Travel, 50+, Latvia

Someone once told me the best part of Latvia is that it is not Lithuania.

I am far from certain whether the person was joking or dead serious. Based on the facial expression, we were at a funeral. Either way, I can personally attest to having better time in Latvia. I visited both places for business, while having limited chances for some personal time off. The business was pretty much the same in both places. For the time off, Latvia had a more vivid underground scene (music, LARP, other cultural activities) and people were happy to have a good time with a random stranger.

For most tourists, Latvia seems to be either a location for a quiet family retreat or a place to marinade yourself with too much alcohol. The families are welcomed, but the country and, especially, their capital got extremely exhausted with the drinkers. There have been limitations and bans for related things. Which is nice for everybody. But then, there is still one horrible group disturbing, if not terrorizing the scene. The Brightly Colored Jackrabbit Vishnu singers!

The Judgment:
While it has been a fairly long time since my last visit to Latvia, let's imagine it's still the same. In this scenario, the place serves well for those who wish to relax. It is great for those who enjoy exploring relatively small cities and towns with some historical sights (eg Cēsis). The old town of the capital, while UNESCO certified, is slightly less impressive than that of Tallinn. In case you wish to climb the imress-ladder, go to Riga first. If you love beach resorts, but hate the scorching heat, you will enjoy Jūrmala which is almost a suburb of the capital. If you're more on the dark side of things, you are able to witness historical KGB activities and even spend a night in a prison (you know, as a tourist). Because why not?

Latvia is fairly peaceful, there's a lot of nature, you are safe as long as you are not the origin source of problems, it's family friendly (rather visit with small children than teens who will most likely get bored) and moderately priced. Solo travelers will find the country easy to tackle. Friends of music will find things traditional and modern to enjoy.

Would I go again? Maybe. Might be interesting to see how, or, if things have changed since the lati era.