An advantage of Latvia is that it is large enough to offer a good range of options, but small enough to have everything within easy reach. You can go out on an excursion through the beautiful old town of Riga and savour art nouveau in the Quiet Centre, or head out on longer journeys. Lauku ceļotājs, the countryside tourism association, has developed routes for various tastes and abilities.
For instance, in Slītere, the largest national park in Latvia, you can choose from nine different routes to find the one that interests you the most – they can be only a few kilometres long, or they may take a week to complete; whichever the case, the impressions will be abundant.
Similar options exist at the Gauja National Park, where walks in Līgatne will be especially interesting: the nature park here features a nature trail over five kilometres in length, and it allows you to familiarise yourself with Latvian wild animals dwelling in special enclosures. Latvia also has two botanical gardens offering wonderful possibilities for walks in Salaspils and in Pārdaugava, Riga.
As Latvia is a coastal country, you can try walking the nearly 500 kilometres of the shoreline. Admittedly, a journey of this kind will require a couple of weeks, a resilient set of legs and some sturdy footwear. This adventure is offered by Lauku ceļotājs.
A walk through fishing villages lasting a few hours or a whole day will be pleasant as well. Nearly every corner of Latvia has a nature trail. You can obtain further information at tourism information centres and in Lauku ceļotājs guidebooks. And we will present you here with one-day routes, possibilities for longer hikes, as well as splendid walking routes for towns and cities.
