Three languages may be useful in Latvia: Latvian, Russian and English. While Latvian is the only official language and the only one you will notice on most signs, Latvia is effectively a bilingual country, with a third of its population speaking Russian. Map of majority languages in each Latvian region.

In 2011 census 37.2% reported Russian as the language they primarily speak at home. In the capital, Riga Russian was spoken at home by 55.8% of inhabitants.

Latvian language, also called Lettish, Latvian Latviesu Valoda, East Baltic language spoken primarily in Latvia, where it has been the official language since 1918.

How much money will you need for your trip to Riga? You should plan to spend around €82 ($98) per day on your vacation in Riga, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, €26 ($31) on meals for one day and €12 ($14) on local transportation.

Riga is by far the largest of the three cities – it is a slightly imposing, cosmopolitan city that has much more to offer than its toursity old town. Tallinn is much smaller and compact (especially the old town). Tallinn is by far the most “charming” of the three but perhaps also the most touristy.

Riga is a very safe city, unless you are doing something very stupid, or are just plain unlucky. All the cases I know (I live here) of people being attacked in the last 15 years have been through their own drunken stupidity. Don’t be a fool and you should be fine.

Overall Riga is a fairly low crime city compared to other European Union capitals. In the Old Town area with its nightlife, markets and festivals can become crowded on the weekends with tourists and its popularity as a great spot for stag parties.

OVERALL RISK : MEDIUM. Riga is overall safe to travel to, the crime rates are relatively low, and even pickpockets are not that common. However, it is advised that you remain vigilant at all times, especially on the streets.

Latvia is a very safe country to travel, whether you’re a solo woman, traveling with friends, as a family or as a couple.

Absolutely Gorgeous. If you’ve ever laid eyes on at least one of them, you’ve probably asked yourself: why are Latvians so beautiful? The answer is simple: genetics and hard work. With the genetics aspect of this, Latvian girls have physical features very typical of this region of Europe.

Famous people from Latvia

• Ernests Gulbis. Tennis Player. Ernests Gulbis is a Latvian professional tennis player.
• Mark Rothko. Painting Artist.
• Mikhail Baryshnikov. Ballerina.
• Sergei Eisenstein. Film costumer designer.
• Vitas. Alternative rock Artist.
• Gidon Kremer. Violinist.
• Heinz Erhardt. Film Actor.
• Mikhail Tal. Chess Player.

Latvia is known for it’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites that include Riga’s old city centre, unique cuisine like Rupjmaize, medieval towns, and one of the fastest WiFi speeds in the world, Latvia is also famous for its beer, beautiful women, lakes, waterfalls and art nouveau buildings in Riga.

But Latvians – while not overtly gregarious – are very friendly. Nearly all Latvians speak three languages well. Most Latvians will gladly assist, and many will go the extra mile to showcase Latvia’s hospitable side.

Warnings and dangers Latvia is a safe country. Crime levels in Latvia are relatively small. The murder rate is on par with the USA. However, crime is spread much more evenly in Latvia than in the West, meaning there is no division into “dangerous ghettos” and “suburbs where nothing bad ever happens”.

The Baltic Finnic warriors’ weapons and jewellery were indistinguishable from the ones from Eastern Sweden or Gotland. To put it simply, coastal warriors, who lived in modern Estonia, Finland and Latvia were also Vikings, and both archeological as well as written sources prove it.

Although Vikings are known to have come in their majority from the Scandinavian region, Norway, Denmark and Sweden are not the only places these fearless sailor warriors came from. Vikings of the Baltic Sea appear under this name, or simply as “from Estonia” in the old sagas such as the Old Norse Icelandic.

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania had been part of the Russian Empire since the end of the 18th century, but after the Russian Revolution of 1917 they became independent states.

It’s a very safe place, not crowded with people, it’s also a very relaxing city, people aren’t stressed or in a hurry like in Italy. Also, Latvian beer is very good and it’s much cheaper than beer in Italy.

There are very few bears in Latvia, and this is just the third individual encountered within the national park within five decades, said Nature Conservation Agency expert Vilnis Skuja. The brown bear is a protected species in Latvia, and the country’s largest carnivore.

Latvia has an unprotected population of 600 wolves, down from 900 in the middle of the 1990s. Belarus is home to a population of 1,500–2,000 wolves.

The posters in question feature a large picture of an unfriendly looking arachnid and a warning that due to climate change they are now not only rampant in Latvia but poisonous, too. According to Spungis the spider on the poster has the Latin name “Tegenaria Agrestis” and is not harmful to humans at all.

Many varied animals live in Latvia. The forests are home to badgers, beavers, foxes, wolves, bats, hedgehogs, weasels, lynxes and elk. The marshes are home to otters, minks and herons, and the coastal waters provide shelter to sea turtles, water birds and gray seals.

Most Dangerous Animals in Europe

• Portuguese man o’ war.
• Mediterranean Black widow spider.
• Wolverine.
• Asp Viper.
• Brown bear. Eurasian brown bear / Photo: Malene Thyssen / License.
• Great white shark. Great white shark.
• Wild boar. Wild Boar / Photo: Jens Klingebiel.
• Polar bear. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

Only three species of these vertebrates live in Latvia’s chilly climate: viper, grass snake and Coronella austriaca (commonly known as the smooth snake). Only one of them is venomous – Common European adder (Vipera berus).

And invented jeans In 1870, he was asked by a customer to make a strong pair of trousers for her woodcutter husband – his creation would become the template for modern denim jeans, and two years later, with help from Levi Strauss, he patented the product.