Latvia becomes a refuge for those seeking peace and harmony during the winter months – a place to reflect and recharge. The distances are short, but the sensations are vast – within an hour you can escape the noise of the city and enjoy the complete silence of the countryside – an invitation to commune in solitude with nature, even if only for a few days.
When the weather turns cold, nature displays its serene and peaceful character as forests turn white and fall silent, ice crystals sparkle in the treetops, the seaside silence is only broken by the sound of wind, and rural landscapes are blanketed in a pristine mantle of snow. Nature is at rest, giving visitors the opportunity to follow its example, immerse themselves in calmer surroundings and regain inner balance.
In this review, we will offer only a small glimpse into Latvia’s magical winter destinations, places we believe will inspire you to get to know our wonderful country better.
Enjoy the silence
“Silent travel” is gaining increasing popularity around the world in the form of trips that emphasise switching off technology and everyday noise. A retreat is a deliberate departure from the daily rhythm – creating a time and place you can dedicate to yourself, mind, body and soul – and can take the form of a silent retreat, meditation, yoga, movement practice or a personal growth camp. Consciously enjoying silence allows us to step off the treadmill of life for a moment – to reconnect with ourselves and increase our emotional resilience.
Escaping urban hustle and bustle
A retreat is more than just a vacation – it is an investment in well-being, self-discovery and better quality of life. If you are looking for a place to indulge in introspection, focus on what truly matters and recharge before diving back into everyday life with confidence and peace, a retreat may be a perfect choice.
Latvia offers many places where visitors can enjoy true silence and retreat experiences. The seaside village of Lūžņa in Ventspils municipality is the most secluded corner of the Latvian coast and home to the Stacija spiritual practice centre. This accredited retreat centre hosts meditation retreats, silent weeks and spiritual practice seminars all year round, a location surrounded by forest that is a short walk away from the sea and bathed in the light of a starry sky at night, a sight that is increasingly difficult to see in the city. The Elijas nams meditation centre has also been operating in the vicinity of Lūžņa for many years – a quiet wooden house in the forest where people gather for contemplation and meditation retreats. Its long history of spiritual work gives this centre a special atmosphere where time seems to flow very slowly.
Silent and meditation retreats are also offered by centres very close to Riga. Nestled in the stillness of the Gauja Valley are the Ziedlejas wellness complex and Gaujmale Nature Retreat Center – a rural retreat surrounded by forests and a river, approximately 50 kilometres from Riga airport. It can accommodate both organised group retreats and more intimate silent holidays, providing the opportunity to wake up to the hush of morning mist, listen to the waters of the Gauja and go for a walk along quiet forest trails. On the way from Riga to Jelgava, in Medemciems, the Vihara meditation centre offers classic Buddhist mediation retreats. Just half an hour from the capital you are already enveloped in the silence of the countryside, where you can focus all your attention on breathing and inner peace.
Special retreats for women in safe, supportive and harmonious environments are also held in Latvia, creating safe harbours for relaxing, organising your thoughts and regaining inner balance. There are many offers for this type of self-discovery experience, but before choosing the one that suits you best, make sure to read reviews and verify the qualifications of the instructors.
Latvian SPA and sauna rituals
In the cold of winter, wellness treatments – at a spa or in the sauna – also represent a special kind of comfort and relaxation. Latvia has a variety of SPA centres in the capital, at resorts, and in quieter regions. Rural SPA centres are also perfect for romantic getaways. For example, the Liepupes muižas SPA uses local plants and flowers in its care rituals, providing a unique experience in a rural setting. An aromatic steam bath and water bath are offered alongside SPA rituals for two, various massages and masks. Once your treatments are over, enjoy a leisurely cup of herbal tea in the SPA relaxation room. In Latgale, not far from the Daugavpils Nature Park, the Silene Resort & SPA recreation complex offers peaceful relaxation – a sauna and beauty treatments with marsh herbs, wild berries, clay and other natural materials, allowing guests to regain peace in unity with nature. On the Madona side, the Mārcienas muiža SPA complex is a place where the historical atmosphere of the manor is harmoniously combined with modern relaxation and body treatments. The selection of SPA treatments is wide and even exotic, from biomechanical stimulation procedures to deep tissue massage with bamboo sticks and quince peeling. The manor also offers sauna rituals, including birch bundles for beating, hay bathing, sweat bath sessions and incantations.
It may seem impossible to some, but peace and harmony are also attainable in Riga. The world-renowned five-star ESPA Riga recreation centre offers exclusive treatments, combining aromatherapy with modern techniques to eliminate fatigue. One look at the Taka SPA motto on its website is a tempting glimpse of what awaits visitors: “The path leads us. It is a natural path – through the meadow, through the forest, along the river, to the sea... Where one finds peace and clarity, health and energy thrives, gaining beauty and vitality.”
