and Nazi occupations from 1940 to 1991, next to the House of the Blackheads on Latviešu strēlnieku laukums
Rīgas Centrāltirgus
Riga Central Market
Usage
A market housed in five former Zeppelin hangars just south of the Central Station, part of the UNESCO site, good for produce and cheap eats
Alberta iela
Usage
The street in the boulevard district with the densest concentration of Art Nouveau facades, several designed by Mikhail Eisenstein
Brīvības iela
Brīvības iela (Freedom Street)
Usage
Riga's main avenue, running from the Old Town past the Freedom Monument to the northeast of the city, and a principal tram and trolleybus corridor
Ķīpsala
Ķīpsala island
Usage
An island in the Daugava with a preserved wooden-house quarter and the technical university, offering the classic view of the Old Town skyline
Āgenskalns
Āgenskalns district
Usage
A historic district on the left bank of the Daugava with 19th-century wooden architecture and a brick market hall, reachable by tram
Pārdaugava
Pārdaugava (left bank of Riga)
Usage
The collective name for the parts of Riga on the left bank of the Daugava, including the National Library, Ķīpsala and Āgenskalns
Mežaparks
Usage
A forest park and garden-city district in northern Riga, home to the great open-air stage used for the Song and Dance Celebration, next to the zoo
Rīgas Zooloģiskais dārzs
Riga Zoo
Usage
Founded in 1912 beside the lake in Mežaparks; tram 11 runs there from the city centre
Rīgas radio un televīzijas tornis
Riga Radio and TV Tower
Usage
The 368-metre tower on Zaķusala island in the Daugava, one of the tallest in the EU; access to its observation deck depends on ongoing renovation
Vanšu tilts
Vanšu Bridge
Usage
The cable-stayed bridge linking the Old Town with the left bank, a Riga landmark with good views from its footway
Rīgas Motormuzejs
Riga Motor Museum
Usage
The largest vehicle museum in the Baltics, in eastern Riga, with Soviet-era cars and the limousines of former leaders
Kurzeme
Kurzeme (Courland)
Usage
The western region of Latvia with a long Baltic coastline; its main towns are Ventspils, Liepāja and Kuldīga
Vidzeme
Usage
The northeastern region of Latvia, containing Gauja National Park; Sigulda, Cēsis and Valmiera are its main towns
Latgale
Usage
The lake-filled southeastern region where Catholic traditions and the Latgalian language remain strong; centred on Rēzekne and Daugavpils
Zemgale
Usage
The fertile central-southern plain bordering Lithuania, Latvia's grain belt, with Jelgava, Bauska and Rundāle Palace
Sēlija
Sēlija (Selonia)
Usage
A historic region on the left bank of the Daugava in the southeast, in recent years formally recognised as Latvia's fifth region
Ventspils
Usage
A port city in Kurzeme at the mouth of the Venta, known for its Blue Flag beach, cow sculptures and the narrow-gauge railway at its open-air museum
Jelgava
Usage
The main city of Zemgale, about 42 km south of Riga; the former capital of the Duchy of Courland, with a palace by Rastrelli
Rēzekne
Usage
Known as the heart of Latgale, the region's main city, with a medieval castle mound and the Latgale Māra monument as its emblem
Valmiera
Usage
The main town of northern Vidzeme on the Gauja, a former Hanseatic town now known for its brewery and sports
Cēsis
Usage
A medieval town inside Gauja National Park, about 1.5 hours by train from Riga, with a cobbled old town and Livonian Order castle ruins
Kuldīga
Usage
A small Kurzeme town whose wooden old town was UNESCO-listed in 2023, home to Ventas rumba, the widest waterfall in Europe
Ogre
Usage
A town on the Daugava about 36 km southeast of Riga, with the pine-covered Blue Hills, easily visited by train
Tukums
Usage
A town about 65 km west of Riga at the gateway to Kurzeme, the terminus of the Riga-Jūrmala railway, with manor houses in the surrounding countryside
Salaspils
Usage
A town about 18 km east of Riga with the memorial ensemble on the site of a Nazi camp and the National Botanic Garden
Bauska
Usage
A Zemgale town near the Lithuanian border with a castle at the confluence of two rivers; Rundāle Palace is about 12 km away
Talsi
Usage
Known as the town of nine hills, in northern Kurzeme, with two lakes and a hilly townscape
Saldus
Usage
A town in southern Kurzeme associated with the painter Janis Rozentāls, on the main road between Riga and Liepāja
Dobele
Usage
A Zemgale town known for its lilac gardens and fruit-breeding research, with the ruins of a medieval castle
Jēkabpils
Usage
A city spanning both banks of the Daugava, merged with Krustpils on the far bank; its railway station is signed Krustpils
Aizkraukle
Usage
A town on the Daugava that grew around the construction of Pļaviņas hydroelectric station, Latvia's largest
Ludza
Usage
