Latvia has been growing intensively in recent years and there is a buoyant energy in the country, although Soviet-era concrete structures are still present. The country still offers a charming, verdant countryside with memorable castles and villas and a stretch of coastline known as the Baltic Riviera.
Riga, once called the Paris of the north, is the cosmopolitan hub of the Baltics and here one finds international flair, good food and nightlife.