Daugavpils

Daugavpils, Latvia's second-largest city, lies far in the southeast near the borders with Lithuania and Belarus, and it sounds different from Riga: You'll hear a lot of Russian on the streets, and the churches host Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Lutherans and Old Believers. A trip to Daugavpils reveals a multilayered, little-visited side of Latvia. Trains from Riga take about three hours.

Fortress and Mark Rothko Center

In the 19th century, Tsar Alexander I had a massive fortress built here under the name Dünaburg, one of the last of its kind in Europe. The ramparts, barracks and powder magazines are largely preserved, and people still live within the walls today. A former arsenal houses the Mark Rothko Art Center, which honors the painter born here and displays a few original works, complemented by rotating exhibitions of contemporary art. The combination of military architecture and modern art is unique in the Baltics.

Church Hill and City Life

On the so-called Church Hill, a Lutheran church, a Catholic church, an Orthodox church and an Old Believer house of worship stand within sight of one another, a reflection of the region's eventful history between Poland-Lithuania, the Russian Empire and Latvia. The city center, with its brick buildings from the tsarist era and the pedestrian zone Rīgas iela, invites you to stroll. The Museum of Local History and Art tells the story of the region. Just outside town, Latgale begins, the land of blue lakes, with hundreds of bodies of water, hills and villages where the distinct Latgalian language is still cultivated.

Cuisine and Best Time to Visit

The cuisine is hearty and Slavic in character: potato pancakes, pelmeni, bacon pies and fish from the lakes, plus the well-known Latgalian ceramics as a souvenir. The best time to visit is between May and September, when boat trips on the Daugava and excursions to the lakes are possible. Fortress festivals and concerts take place in summer. A popular excursion leads to Daugavas loki Nature Park, where the river meanders in wide loops through hills and meadows and old Old Believer villages line the banks. Because of the proximity to Belarus, you should be aware that travel there is discouraged.