It’s an early start with a 6 am alarm on our ferry into Latvia. There are no direct ferries from Stockholm to Riga. The ferries leave Sweden from Nysnhamn 1 hour out of Stockholm and arrive in Ventspiels 3 hours by bus out of Riga. We arrive in Riga for brunch before checking into our spotless apartment right in the heart of the old city.
Founded in 1201 it has an Eastern European vibe about it. For a country of only 1.5 million people this capitol punches way above its weight. Over the centuries this country has been dominated by the Poles and then the Swedes. In 1918 it declared independence which was short lived. In 1940 during WW2 the Soviets occupied the country. In 1941 Nazi Germany assumed control until 1944 when the Soviets took control again in the face of a failing German war effort.