Reputedly Latvia's oldest town, in Latgale, with medieval castle ruins on a ridge between two lakes
Krāslava
Usage
A town in southern Latgale on the bend-filled stretch of the Daugava, the base for the Daugavas loki nature park
Madona
Usage
A town in the Vidzeme uplands near Gaiziņkalns, Latvia's highest point, and a base for winter skiing
Alūksne
Usage
A town on Lake Alūksne in Latvia's far northeast, terminus of the narrow-gauge Bānītis railway from Gulbene
Gulbene
Usage
A town in northeastern Vidzeme whose main attraction is the working narrow-gauge railway to Alūksne
Limbaži
Usage
An old town in northern Vidzeme that once belonged to the Hanseatic League, with medieval castle ruins
Valka
Usage
A border town split from Estonian Valga when the frontier was drawn; the two halves adjoin and can be crossed on foot
Saulkrasti
Usage
A seaside town about 45 km north of Riga on the Gulf of Riga, known for the White Dune and the Sunset trail
Salacgrīva
Usage
A fishing port at the mouth of the Salaca on the coastal road towards Estonia, known for its lamprey dishes
Ķemeru Nacionālais parks
Ķemeri National Park
Usage
A national park of bogs and sulphur springs west of Jūrmala, visited mainly for its boardwalk bog walks and birdwatching
Slīteres Nacionālais parks
Slītere National Park
Usage
A national park at the northwestern tip of Kurzeme covering Cape Kolka, the Livonian coastal villages and the ancient Blue Hills shoreline cliff
Rāznas Nacionālais parks
Rāzna National Park
Usage
A national park in Latgale centred on Lake Rāzna, with a well-known viewpoint from the hill of Mākoņkalns
Lielais Ķemeru tīrelis
Great Ķemeri Bog
Usage
A raised bog in Ķemeri National Park with a boardwalk loop past its pools; sunrise is the popular time to visit
Ventas rumba
Ventas rumba waterfall
Usage
A waterfall roughly 240 m wide on the Venta at Kuldīga, reckoned the widest in Europe; fish leap over it in spring
Kuldīgas vecpilsēta
Old Town of Kuldīga
Usage
An old town of 17th- and 18th-century wooden buildings, UNESCO-listed in 2023, with a long red-brick road bridge
Gūtmaņala
Gūtmaņala (Gutman's Cave)
Usage
One of the largest caves in the Baltics, in the Gauja valley at Sigulda; its walls bear centuries-old inscriptions and it features in the Rose of Turaida legend
Cēsu pils
Cēsis Castle
Usage
The ruined castle of the Livonian Order, known for lantern-lit tours of its dark tower, next to a 19th-century new castle housing a museum
Bauskas pils
Bauska Castle
Usage
A castle at the confluence of the Mūsa and Mēmele rivers, combining medieval ruins with a restored Renaissance residence
Jelgavas pils
Jelgava Palace
Usage
A Baroque palace by Rastrelli, now used by a university; the ducal crypt of the Courland rulers is open to visitors
Aglonas bazilika
Aglona Basilica
Usage
The Catholic pilgrimage church of Latgale; tens of thousands gather here for the Feast of the Assumption on 15 August
Daugavpils cietoksnis
Daugavpils Fortress
Usage
A 19th-century bastion fortress preserved almost in full; the Mark Rothko Art Centre is inside its walls
Karosta
Karosta (Liepāja naval port district)
Usage
The former naval base district in northern Liepāja, with a Tsarist-era naval cathedral, the old military prison and crumbling coastal forts
Ventspils Livonijas ordeņa pils
Livonian Order Castle in Ventspils
Usage
Built in the 13th century and among the best-preserved Order castles in Latvia, now the city history museum
Gaiziņkalns
Gaiziņkalns (Latvia's highest point)
Usage
Latvia's highest point at 312 m, in the Vidzeme uplands near Madona, used as a ski slope in winter
Daugava
Daugava river
Usage
The great river crossing Latvia from southeast to northwest and reaching the Gulf of Riga at Riga; a national symbol often called the river of destiny
Gauja
Gauja river
Usage
The longest river running entirely within Latvia, cutting a sandstone valley popular for canoeing around Sigulda and Cēsis
Rīgas jūras līcis
Gulf of Riga
Usage
The sheltered arm of the Baltic Sea; the beaches of Jūrmala and Saulkrasti face it and its water is calm
Baltijas jūra
Baltic Sea
Usage
The open sea along Latvia's western coast, the term used for the shores at Liepāja and Ventspils
Lubāns
Lake Lubāns
Usage
Latvia's largest lake by area, ringed by wetlands and one of the best birdwatching sites in the Baltics
Rāznas ezers
Lake Rāzna
Usage
A large lake nicknamed the sea of Latgale, the biggest in Latvia by volume, used for swimming and boating
Āraišu ezerpils
Āraiši Lake Fortress
Usage
A reconstructed 9th-century lake dwelling near Cēsis, with its wooden houses rebuilt at full size
Baltā kāpa
White Dune (Saulkrasti)
Usage
An 18-metre sand bluff on the shore at Saulkrasti, with a viewing deck over the Gulf of Riga and the pine forest
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