Riga and Pierīga
Riga is historically part of Vidzeme. LatviaLinks separates the capital and nearby Pierīga only when that makes day trips, transport and accommodation planning clearer.
Open Riga guide
Route geography
Plan a Latvia trip by region
Use the four historical regional groupings to organise a route, while treating Riga Region separately as a practical planning layer rather than a fifth historical region.
Use the right map
Tourism regions and historical lands are not identical
Latvia's national tourism site commonly organises travel around Vidzeme, Kurzeme, Zemgale and Latgale. The 2021 Law on Historical Regions recognises those four historical lands plus Sēlija, and states that Riga is historically part of Vidzeme. LatviaLinks uses a separate Riga and Pierīga planning group only when it helps a visitor build a workable route.
Vidzeme
Northern and north-eastern Latvia, including Sigulda, Cēsis and routes through the Gauja landscapes.
Explore Sigulda and CēsisKurzeme
Western Latvia, including Kuldīga, Liepāja, Ventspils and long stretches of Baltic coast.
Explore Kurzeme destinationsZemgale
Southern routes from Riga towards Bauska, Rundāle, Jelgava and the Lithuanian border.
Explore Zemgale destinationsLatgale
Eastern Latvia, including Daugavpils, Rēzekne and a distinctive landscape of lakes and cultural traditions.
Explore Latgale destinationsSēlija
Recognised separately by the Law on Historical Regions of Latvia. It overlaps the south-eastern area that many visitor maps have traditionally grouped with Zemgale.
Compare current destination guides
Build a regional route
Choose a direction, then check its links
Region names help organise the map, while current transport, accommodation and seasonal information turns that direction into a workable route.
- Choose the second base.
- List the stops that fit that direction.
- Check each connection from a primary source.
- Remove stops that create unnecessary backtracking.
Definitions and current context
Official regional sources
This page was last reviewed 23 July 2026. These official sources explain the tourism grouping and the legal definition of Latvia's historical lands.
Latvia.travel: Regions of Latvia
Official visitor grouping for Vidzeme, Kurzeme, Zemgale and Latgale.
Law on Historical Lands of Latvia
Official legal definition of Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme, Zemgale and Sēlija.