Riga

With close to 700000 inhabitants Riga is the capital of Latvia and its largest city. Riga is located on the banks of the Daugava river, not far from the Baltic sea. It was founded by the Germans in 1201 and in 1282 became a member city of the Hanseativ league. Over the centuries Riga thrived on commerce due to its advantageous position and was ruled by a number of different powers, before becoming the capital of independent Latvia in 1918. Due to its beautiful and historic architecture Riga is a tourist magnet and every year attracts a large number of tourists.