Latvia has a well-established national sauna tradition – in ancient times, a sauna was part of every rural homestead, and Latvians still honour this ritual. Immersing the body in a hot steam bath, gently beating the skin with a birch or oak broom and then sinking into ice-cold water is a ritual that restores vigour, improves health and cleanses the spirit. A real sauna with all its rituals is available in countless rural guest houses throughout Latvia. To learn about the history and diversity of the sauna, it is worth visiting the Sauna Museum near Saulkrasti, where you can see several historical saunas, including a rare black sauna, and learn how our ancestors liberated their body and spirit.
Romantic vacations for two
Winter solitude can be a truly fabulous indulgence, especially when accompanied by a crackling fire and the hush of slowly falling snow outside. Latvia has no shortage of romantic vacation spots where couples can enjoy being together undisturbed. These include the Melnsils campsite by the sea, featuring small barrel-shaped cabins right on the beach. Watch the sunrise without getting out of bed, and take an evening walk along the seashore under the starry sky. Enjoy candlelight and the silence of the forest on the Sēja side, where Two Black Cabins in the middle of the forest take you away from the hustle and bustle and create a peaceful bubble just for two. There is a hot tub by the cabin, where you can stay warm under the open sky, but the nearby forest and river create a particularly intimate atmosphere on a winter night.
Glamping at DiDille on the Rauna side also offers an unusual overnight stay. In the transparent dome house on the lake shore, you can watch the stars from bed and warm yourself by the fireplace on a snowy night. Other charms await you on the Tukums side at the Mazburku winery, which is home to a cluster of charming cottages. In winter, you can warm yourself by the fireplace and enjoy local wine – even in cold weather, romance tastes like sweet summer grapes. The surroundings of Cēsis are especially romantic in winter. Near Raiskums, in a beautifully manicured landscape, the Jaunbrenguļi guest house offers both the peace of a country house and a small romantic cottage for two. Enjoy the nearby walking trails, a sauna, a campfire and the feeling that you are far from your daily routine despite only being a short drive from Cēsis.
If the sea tempts you, Kurzeme is just as beautiful in winter as it is in summer, only much quieter. The Jūras Krasti holiday home complex on the seashore is open all year round, the perfect spot for those seeking nature and peace. The grey-blue horizon changes outside the window, the house smells of freshly cooked food, and the sea roars so close by that it seems like you are on the edge of the world.
Lovers of winter silence will also appreciate ancient Ungurmuiža – the only baroque wooden manor in Latvia with a park, tea house and guest house. The snow cover accentuates the trunks of large oak trees, a walk in the park becomes a languid meditation, and the tea house provides warmth and solace from your thoughts.
These places allow couples to stop time for a moment and enjoy the magic of simple, true togetherness, accompanied only by candles, the snow outside and the flames crackling in the fireplace, casting warm reflections on the walls.
Nature trails and views
Latvia offers a wide range of nature and bog trails with easy access and well-organised infrastructure. Great places for winter hiking can be found in Latvia’s national nature parks and along the sea.
Latvian nature trails offer enchanting views of nature in winter. For example, in the early morning on the Great Ķemeri bog boardwalk, you can watch the sunrise and fog over the frozen bog wells for an unforgettable meditation in the open air. Meanwhile, on the border of the Alūksne Highlands, unique Nature Houses are located on the shores of five picturesque lakes – small houses without everyday amenities, where you can unwind completely in the peace of the Veclaicene landscape. By giving up everyday comforts and interfacing with nature, visitors begin to see its diversity and experience a truly healing equilibrium.
The Gauja National Park with trails near Sigulda, Līgatne and Cēsis is particularly quiet in winter – here you can go on a longer hike or a short, meditative walk along the viewing platforms and the ancient river valley, observing the frozen rocks and the tranquil flow of the river. The coast from Saulkrasti and Ķesterciems to Pāvilosta and Kolka also offers a peaceful retreat in winter, where silence alternates with the murmur of the sea and the song of the wind blowing through the pine trees.
Latvia’s vast forests and bogs offer healing silence in winter. This not only improves your well-being, but also allows you to get rid of everyday stress, so it is no wonder that interest in forest therapy is growing. In 2025, the first official forest therapy trail was opened in the Tīnūži area near Ogre – a 1.5 km route with five stops created by the EkVidO nature education centre. Take a leisurely walk, learn more about nature, and enjoy peace and harmony.
Maybe you don’t have to flee to distant and exotic countries this winter? Instead, choose one of Latvia’s charming, quiet sanctuaries, allowing you to disconnect for a moment and indulge in harmonious peace with a book and a loved one by your side. It is precisely when we enjoy such moments of silence that we experience the feeling that life is just as it should be.
