GENERAL INFORMATION

The main summer holiday in Latvia is called Ligo (Līgo svētki) and is celebrated on the night of June 23-24. It is the summer solstice, with the shortest night of the year. Latvians were among the last in Europe to adopt Christianity, so there is a lot of paganism left in their culture, and the celebration of Ligo is a clear confirmation of this. Ligo is usually celebrated in nature. Celebrants weave wreaths of flowers and oak leaves, jump over bonfires, sing songs and treat themselves to beer and cheese brewed especially for the day of the holiday.

The locals have kept their closeness to nature and often go to the forests to pick mushrooms, berries or birch sap, depending on the season. Many Latvians have a farm or dacha where they leave the city for the weekend.

Apart from nature, the second passion of Latvians is singing. Once every five years, a grandiose Song and Dance Festival (Dziesmu un Deju svētki) is held in Latvia, where up to 30 thousand participants gather on one stage - singers, ensembles, dance groups, folklore groups perform.

Secondary education in Latvia is free, there are many Russian schools. Prices for higher education are among the lowest among European countries. Education takes place in Latvian, but there are also many English-language programs. 

The most prestigious universities in the country are the University of Latvia, the Riga Technical University, the Riga University. Stradynia - offer English-language programs for foreign students, while the required level of English proficiency is relatively low - from 5.5 IELTS.

Real estate in Riga is cheaper than in other European countries. Riga wins even in comparison with its neighbors - Tallinn and Vilnius - it will be more expensive to buy housing there.

In Riga High profitability from renting real estate. The average profitability of apartments in Riga is about 7-8% per annum, which is considered a very good indicator by the standards of Europe.

In Riga, there is no language barrier problem - almost everyone here speaks Russian, or at least they will understand your speech.

It is convenient to travel around Europe from Riga. From Riga International Airport you can fly to almost anywhere in the world. It is possible to fly cheaply around Europe with the Ryanair low-cost airline.

Real estate owners have the right to obtain a residence permit in Latvia. This is one of the most affordable residence permit programs throughout Europe.