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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
Alternatively, check out some of our holiday offers below.
- Destinations
- Europe
- Latvia
- Riga
- Sigulda
Sigulda
Just 33 miles (56km) from the capital, Sigulda - a picturesque
little town located in the primordial Gauja river valley - is well
worth the trip for tourists to Riga. Dubbed the 'Switzerland of
Vidzeme' due to the steep cliffs and caves that line the sides of
the river gorge, Sigulda makes a wonderful base from which to
explore Latvia's considerable natural bounty. Notable tourist
attractions of the area include the Medieval and Turaida Castles,
with the former staging an annual open-air Opera Festival in the
summer. Gauja National Park is within touching distance of Sigulda,
offering great activities such as walking trails and bungee-jumping
in summer; and luge, bobsledding and skiing in the winter. The town
of Sigulda itself is particularly worth visiting in spring, when
cherry blossoms bloom; and in autumn, where the very town seems to
take on the blood-orange hue of the leaves falling from its myriad
trees. Be sure to visit the Gutmanis Cave, the largest in the
Baltic region, and the setting of the Latvian folk-tale of the Rose
of Turaida.
Information & Facts
Language
Latvian is the official language, but English,
Lithuanian, Russian and German are also spoken.
Money
The official currency is the Lat (LVL), which is divided into
100 santims. Most hotels and restaurants in Riga accept credit
cards, and most major banks cash travellers cheques, but outside of
the capital credit cards are not widely accepted and credit card
fraud can be a problem at smaller institutions. Foreign currency
can be exchanged at any bank, at money change kiosks and at some
hotels. Note that a 4% fee will be charged to exchange US dollars
that are torn or marked in any way. Most banks are closed on
Saturdays and Sundays. ATMs are available in the larger cities.