Olympic Bobsleigh

  • Return Transfers & Guide
  • 1 Run on the Olympic Bob
  • Access to Viewing Tower

Riga Night Tour Offer

  • 3 Bars & 1 Club
  • 3 hours

Partybus Transfer

  • Party Bus Hire
  • Open To Group Size Of 8 +
  • Transfer From Airport

10
Things About Riga & Latvia

 

 

Riga was once the largest and most developed city in Sweden. In 1621, Riga came under the rule of Gustavus Adolphus, the then Kind of Sweden. It remained under Swedish rule until 1710, when the city was besieged by Russian Tsar Peter the Great. This shift in power ended Sweden's rule of Northern Europe and marked the start of Russia's new dominance.
The Latvian language was only made the official language of Latvia in 1918, the same year it became independent for the first time since 1201. The language has retained much of its archaic roots, believed to be Proto-Indo-European. The earliest example of written Latvian dates back to 1530, the translation of a hymn by Nikolaus Ramm, a German pastor living in Riga.
Chess grand master Mikhail Tal was born in Riga in 1936, this guy was not your common chess player. He still holds the record for the longest un-beaten run and was renowned for his agrresive attacking play. If you visit Vermanas Darz in Riga, you can often find followers of Tal competing into the night, in memory of this chess master mind. Not only a Grand Master, but also one of only 19 World Champions in history.
X-Factor runner up Olly Murs has Latvian blood, yep you heard it right the talented musician and TV personality shares Latvian roots through his grandparents. His great grandparents were actually Latvian circus performers, they moved to England after the war in 1948. 
Number_5 Latvia is home to the Skeleton World Champion Martins Dukurs, he has made this sport his own and recently entered the Guinness Book of World Records for 4 consecutive World Cup titles. Competing since 1998 he also has 2 Olympic Silver medals to his name. You can do the Bobsleigh here in Riga and if your lucky, your driver might just be a certain Mr Dukurs, if it is you had better hold on tight. 

Latvia is home to the 7th fastest* internet speed in the World, it is also one of the cheapest in Europe for its speed. The European Union is working towards providing all citizens with access to broadband by 2020. In 2012 Latvia had already successfully made broadband available to 61% homes in the country.

 

*as of Jan2014
Latvian Edvards Leedskalnins single handedly built Coral Castle in Florida back in the 1920’s. Some stones weighed over 20tonnes, no-one knows how he managed this alone. What makes this story so amazing is that he claimed to know the secrets behind the construction of the great pyramids in Egypt. 
Towards the end of the 17th Century, Latvia housed the largest wooden tower on the World, the spire of St Peters church.
Jāni & Līgo are the celebration of midsummer, Latvians celebrate by staying up and partying until sunrise the following day. The largely pagan celebration is one of the main days in any Latvians calendar. 
Once every 5 years, Riga plays host to the Latvian Song and Dance festival, a massive spectacle that sees more than 50,000 participants performing over 3 days. On the final day 20,000 singers all take to the stage in Mežaparks and sing in unison, a truly spine tingling experience. Tickets for this event sell out fast, and people will queue for hours to secure thier place.

 

 

 

 
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