If a beach town like Jurmala sounds a little too touristy, you might want to try Liepaja, which boasts whiter (and emptier) sand and a former secret Soviet military town to boot. In Latvia, it is popularly known as ‘the city where the wind is born’ because of its windy climate. It has two main areas: the city centre and Karosta (the northern area that used to be a military base of the USSR). Liepaja boasts beautiful wooden buildings and little zig-zag streets. Things to see include the famous Fortress of Liepaja on the Baltic shore in Karosta and the city centre that features many old Art Nouveau and wooden buildings and cobblestone streets. The Petertirgus is a popular market in the city centre, visited for amazing crafts and food. The Seaside Park is the most beautiful, full of gorgeous trees and adjacent to the beach.

The former secret military town of Karosta is a must-see. It’s full of interesting abandoned houses and neighbourhood, whose population dropped by thousands when the Russians had to leave Latvia. There’s even Karosta Prison Hotel where you can experience what it’s like to be ‘prisoner’ for a day, which means checking into a cell and sleeping there for money. Sounds interesting to me!