Riga's architecture
Riga (www.rigatourism.com) boasts both the finest concentration of Jugendstil (Germanic art nouveau) buildings in Europe and a chocolate-box pretty old town, which together have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Freedom Monument
Not only is this vaulting statue at the heart of Riga, it also commemorates the hardships that Latvia's citizens have endured over the years and is a poignant symbol of nationhood. That it survived communist rule at all is a miracle.  

Turaida Museum Reserve
One of Latvia's most popular attractions throngs with tourists and Latvian school children, who come to ramble around Turaida Castle (one of Latvia's most attractive). The ramparts open up striking views over the Gauja National Park from its ramparts, while the attractive landscaped grounds boast a number of oversized esoteric sculptures. (www.turaida-muzejs.lv)

Rundale Palace
It may not be on the same scale as St Petersburg's Hermitage, but Rastrelli's Rundale Palace (www.rundale.net) is equally handsome. A visit to this opulent baroque and rococo masterpiece is a must. Renovation work is still bringing the interior up to scratch.

Cesis
Old wooden buildings, cobbled streets, attractive churches and impressive castles transport you back through layers of history in Cesis (www.tourism.cesis.lv). One of Latvia's oldest towns, it was first inhabited in the 13th century. 

Liepaja
Its old town buildings may be a little faded but Liepaja (www.liepaja.lv) still boasts attractive architecture. The real highlights though are its seaside park and sandy EU Blue Flag beach. In Karosta, formerly a Russian naval base, you can take a tour of a KGB museum. 

Kuldiga
This attractive town proudly promotes itself as the home of Europe's widest waterfall. While the gushing torrent is impressive when the Venta River is high, Kuldiga (www.visit.kuldiga.lv) is an attractive historic settlement well worth exploring in its own right. 

Basilica of Aglona
A place of pilgrimage for Catholics from all over Latvia, this immense white cathedral is worth visiting even if you are not religious. To see it at its most atmospheric, visit during the Feast of the Assumption (15 Aug) when around 150,000 worshippers take part in a torchlit procession.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.