This celebration of Latvia’s freedom and independence avoided demolition over half a century of Soviet occupation.

The reconstruction of this prominent building fulfilled a long-written command.

Mysterious heaps of stones dot these otherworldly woods.

This charming Latvian lane doubled as Baker Street on the Soviet Union’s version of Sherlock Holmes.

This Latvian shot factory is still used twice a year to manufacture bullets the old-fashioned way.

Built to ward off Napoleon's army, this city-sized abandoned Russian fort is now perfect for urban exploration.

This wooden recreation of a 9th century lake village looks as though it was built yesterday (which it relatively was).

A top secret Cold War bunker hidden beneath a Latvian spa facility is now open for tours.

Latvia's symbolic mountain-shaped national library is home to millions of cultural tomes.

3,000 market stands in five former Zeppelin hangars.

A preserved oak tree about 3,500 years old found in Riga, Latvia.

A stone marker and sculpture in the city of Riga stake a claim for the very first community Christmas tree.

A black cat protests the City Guild in Riga's Old Town.

The oldest housing complex in Riga is a mini timeline of architectural trends.

The statue of a legendary giant who carried Christ and shouldered the world's sins.

Medical museum that houses most notably the taxidermied remains of Vladimir Demikhov's famous two-headed dog experiment.

Flamboyant architecture from the turn of 20th century.

Spend the night in 1920s Latvia in this historic recreation and movie set.

A railway bridge leading nowhere stands lonely in the middle of a meadow.

Just another terrifying garden filled with hundreds of endlessly smiling doll people.

Surreal works of unreal stone and metal dot the landscape of this Latvian art park.

Guests become prisoners on a visit to Latvian prison.

The mile-long pier stretches from a ruined fortress out into the Baltic.

These crumbling Latvian forts make for some haunting seaside ruins.