Partner Country of the Month: Latvia
Located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, Latvia is one of the Baltic States, together with Estonia and Lithuania. The small country might be little heard of, but it has a lot to offer. Almost half of Latvia is covered in forests and untouched nature, making it one of the greenest countries in the world. Along the 500 kilometres of coastline, there are many dunes, rocks and white sandy beaches. Our partner universities are in the capital city Riga, known for magnificent Art Nouveau buildings and home to a full third of Latvia's people.
With the "Partner Country of the Month" campaign, we want to shine a spotlight on the countries, regions and partner universities of TU Dresden that aren’t necessarily the first to come to our students' minds when thinking about a semester abroad.
Table of contents
General facts and figures about Latvia
Capital: Riga
Population: 1.9 million
Official language: Latvian
National holiday: November 18th (proclamation of an independent Latvia in 1918)
Currency: Euro
You can find further facts and figures on Wikipedia, on latvia.travel, or e.g. on wikivoyage.
Small language excursion:
- Hello – Sveicināti or a short Sveika
- Good day – Labdien
- How do you do? – Kā tev iet?
- Please – Lūdzu
- Thank you – Paldies
- Yes / no – Jā / nē
- Excuse me, sorry – Atvainojiet
- See you – Čau
Latvian is spelt phonetically. This is even applied to proper names from foreign languages. So a text might well be talking about Viljams Šekspīrs (William Shakespeare), Džo Baidens (Joe Biden) or Betmens (Batman).
Latvian and Lithuanian constitute the Baltic languages. Contrary to common assumptions, they have no close ties to Slavic or Germanic languages. Instead, they have retained more archaic characteristics than many other languages, showing similarities to Latin and ancient Indian Sanskrit. Unfortunately, this includes complicated grammar - but Latvians are all the more happy about attempts at learning the language, even if your grammar is not perfect. There are no Latvian courses in Dresden, but you can find learning resources online.
Even though Latvian is Latvia's only official language and must be learned by every schoolchild, only about 60% of the population are native speakers. Almost 40% speak Russian as their mother tongue, as many Russians immigrated during the Soviet occupation of Latvia.
Our partner universities offer a wide range of courses in English and it's absolutely possible to study entirely in English during your exchange. However, please check your chosen university's exact requirements before applying. Younger Latvians usually speak English very well, so the general rule is: Don't be afraid of the language barrier!
Did you know that ....?
- intricately patterned knitted mittens are the gift for special occasions in Latvia traditionally? They were especially typical at weddings. Each guest received a pair, and each pair was knitted with a different pattern. Most of the patterns are derived from Latvian mythology and symbolize for example gods or stars. At the NATO summit in Riga in 2006, a whole 4,500 pairs of mittens were hand-knitted for the meeting’s guests.
- Latvia has the highest proportion of women in leadership positions in the European Union? In 2021, 45.9% of Latvian leadership positions were held by women, constituting an almost equal distribution. Germany, on the other hand, was below the European average at only 29.2%.
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the longest human chain in history was formed in the Baltic States? On 23 August 1989, two million people joined hands, connecting the three capitals Vilnius (Lithuania), Riga (Latvia) and Tallinn (Estonia) over a total length of about 650 kilometres. The occasion was the 50th anniversary of the Hitler-Stalin Pact, in which the three Baltic countries were assigned to the Soviet Union. People protested against the occupation and called for freedom and independence.
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storks are widespread in Latvia, especially in the countryside? A total of about 10,000 stork pairs nest in this small country, indicating an intact environment with rivers and lakes in their natural states.
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ice hockey is considered Latvia's most popular sport?
- Latvians are the European champions of potato eating? They eat about 113 kilogrammes of potatoes are per year and per capita. By comparison, Germans only eat 59 kilogrammes. So much for “German potatoes”!
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the former military prison Karosta offers a special kind of hotel experience? Not only is there a canteen with Soviet food, hotel guests can experience the prisoner’s life up close. Guests are given a prisoner’s uniform, get interrogated and spend the night locked up in a cold cell. Harassment by the guards in the form of insults, exercise or cleaning work is part of the experience, with prior written consent, of course.
Cooperation with TU Dresden
You can find an overview of all cooperations of TU Dresden that you can use for your exchange in our database. It is also often worth your time to ask professors in your own faculty who might have direct contacts to your partner university of choice.
Our Erasmus+ partner universities in Riga
- Latvijas Universitáte - Business Administration and Economics
- Riga Technical University
- Hydro Sciences
- Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology
- Transport Engineering
- Riga Stradins University
- Medicine
- Dental Medicine
Don't miss...
Art Nouveau in Riga. Riga is not only the capital of Latvia, but also capital of Art Nouveau, with more than 800 magnificent buildings. Popular at the beginning of the 20th century, this style captivates with ornate decorations, while retaining functionality. There is much to discover on a stroll through Riga's New Town, especially in the two streets Elizabetes Iela and Alberta Iela. At the Art Nouveau Museum, you can also admire a painted staircase and authentic interior design for €5 admission.
the widest waterfall in Europe, Ventas Rumba. Its impressive width of 249 metres comes in combination with a height of only about 2 metres. That doesn't make it any less exciting though. In summer, you can walk along the top edge of the waterfall and swim in the waters above and below. In spring and autumn, fish jump over the waterfall in their migration upstream.
