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even travelers who travel all year round may rarely consider latvia as their first choice of travel destinations.

together with estonia and lithuania, it is one of the three baltic countries, and borders russia and belarus. latvia's land of more than 64,000 square kilometers is home to more than 1.8 million people who are good at singing and dancing.

△old town of riga, latvian freedom monument. (photo/pexels)

the ancient city of riga, the capital, condenses the entire history of latvia.due to its strategic location on the european plains, this port city on the daugava river has been divided and controlled by many surrounding countries, but it has always maintained the unique cultural customs of the latvian nation.

from the ornate and intricate art nouveau buildings in the city center to farmhouse roofs made of straw, planks, sawdust or reeds,as long as you pay attention, this small city known as the "paris of the north" is full of surprises.

01

a city with a view at every step, you will miss it if you lower your head

after landing at riga international airport, it only takes about 20 minutes to take an intercity bus to the city center.

the city centers of european cities are often colorful and unique, but most of them focus on architectural colors and individual decorations. in contrast, the architectural style of riga is complex and gorgeous. most of the buildings are cultural heritage landmarks. the old town of riga has even been included in the world heritage list by unesco.

△"dream" is one of riga's city keywords. (picture/tu chong creative)

one-third of the buildings in the city are works of "art nouveau" at the end of the 19th century. the brightly colored exterior walls are widely decorated with relief stone statues of leaves, flowers, owls, lions, valkyries, and orcs. behind the walls are residential and commercial areas full of life.

the most representative building is no. 10a and 10b elizabethes street, the work of architect mihails eisenstein. the iconic bright blue tiled exterior walls, curved exterior windows and human face decorations always attract the attention of passing tourists.the stacked elements are complex and harmonious, forming a unique visual beauty, telling the elegance and prosperity of riga as the "art nouveau capital" of northern europe.

△facades of 10a and 10b elizabeth street. (picture/tu chong creative)

other art nouveau designers in the city also come up with their own unique ideas, or they have gone so far as to decorate drainage pipes, or they have combined traditional latvian national architecture with gorgeous reliefs. with their efforts, the brightly colored buildings seemed to be decorated like cakes filled with cream.

△the blackhead palace in the central square of riga was once the single merchants’ guild and is now the seat of the symphony orchestra. (photo/unsplash)

if you climb the 72-meter-high st. peter's church tower, you can enjoy a 360° view of riga's old town, the blackhead palace, which represents riga's 800-year history, the three brothers house with its interesting historical legends, and the left bank of the daugava river. you can have a panoramic view of the distinctive wooden buildings.the most riga-style thing is the majestic golden rooster on every red-tiled roof.

hundreds of years ago, the citizens of riga believed that if a rooster crows three times, the devil will return to hell, so they used the rooster as a symbol to ward off ghosts and evil spirits. therefore, almost all high-rise buildings in riga have a gold-plated weathercock on top. it can not only identify the wind direction and direction, but is also a cultural symbol.

△the weathercock on the roof. (photo/pexels)

pay attention to the scenery above you, and you'll also find a statue of a little black cat on the roof.this building, known as the "cat house", is one of riga's landmarks.the two black cats on the roof stood tall and seemed to be angry.

it is said that the owner of this building once wanted to join the local business guild, but was rejected for various reasons. in anger, he built a majestic building opposite the guild, and let the two cats face each other with their raised buttocks and tails. guild in protest. later, the court intervened and both parties took a step back. only then did the owner of the cat house turn the cat's head back toward the chamber of commerce. and this story has become a city memory that local people in riga talk about.

△black cat statue. (photo/unspalsh)

people who are used to being framed in regular rectangular tall buildings will always be impressed by riga's various little thoughts.tourists are almost reluctant to look down at the road for fear of missing any exquisite and interesting reliefs;any statue on the square may be inspired by the story "the city musicians of bremen" in "the grimm's fairy tales"; after the rain, you can walk on the cobblestone ground that is so clean that it reflects the sky, surrounded by scattered sloping roof huts and modern high-rise buildings in the distance. all at the same time, in unexpected harmony.

the city brings too many surprises, so in riga, where there are scenery everywhere even above your head, even getting lost can be a kind of enjoyment.

