By Nicole Brewer
Greetings globetrotters! I hope that you all have been well. The weeks are now fast approaching until I head back to USA for my summer break from teaching here in Oman. Nevertheless, I recently returned from a week long holiday for EID following Ramadan here in the region. A few months ago I was blessed to win free roundtrip tickets from Dubai to Riga, Latvia via Air Baltic after attending a virtual information session about the Baltic region.
I jumped at the chance to head to a cooler region after the sweltering temps we’ve been getting here in the desert. The overnight direct flight from Dubai was smooth sailing and the first thing I decided to do after arriving at the Radisson Blu Latvija Conference & Spa Hotel Riga, was in fact head straight to the spa. After a day of globetrotting I chilled out for a bit in the relaxing plunge pools, saunas, and steam rooms situated throughout the hotel. After that I enjoyed a cocktail at the Skybar on the 26th floor which has the best views of the city. I really don’t think I could’ve picked a better hotel.
After being well rested, the next two days I ventured out on day trips. One exploring the city of Riga with the most incredible art nouveaux architecture ever and the next day I booked a tour to visit the stunning Rundale Palace, a local castle, and then headed across the border to Lithuania to visit the historic Hill of Crosses. During the palace tour I felt like I was in a real life episode of the famed Bridgerton series. My architecture and interior design loving heart was truly at peace. I also loved the fun guides who took me out to visit the sites on both tours.
The following day I decided to venture out and take in the city sites of Riga on my own. I delighted upon more art nouveaux architecture, the Riga Motorsport Museum, the Occupation of Latvia Museum, and a beautiful art and tea gallery situated in the art nouveaux district. If you are interested in a region with interesting history, divine buildings, and a laid back atmosphere then I highly recommend a visit to the Baltic States.
Latvia and Lithuania don’t get mentioned much when people talk about traveling to Europe. But there is much to see and do in these countries. Hopefully now that COVID restrictions are going away, people will start to book trips to this and other lesser- known but worthwhile tourist destinations.
Very Nice! Thanks For Sharing..