14 Mysterious Latvia Facts that No One Knows

Are you missing nature, beaches and some rich culture altogether?

Think no more- Here is a long list of some of interesting facts 🙌 about Latvia.

Latvia is a country having its boundaries shared with Belarus, Estonia and Lithuania. It has rich folk culture and many other things!

Let’s not waste any more time giving a glimpse and just jump into the adventure of virtually discovering the great LATVIA!

Interesting Facts about Latvia

Riga- A Wi-Fi heaven on Earth!

How about some good internet and some… Well, good internet is all that we really need. Nothing more! 🛜

But buffering, slow speed, and network issues are still the second, third and fourth most problematic conditions that we face in our daily life. However, the cost of the internet still ranks the number one in the list.

In Riga, there are more than 800 free locations where you may connect your devices and get quick Internet. Parks, shopping centers, historical sites, and museums all offer free Wi-Fi hotspots.

Dance and Sing in the Latvian rhythm

Are you into dancing? Or Singing? Or maybe a good audience? Or might you be a great folk enthusiast? Well, Latvia may offer the greatest peace of your life.

Yes! UNESCO acknowledged the great musical and cultural fest of Latvia to be one of a kind!

The event, which attracts more than 40,000 participants, is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing that you should not miss if you want to learn about the local way of life.

Ice Hockey- The National Sport of Latvia!

I am pretty sure that you must have searched the whereabouts of Zemgus Girgensons. NO? Yes, you are a good researcher! He is from Latvia. 

And he is one of the most famous Latvian Ice Hockey players! 🏒

If you are a Zemgus admirer, then you might have a little or (huge) interest in Ice Hockey.

Ice hockey is popular in Latvia. Every small town has an ice rink so that kids can start playing this sport early. 

As the biggest fans, the public also like watching ice hockey matches.

Karosta Prison- One of the weirdest stays in Latvia!

Have you ever heard the fantasy of staying in jail? Well, if you are having such thoughts in your mind, Latvia is the place you need to explore. 🚨

Apart from being a stay-in Jail, it is also famous for its spooky history. Many stories and news articles suggest that Karosta in Latvia had many prisoners who were shot dead. 

It was formerly a Soviet military prison in the city of Liepaja.

The building of the Karosta prison was made for a hospital…..later turned into a prison and again into a museum and now a Hotel!

Latvia: Women Fashion Models’ Hub!

We all know Ieva Laguna. That beautiful model from the 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show!

Ieva is a Latvian model famous for her fashion standards! You can see a lot of fashion models like Ieva in Latvia. 👑

Is it the diet or the environment there? Or the DNA variations? What is making these countries full of such wonderful fashion models? 

Latvia still ranks the one in producing female fashion models in the world.

Latvian traditional liquor- Yes, you can skip to the Good-part by being healthy!

Rip Van Winkle slept for more than twenty years by drinking some kind of liquor. Remember?

Although, you can’t skip twenty years of your life by just drinking any liquor! 

But the least you can be assured that Latvia offers traditional liquors….which are known for their high nutritional values. [In a way, you are skipping to the “Good-part” like Rip!] 🍻

Riga Black Balsam (the nomenclature is indeed sounding like some traditional medicine!) is made up of twenty-four different types of plants, including roots, berries, flowers, and more.

Coughing? Having a flu? An irritating cold? The only answer is some super delicious traditional liquors of Latvia.

Females are winning the race of population in Latvia!

If you are in Latvia, being a straight female, you might end up being single forever! Scary, isn’t it? 

Well, according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2022, Latvian women population outrages the male population. 💃

Unlike the other nations where women are being tortured and killed early (as early as in the fetus form), Latvia is still an anomaly to this patriarchal behaviour!

Dziedam (Let’s Sing)- If you are a folk music enthusiast!

You must have heard folk songs like Laiksne, Lettonie Talka and many more. 

You must have vibed and danced to that beautiful rhythm. But, have you wondered where is the origin of these beautiful inventions? 

It is in Latvia.

These folk songs are very special to the natives of Latvia. The Dainas of Latvia is one of the most popular ways to set the mood of the Latvian people for any occasion! 🎶

These are basically pre-Christian-themed poetry turned into songs with the drone style of vocals and the Baltic psaltery.

Riga- Origin of the first decorated Christmas tree!

A Christmas tree without decoration is just a tree! While a decorated Christmas tree can be a whole ‘game-changer’!

Have you ever thought of the fact that when did we even start to celebrate Christmas with a decorated tree? 

Well, historians claim that 1510 was the year when the Latvian people in Riga first decorated a Christmas tree! 🎄

The decorations of those Christmas trees were very different compared to today’s decorations. People used to decorate it with roses!

Tallest woman on earth- found in Latvia!

How tall is too much tall? No idea? Look for the height of Latvian women! 

I am really not giving you any inferiority complex, but just look at these amazing heights!

170 cm is the average height for tallness! Isn’t it very interesting? Although the reason behind this, as claimed by the researcher at Imperial College, is just nutrition. 😍

The Latvian women also thank the genes of their ancestors for such beautiful blessings!

Ventas Rumba- the widest waterfall!

We have all heard of the longest, largest and biggest waterfall. Have you ever heard of the widest waterfall? 🌊

Ventas Rumba…..almost sounding like a Hawaiian dance form! 

It is known to be the only waterfall in Europe where you are free to run Naked!

Not to exaggerate a bit here, but in the spring season, this waterfall is known to expand up to 270 meters in width! 

This is indeed one of the most amazing things!

Latvia has one of the oldest flags!

It is called the flag of the Letts.

As per the old scriptures…the Latvians used to call it the Rhymed Chronicle of Livonia. 

It is said that, after the attack against the Teutonic Crusader, the wounded chief was wrapped in a white cloth. 

The white cloth was stained in blod from both end. Thus, the colour of this flag came into existence.

Interesting…right?

Nature’s lover- here is your paradise!

Firstly, just imagine the following lines, first-

The lush green forests, with some mid and tall trees covering the maximum part of the sunlight, a not-so-well paved road towards the sea!

And of course, some fresh, calm and serene views of the beach ending with the forest!

This is not a scene from the movies; rather, it is the reality of Latvia. 

Forty-two environment parks, four national parks 🌳, about 300 nature reserves, 2,000 lakes, over 12,000 rivers, and many other attractions are in one-fifth of the country.

Foraging food- Latvian’s cool way of living!

We have seen in the story “Tree of Life” the palm tree offering its fruits to the lost children. Then the children got wood from the forest to make a house and also collect water and food from the forest for a living.🥕

Likewise, this is now a dream for many of us. But the Latvians are still preferring this kind of living!

Kind of cool! Yet adventurous!

Here, you can find people foraging for food from nature. Even after 11000 years, the connection with nature and the Latvians are still the exact same!

Summing up

Latvia has some of the coolest history in the world! Be it…choosing the color of their flag…or their beauty genes! 

Starting from its language…culture…heritage and ancient architecture, this country has never let us down in amazing us.

Be it your queries or curiosities, we will answer all of it!