Scenic walks

ABAVA VALLEY NATURE PARK

In western Latvia, trails veer off the road between Kandava and Renda and head into the Abava Valley. The prettiest connects the town of Sabile and the village Rumbciems, along the Abava River. Also located here is Zviedru Cepure, a popular Nordic skiing spot in winter.

BULDURI

Half an hour from central Riga, the neighbourhood of Bulduri, in Jūrmala, offers a 15-mile sandy beach. You can admire the sunset well into the night here (after 10pm in summer), as well as explore the ornate wooden houses on the streets behind the beach.

PRIEDAINE

Quieter and more rustic than neighbouring Bulduri, Priedaine has a three-mile trail anchored by a sauna at one end and a giant dune at the other. The pine forest thins out in sleepy Vārnukrogs, where you can take a dip in the Lielupe River.

KALNCIEMA IELA

In the past few decades, many of the wooden Victorian buildings on Kalnciema Iela — the main drag in Riga’s Āgenskalns neighbourhood — have been restored, with some now cafes or craft beer pubs. On Saturdays, an artisan market pops up halfway along its length. kalnciemaiela.lv

MIERA IELA

Start at the twin cemeteries in Riga’s Brasa neighbourhood — one for Russians, one for Baltic Germans — and stroll south along Miera Iela. The street is a veritable timeline of Latvian architecture, home to ramshackle wood churches, art nouveau mansion blocks and art deco shopfronts. It’s also where bohemian Riga comes to eat, drink and shop.