"Latvia's capital" a Riga Travel Page by svoures

Riga is the capital of Latvia and the largest city in the Baltic States. Dispite this, it is still surprisingly compact and most of its attractions can be reached on foot or by a short trip with the bus/trolley.

Riga was founded in 1201 by the native tribes of the area, which chose the land near the bank of the river Daugava as an ideal base for trade. From its golden period as the greatest city in the Swedish empire during the 17th century, to the eve of World War I when it was Russia's third largest port, Riga had been a bridge between the East and West. In 1920 it became the capital of Latvia until the country lost its independency to the Soviet Union after World Word II. After Latvia regained its independence in 1991 Riga has been brought again at the forefront of the commercial and cultural activity in the region.

Location: Daugava River, southeast corner of Gulf of Riga.

Dialling code: 371

Population: 852,000

Time zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October)

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin plugs are standard

Average January temperatures: - 3°C (26.5°F)

Average July temperatures: 18°C (64.5°F)

Annual rainfall: 580mm (22.8 inches)

For ease of access to the many attractions, Riga can be split into 5 sections:

1. The Old city, is entirely encircled by the Pilsetas canal, which seperates it from the modern city centre and the Daugava river.

2. The park area, which consists of the Canal Park, the Esplanade, the Vermanes Darzs and Kronvalda park.

3. The new city.

4. The Moscow district

5. The left bank