For the past five years, the Latvian capital has been home to “Staro Riga,” a festival of lights akin to those held in European cities like Berlin, Ghent and Lyon. This year, the festival coincided with the city’s reign as the European Capital of Culture, and from what I’ve gathered, Riga pulled out all the […]
The Best Meals We Ate in Prague
Confession time: Czech food didn’t knock my socks off. That’s not to say I didn’t have some tasty meals in Prague, because I did. I’m just not planning a return trip specifically to enjoy any of the dishes again, like I am with the smoked cheese soup in Tallinn. Maybe I didn’t make the best […]
Getting Wonderfully Lost in the Gardens of Prague
If there was ever a fairy-tale city, Prague is it. There’s a castle on a hill, UNESCO-protected Easter egg-hued architecture, stone bridges spanning a river, and sculptures galore. The gently rolling cityscape is a sea of red tile roofs and spiky church spires. Music and the sweet scent of freshly baked trdelniks waft in the […]
Top 7 Things to Do in Prague
I recently made my second trip to Prague and fell in love all over again. It’s hard to believe a city so beautiful actually exists in real life. Throughout its 1,100-year history, Prague has been influenced by major European powers, including the Holy Roman Empire and the Hapsburg monarchy, which each left its unique cultural stamp on […]
Sigulda, Latvia: Medieval Castles and Autumn Leaves
Sigulda is a small town tucked within Latvia’s verdant Gauja National Park. Come autumn, this 92,000-hectare nature preserve turns into a golden wonderland that attracts leaf peepers from far and wide. I’ve often heard the area described as the “New England of Latvia.” But Latvia has something the U.S. lacks: 800-year-old castle ruins. As stunning as the […]