The Baltic country bordered by its northern neighbor (Estonia) and southern neighbor (Lithuania), Latvia is a lovely destination to visit. However, we know very little about the country, its culture, its customs, etc., which might discourage us from visiting, which is a shame.
That’s why we’ve compiled some interesting, sometimes surprising, but most importantly useful (we hope) information about Latvia. We cover history, behaviors, mentalities, specialties, and more. Who knows, you might learn something new and it might even inspire you to visit Latvia.
Latvia, like its Baltic neighbors, is part of Europe and has been a member of the European Union since 2004.
As a French citizen (and more generally, as a member of the European Union), you do not need a passport to enter the country; your identity card is sufficient.
Moreover, since the country is part of the Schengen Area, you do not need to worry about a visa either, as this area allows you to stay in the country for up to 90 days per semester without a visa.
Finally, Latvia is part of the Eurozone, so they use the euro as their currency. No need to worry about currency exchange during your visit.
Quite handy all that!
Latvian is the national language. It’s an “Eastern Baltic” language classified within the “Indo-European” family. Latvian is written in the Latin alphabet, but it’s slightly modified and contains not 23 letters, but 10 additional ones, making a total of 33. The letters Q, W, X, and Y do not exist, but there are additional letters with accents and tildes: ā, č, ē, ģ, ī, ķ, ļ, ņ, š, ū, ž.
Moreover, it’s worth noting that Latvia is home to 25% Russians among its population, due to various waves of immigration to the country (which we’ll explain in the next section). Thus, the Russian-speaking community is significant in Latvia, and it’s not uncommon to hear Russian spoken more frequently than Latvian in the streets.
English is still widely spoken, especially among the younger generations, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting by! 😉
Latvia has experienced several centuries of invasions and occupations by the Poles, Prussians, Swedes, and Russians, followed by the Nazis and Soviets during World War II. It wasn’t until 1991 that the country regained its independence, thanks to what is known as the Singing Revolution. This revolution brought together 2 million Latvians, Lithuanians, and Estonians in a 687 km human chain connecting the three Baltic capitals (Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn) as a "symbolic demand for independence."
Today, Latvia continues to enjoy its independence, but these periods have obviously impacted the country and its people. During the occupation periods, the Latvians clung to their culture. As a result, their cultural heritage has not been forgotten, and Latvians are very proud of it. This pride is reflected in their patriotism and attachment to folklore (traditions and customs of the time), which is evident in various events, such as:
Just like their Baltic neighbors, Latvians do not have access to Amazon and consequently do not use the site.
In reality, I'm not in favor of buying products on Amazon (even though I acknowledge it's convenient and fast), so I find it quite good. However, in my research, I discovered that Latvians might still bypass the restriction and get Amazon products delivered through other means. Anyway, I don't know if many people use such services, but I find this information surprising (in a positive way)!
Unfortunately, no culinary journey on the horizon—sorry to break it to you. Latvian cuisine is rather simple, based on potatoes, peas, cabbage, beets, and fish (such as herring and salmon).
The national dish is called "rosol". It consists of mashed potatoes with pickled peas and pickles, accompanied by sausages and a piece of meat, with sour cream and mustard. Quite simple, but why not? We haven’t tasted it ourselves 🙈.
We were surprised to see pastry dough (puff, shortcrust, and sweet) sold in square slices in the freezer… And even what they call “croissants,” which don’t look like croissants since they’re filled. Anyway, each place has its own specialties 😅.
In Latvia, be careful because tap water is not potable as it is not treated! You’ll need to buy bottled water if you want to drink it to avoid any health issues.
We recommend avoiding ice cubes, salads, and peeling fruits before consuming them to avoid any issues!
Latvia adopted a bottle deposit system in 2022 for plastic, glass bottles, and metal cans. Therefore, regardless of the packaging, the deposit amounts to 0.10€.
This practice encourages consumers to recycle packaging, and it works very well, as seen in the neighboring country: Lithuania, where recycling rates increased from 34% before the deposit system was introduced in early 2016 to 92% two years later (source: Open Acess Government).
So if you buy glass, plastic bottles, or metal cans in Latvia, remember to return them to the designated collection points. These collection points are called Reverse Vending Machines (RVM) and are usually found in supermarkets. Once you've returned your packaging, you can get your deposit back, usually in the form of a voucher to spend in the store or directly in cash.
Latvia is one of only three countries in Europe (along with Estonia and Malta) that does not have any highways! As a result, roads are free for everyone. There are no tolls and no vignettes to purchase. One less burden!
However, if you’re driving there, be sure to watch out for speed cameras! There are quite a few of them. In addition to fixed cameras and traffic light cameras, there are also "section speed cameras" that calculate your average speed over a given section of the road. So slowing down only in front of the camera won’t help at all!
To rent a car locally, we recommend using DiscoverCars. The platform compares hundreds of companies to offer you the best rental prices and conditions, including unlimited mileage, partial coverage, and theft protection, all with no hidden fees.
If you don’t want to drive during your trip to Latvia but still need to get from city to city, it’s definitely possible. However, we recommend opting for the bus over the train. The rail network is not well developed, and traveling from point A to point B can take a lot of time and require several changes. By bus, it will be much simpler and faster!
Ice hockey is a pretty cool national sport! It immediately brings Canada to mind! And in the end, you don't need to go that far to enjoy a good ice hockey match.
Riga, the capital of Latvia, with its 632,000 inhabitants (in 2019), is the largest Baltic city in terms of population. One third of Latvians live in this charming city, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
However, in terms of area, Vilnius takes the top spot with 401 km², compared to 307.2 km² for Riga, Latvia.
Here you go, we’ve shared our 10 key pieces of information about Latvia. We hope you’ve learned something new and that it will be useful for preparing your trip as well as once you’re there! 😊.
If we’ve inspired you to travel to Latvia, you can book your tickets here:
And some tips await you at the end of the article, don't miss them!
1. In Latvia, the weather drops very low in winter, and winter lasts a long time. So if you're not going to Latvia for the snow, we recommend visiting between May and September. Before then, the melting snow makes the trails impassable, and after, the cold and snow return.
2. There is a 1-hour time difference between France and Latvia in winter, and no time difference in summer. So in winter, when it is 12:00 PM in France, it is 1:00 PM in Latvia. This small time difference is something to keep in mind, especially regarding your landing time, any activities you have planned on-site, or if you want to call your family.
In France, we are in UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer, while in Latvia, they are always in UTC+2.
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