Like Estonia, Latvia (pop 2.4 million, area 64,600 square kilometers or half Greece) is unsure of its origins. The musuem staff in UNESCO protected Riga believe that they are from Hungarian related tribes in Ukraine with some connections to the Danish. The Latvian language is of Germanic origin. This means Estonians and Finnish share common roots and language whilst the Latvians and Lithuanians share their roots and language. There are also similarities. Latvia was also occupied by Nazi Germany and Russia with independence in 1991. Riga (pop 790,00) is a very classic European city, whose old town is 40% Art Noveau architecture. The top photo shows the central "Ratsaukums" plaza with the 1344 House of Blackheads dominating (rebuilt in 2001 to celebrate the city's 800th birthday. The bottom photo shows the old city looking towards the Daugava river.
Other sites visited include: 1211 Dome Cathedral (largest Baltic Church), 1209 St Peters Lutheran church (with 123m tower), Presidents residence (old castle) and the 1698 Swedish Gate. Whilst the central old town is very classic the scene quickly deteriorates as you move into the suburbs - lots of traffic, grubby streets and buildings. Stalls and outdoor markets are quickly being replaced by modern malls. Distance travelled so far: 16,443km.
Where's Wally in the 2nd shot?
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