Riga, the capital of Latvia, was officially founded in 1201. Riga is divided into six administrative districts Centra, Kurzeme, Ziemelu, Latgale, Vidzeme and Zemgale districts. The largest city in the Baltics, with a population of 800,000.Riga is located along the Baltic Sea at the southern coast of the Gulf of Riga, on the Rigava coastal plain. The historical core of Riga is situated on the right bank of the Daugava River, about 10 kilometers from where the Daugava flows into the Gulf of Riga. The natural terrain of this area is a flat and sandy plain.
Climate in Riga is influenced by its proximity to the sea therefore it is moderately warm and humid. Summers are comparatively cool and cloudy. Winters are comparatively warm with frequent thaws. Snow covers forms in the middle of December and remains through the middle of March. About 40 percent of the days in a year are cloudy.
Many holiday makers come here as part of Classical Baltic breaks tours and many jet setters come to the capital Riga for luxury break holidays, short city escapes and adventure holidays. It is a wonderful country, full of wildlife, parks, breath taking landscapes, museums and many medieval towns. The good thing in Riga is it seems to have the most vibrant nightlife by far in the Baltics. The bad thing is it seems to have the worst traffic.
Riga is the city that never sleeps and this statement is especially true in the summer, when the sun so briefly sets. Riga nightlife starts around 9 pm when people begin to gather in restaurants and cocktail bars. Night clubs open around 10 pm. Generally, girls fill the nightclubs first as there is often no entrance fee or discounted fees for women until midnight. After midnight the real party starts. If you dont want to go clubbing, just take a walk around Old Riga. On warm nights, the streets are as crowded as during the day and all the outdoor cafes in Dome square are full.
Fans of architecture will marvel at the variety of style in the Dome Cathedral and the other sacral buildings of Old Riga. Design buffs will gape at one of the greatest collections of Art Nouveau architecture and design in the entire world. Historians will focus on the ancient buildings and museums of the formerly walled Old City. Families will enjoy the Riga Open Air Ethnographic Museum, which features farms and other rural buildings which were brought to the park site lock, stock and barrel in the early part of the 20th century. The park is particularly active during the summer, when artisans demonstrate their craft.