02

didn’t experience folk culture,

not counting having been to riga

when it comes to international popularity and richness of urban activities, riga is not as good as many prosperous european cities. but this does not prevent every traveler who visits this place from praising it.

△street scene in riga. (photo/unsplash)

the four distinct seasons are nature’s best gift to riga:

in spring, when everything wakes up, the rich forest resources attract people to explore; in summer, the rivers and lakes throughout the city are the best places for people to boat and swim; in autumn, mushroom picking has become a popular pastime. rubber boots, sleeves and baskets can also briefly become people's seasonal fashion; in winter, in the traditional latvian sauna, when the steam and the aroma of herbal tea surround you, you will feel drowsy. the cozy little town on the banks of the daugava river has firmly settled in the hearts of travelers.

precisely because the relationship between man and nature is particularly close, riga’s folk culture rooted in nature is always unforgettable.

handicraft production has been an important production activity in riga since ancient times. many locals still make a living selling their handmade weaving, pottery, and woodworking products. some studios also invite tourists to visit.

when visiting riga, you might as well go to the ethnographic open air museum not far from the city to learn more about latvian ancient handicrafts.as soon as they walk into this super-large village with 118 wooden houses in the four major regions of latvia, people feel like they are looking back at the rural life in latvia more than a hundred years ago, and at the same time feel the pride of the latvian people in their folk culture.

△latvian ethnographic open-air museum. (picture/tu chong creative)

folk dance and chorus are also popular hobbies of riga people to this day.

in addition to daily singing and dancing, the festival has been held every five years since 1873.latvian song and dance festivalit is a world epic music feast and has been listed as a "masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity" by unesco. on the day of the festival, tens of thousands of singers and dancers will gather in rigadaugava stadium, showing folk song chorus and dance performances with strong local flavor.

also not to be missed are the flower and plant festival (līgo) and yannis festival (jāņi) held every summer. every year on june 22 and 23, during the summer solstice, these two most grand celebrations in latvian tradition are held one after another.

△on the night of yannis festival, people light bonfires. (photo/unspalsh)

at high latitudes, summer has long days and short nights. the two days before and after the summer solstice are the longest days of the year, and the night between the two days is the shortest night of the year. therefore, latvians designate the most important festival - yannis festival. on the shortest night of the year.

people will go to riga market in advance, which was transformed from an ammunition depot during world war ii into "europe's largest market", to purchase large quantities. after buying all kinds of flowers, karaway cheese, pies and beer, they take their families to the grasslands and forests. celebrating the holidays on the edge.

in june, flowers bloom in latvia. in local culture, each flower and plant has its own role in medicine, fortune telling, decoration, etc.therefore, everyone will go to the flowering meadows in the suburbs to pick plants and weave wreaths. a beautiful flower crown is an essential item for participating in the midsummer flower and grass festival and the yannis festival.

△women’s corollas are usually filled with flowers and green grass, while men’s corollas are mostly filled with branches and leaves. (photo/unspalsh)

before dark, the family sat together, eating, drinking, and laughing. according to tradition, the shortest night of the year should be spent awake, and those who slept through it would sleep all summer long. women must wash their faces in the next day's dew or stream water to stay healthy and beautiful, while men must wade through the dew so that money will flow into their boots.

when night falls, people light bonfires, drink, sing and dance, while young lovers join hands to find fern flowers. finding flowers means finding luck and happiness. everyone gathers together to welcome the dawn, celebrate the gifts of the earth, and express the joy of the harvest.

it is these traditional customs deeply rooted in the land and seasons that give riga its unique urban soul——it not only expresses human beings' yearning for harmonious coexistence with nature, respect for traditional culture, but also love for life itself.

people may eventually stop in a corner of the world, but no matter when and where they are, as long as they recall riga, the warmth in their hearts will surge like spring water, reminding us that life should be so poetic.