Beyond Vecrīga: Three Neighborhoods Outside Old Town

A view of Maskavas Forštate (Moscow Suburb) from atop the Latvijas Zinātņu akadēmija (Latvian Academy of Science) During my travels, I’ve learned that the bulk of what makes most Eastern European capitals so interesting is what lies beyond the manicured and tourist-friendly Old Towns, and Rīga is no…

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Rīga’s Ever-Growing Art Scene is Worth Exploring

I’m willing to bet that if I handed out surveys to one thousand random people in Times Square, asking them to name five European cities with hot art scenes, Rīga would show up very infrequently, if at all. That’s a shame because the Latvian capital has a lot…

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An Occupied Latvia: The Soviet and Nazi Occupations of Rīga
Inside the former KGB Headquarters in Rīga

An Occupied Latvia: The Soviet and Nazi Occupations of Rīga

Inside the former KGB Headquarters in Rīga There’s no way around it: by and large, the past 100 years of Latvian history have not been happy ones. Like her Baltic neighbors, Latvia took advantage of the Russian Revolution in 1917 to declare its own independence in 1918. Kārlis…

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Journey to the Past at Lake Jugla

Latvijas Etnogrāfiskais Brīvdabas Muzejs (Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia) Man Plans and God Laughs Sometimes we think we have it all figured out. A trip is carefully researched and planned. No hour will be wasted and every sight will be seen. And then, like the old Yiddish proverb,…

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Vecrīga

Welcome to my first post on the more-than-meets-the-eye capital of Latvia. Here’s to exploring a new country and a new capital!

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Tallinn in Photos

I’ve enjoyed creating these photography-centric posts to cap off my experience in each capital.

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Maarjamäe

Tallinn’s Maarjamäe district really packs a wallop: historically, architecturally and emotionally.

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Rocca al Mare

I know that you’re thinking I probably mixed up my post titles as Rocca al Mare sounds more like a city along the Amalfi Coast

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Kloostrimetsa
Staring down to the ground at the Tallinna Teletorn (Tallinn TV Tower)

Kloostrimetsa

Before we talk about Kloostrimetsa, now is as good a time as any to discuss the public transportation system in Tallinn.

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