The city of Riga has the highest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in the world and is generally recognized that Riga has the finest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe. Outside the old town, there a few more attractions which are also worth a visit including the Freedom Monument, Latvian National Opera, Nativity of Christ Cathedral, Central Market and Latvian Academy of Science where I enjoyed the panoramic of Riga City.
Riga, Latvia’s capital city, was founded in 1201 and over the following 800 years was occupied by Germans, Poles, Swedes and Russians. Latvia finally became an independent country in 1991 after long years of Soviet domination. In 1997, Riga Old Town was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
From the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania I proceed on with my journey to Latvia. First stop in Latvia is the 18th century Rundale Palace. The journey took about an hour. Rundale Palace is a summer residence for the Dukes of Courland and it's one of the two must visit place in Latvia.
Hill of Crosses near Siauliai is the most unique place in Lithuania. There is no exact historical date when and how the first cross was erected on the legendary and storied mound of Jurgaičiai or Domantai, but the hill was considered sacred since the second part of 19th century. After unsuccessful rebellions against Russian authorities in 1831 and 1863, more and more crosses emerged on the hill. Today, people from around the world still bring crosses to be erected here.
Trakai is a historic city and lake resort, which is located 28km away from Vilnius. Due to its proximity to Vilnius, most people would opt for a day tour or half day tour to Trakai. I joined a half day tour which took me to Trakai’s best attraction, Trakai Castle, Hill of Angels and Uzutrakis Palace.
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