Oriol’s Latvia: 5 Hidden Gems to Show Friends from Abroad

July 16, 2026 at 3:02 pm,

beach pathway in lilaste beach latvia

When friends visit me I want to show them the Latvia I fell in love with, the one which reveals itself slowly: a riverside promenade at golden hour, a medieval town that still feels lived in, a cemetery that reads like a well kept park, and coastlines where the wind does half the storytelling.

If there is a picnic involved, even better. Nothing too complicated-good bread, something salty, berries if they are in season, and a chilled bottle that matches the mood.

In that spirit, these are the places I keep returning to when I want someone from abroad to understand the subtle beauty and magnetic charisma of Latvia.

oriol bernad in riga ab dambis © Raim Catalan Wines

AB Dambis

If I have one easy Riga move for a beautiful summer evening, it is AB dambis. The place has this perfect in-between energy: river breeze, open sky, the towers of Old Riga across the water, and just enough industrial edge to stop it from becoming too polished.

One of my favorite walking spots with panoramic views, and it is also one of those golden-hour locations that makes everyone suddenly want “just one more photo.” Above it all, the Latvian flag moves proudly in the wind, making the skyline feel even more cinematic. If your friend likes contemporary culture, NOASS at AB dambis adds a floating art-space note to the whole scene.

I would bring a cold Brut Nature Cava or Corpinnat and keep the picnic light- olives and crisps - because this is exactly the kind of place where elegance works best when it looks effortless.

oriol in cape kolka latvia © Raim Catalan Wines

Cape Kolka

Cape Kolka is where I take someone when I want Latvia to do the talking for me. This dramatic cape marks the meeting point of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, creating a landscape that feels wild, mythical, and completely alive.

In winter, Kolka turns cinematic with snow, ice, empty horizons, and a sharp northern wind that reminds you where you are. But in summer, it becomes a place for long beach walks, the pine trail, the observation tower, birdwatching, and those short northern nights when, if you are up for it, sunset slowly turns into sunrise.

Add local smoked fish, something fresh, and a well crisp and balenced acidic sparkling wine, and you have the bones of a perfect Latvian day.

the great cemetery in riga latvia © Raim Catalan Wines

Lielie kapi

Lielie kapi is my Riga curveball-the place I suggest when I want to show that the city is not only pretty, but deep. The Great Cemetery was established in 1773, covers around 22 hectares, and today works both as a historic memorial landscape and as a green retreat where locals come to walk under old trees and out of the summer heat.

What I like most is the atmosphere: restored monuments, beautiful fragments of stonework, and the sense that the city is still speaking here, just more quietly. It is not tourism in the shiny sense; it is texture, memory, and a place of refuge from the city rustle.

Go slowly, read names, notice the craftsmanship, and then drift toward Miera iela if you want to continue the afternoon somewhere soft and bohemian.

Cēsis

Cēsis is what I suggest when a friend wants one day in Latvia that somehow contains almost everything: history, charm, culture, and enough surrounding nature to keep the whole thing from feeling too museum-like.

The town has more than 800 years of history, its medieval castle is among the most important and best-preserved in Latvia. There are towers and historic interiors to explore, craft workshops at the castle complex, an old town made for wandering, and St. John’s Church tower for the panorama over the roofs. If the mood is still energetic, the nearby nature trails bring in river Gauja sandstone, caves, forest air, and exactly the right amount of contrast enjoyable in any season.

Cēsis always feels polished to me, but never stiff. It is where I would finish with a long lunch or early dinner and a bottle that still feels celebratory without becoming heavy.

Lilaste Beach

Lilaste Beach is for the friend who says they only need sea, sand, and one genuinely good afternoon. The beach is described locally as a paradise of white sand, and the broader Saulkrasti shoreline is officially noted for stretching from the “singing” sand in Lilaste toward rockier northern sections, with especially beautiful sunsets along the coast.

Recent local improvements have also made the place friendlier and easier: a gentle slope to the sea, accessible and family parking, seating areas, and a playground near the beach entrance. The mood here is clean, easy, and sun-bleached in the best possible way.

Swim, do nothing for a while, stay later than planned, and keep the picnic unfussy- fruit, salty snacks, and a chilled rosé Cava. Summer does not need much more.

In conclusion

Latvia reveals itself slowly, and these are the places where I feel its true character opens up most clearly. AB dambis gives you Riga from across the water, Lielie kapi reveals the city’s quieter depth, Cēsis carries history with grace, Lilaste offers that soft reset by the sea, and Cape Kolka adds the final wild note - where the landscape feels larger than language.

If I had to show a friend from abroad the Latvia I have come to love, these are the hidden gems I would choose. Not because they are the obvious choice, but because they hold something essential: space, silence, nature, memory, and that calm beauty Latvia does so well. Stay a little longer than planned, and the country will start speaking for itself.