Posts Tagged ‘Latvia’

Riga Photos in Skylife Magazine

Anyone travelling on Turkish Airlines this month will see a few my photos from Riga printed in Skylife Magazine, the airline’s inflight magazine. And for those of us not fortunate to be travelling anywhere with them right now, there’s also the option of viewing the Riga notes article online.

And if you’re craving more images from that part of the world, hop on over to my gallery of photos from the Baltics or go even more in depth and check out the images from Riga in my archive.

As a bonus, here’s a shot of the House of Blackheads in Old Riga.

Click to see a larger image:

The House of Blackheads in Old Riga, Latvia.


Riga Panorama

Photo of the Day

Taken from a popular vantage point in Riga, Latvia atop St. Peter’s Church, this shot was blessed by a beautiful day and good light that gave shape to the fantastic city below.

Click for a larger image:

Riga Panorama


Photos of Sigulda, Latvia

A short trip from Riga lies the small hills and valleys of Sigulda. A nice spot to get away from the big city, this countryside locale hosts a the ruins of Sigulda castle and also the much more impressive (and much more intact) Turaida castle.

The valley is also home to a charming but tragic legend of a young maiden who refused to submit to the whims of a Polish soldier. Though she was in love with a local commoner, she was lured to a cave by the soldier. When she realized what was happening, she presented him with her “magic” scarf which she said protected the wearer from all injury. To demonstrate its effectiveness, she donned the scarf and coaxed the soldier to swing his sword at her. The end result was an ignorant soldier chopping her head off and an enduring legend of everlasting love.

The caves where the maiden met her end and where she also spent happier times with her love are both popular spots near the Gauja river. Neither of them, however, is going to be too exciting for anyone that doesn’t appreciate the legend – without the tales, the caves are relatively small holes in the side of a low cliff. So, just remember to pack the fable along with you and you should enjoy yourself.

Have a look at my photos of Sigulda here.

Turaida Castle