Karosta. The old military harbour of Liepāja is not only worth a visit if you want the authentic prison experience. A coastal walk to the Northern Forts reveals half-sunken buildings and the ruins of fortifications, now partly decorated with murals. For the adventurous, Karosta Prison has a special offer for only €9 per person - escape from the USSR. Similar to Eastern Germany, it was not easy for Soviet citizens to leave the country. As an Escape Game in the Northern Forts, you try to get past border patrols to reach a getaway submarine.
the Great Ķemeri Bog boardwalk. You can discover the Ķemeri National Park's moor on a long or a short circular trail. There are dark ponds and small pine trees, exciting plants like the carnivorous sundew and many water birds to discover. The moor is particularly picturesque when mist rises from the marshes and ponds in the light of sunrise or sunset. Ķemeri National Park is easily to reach by train from Riga.
the summer solstice festival Jāņi. The shortest night of the year, from 23 to 24 June, is the biggest festival day in Latvia and has ancient pagan roots. People celebrate outside in nature in the open air, until the next morning - those who go to sleep will be tired for the rest of the summer. During this time, the meadows blossom and the fields ripen. Nature also takes centre stage in the decorations, with branches and garlands of leaves. People wear wreaths made of wildflowers or oak leaves, jump over the solstice fire and sing Latvian songs together. Sauna can also be part of the festivities, and beer and caraway cheese are not to be missed.
Let's get cooking...
Latvian cuisine is hearty and offers many surprises (besides lots of potatoes). The dark, malty rye bread rupjmaize is an important staple and can even serve as a dessert – layered with cream, jam and fruit, or cooked into a sweet soup. The bread drink kvass is also popular. If you just want slices of bread, you can spread hemp butter on them. It’s very nutritious, has a nutty taste and is made from hemp seeds.
Latvian cuisine uses many local and seasonal ingredients. People like to gather mushrooms and berries, but also plants like sorrel, which is used to make soup. Other typical dishes include cold beetroot soup, grey peas with bacon, and Pīrāgi, a bacon bread roll that is popular as a snack. For seasoning, caraway seeds are very common. Latvians eat a lot of fish, meat and dairy products – the latter also in sweets. The chocolate-covered quark treat Kārums is very popular throughout the Baltic States.
Sklandrausis
These pastries made from rye flour, carrots and potatoes are typically Latvian. So typical in fact, that they were the first Latvian dish to be awarded the designation "traditional speciality guaranteed" by the European Union. They originated in Western Latvia (Kurzeme) and can be enjoyed with or without sour cream - try it!
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 300 g rye flour
- 50 g butter
- 120 ml water (warm)
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- ½ tsp salt
For the potato filling:
- 500 g potatoes
- 120 ml milk
- 50 g butter
- ½ tsp salt
For the carrot filling:
- 500 g carrots
- 2 eggs
- 200 g sour cream
- 60 h honey
For the coating (optional):
- 200 g sour cream
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 sachet vanilla sugar
- approx. ¼ tsp cinnamon
Preparation:
1. Preparation of the dough: Mix the warm water with the salt and caraway seeds. Melt the butter and add it to the rye flour. Mix everything together and knead into a smooth dough.
2. Tartlet shells: Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3 to 5 mm. Using e.g. a cup, cut out circles with a diameter of about 8 cm. Raise the edge of the circles to a height of about 2 cm. Place the resulting tartlet shells on a baking tray.
3. Potato filling: Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters. Boil in water until soft (about 20 min). Meanwhile, warm up the milk and let the butter melt into it. Drain the cooking water and mash the potatoes, adding the milk and salt. Pour the potato filling into the tartlet shells so that they are about one-third full.
4. Carrot filling: Peel the carrots, cut them into slices / cubes and then boil them in water until soft. Drain the water and mash the carrots, adding the eggs, sour cream and honey. Fill the tartlet shells with the carrot filling. There should be more carrot filling than potato filling.
5. Bake the sklandrausis at 200°C top and bottom heat for about 15-20 min.
6. Optional coating: Meanwhile, mix the sour cream with vanilla sugar and honey. Pour the mixture over the sklandrausis when they come out of the oven. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. Labu apetīti!
(Many thanks to kinderweltreise.de!)
Contact and further contact persons
Have you had great experiences in Latvia? Do you have tips for places and things that should not be missed? We would be happy to share your experiences either here, on Facebook or, if you want, in an online information event for other TUD students. Get in touch with us:
© Sven Ellger/TUD
Advice on studying abroad
NameMs Federica Serra
Infocenter/ Study abroad; TUDworldwide: America
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Visiting address:
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Postal address:
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Partner Countries Archive
Have you missed a partner country? No worries! Here are all the pages of our previous months for you to read up on:
Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Bulgaria Chile China Colombia Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland Greece Hungary India Indonesia Iceland Israel Italy
Japan
Kenya Latvia
Mexico Netherlands
Poland Portugal Romania Sweden Slovakia Slovenia
South Africa South Korea
Taiwan
Thailand
Ukraine Vietnam