RIGA
- An important economic center in the Baltic Sea Region
- The biggest center of trade between East and West
- Cultural center – art galleries, museums, theaters
- Riga’s historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture and 19th century wooden architecture
- Served by Riga International Airport, the largest airport in the Baltic states, direct flights to 60+ cities in Europe, Middle East and Asia
- A wide variety of restaurants and cuisines from Latvian to Asian food, from fast food to gourmet restaurants
- Rich cultural heritage and beautiful sightseeing
- Excellent accommodation – over 15 000 beds
- New and modern sports facilities
HOSTING INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
SPORTS
- EFCS sport Games 2001
- World ice hockey championship 2006
- European championship in modern pentathlon 2007
- European basketball championship for juniors 2008
- European basketball championship for women 2009
- European luge championship 2010
- Annual Riga marathon (20 000 athletes)
- World luge championship 2015
- CEV 2015
- Upcoming
- 2015 European men’s basketball championship
CULTURE
- National song and dance festival
- Culture capital of Europe 2014
- World choir games 2014
LATVIA
- An independent state since 1918
- Occupied in 1940. Regained its independence in 1990
- Territory – 64,589 km2
- Sea-border – 500 km
- Population – 2 070 371, in Riga – 643 368
- Members of European Union since 2004
- Adopted Euro currency in 2014