Villa Santa Hotel

Latvia


Once used by the Russian nobility as holiday homes, three 19th-century wooden buildings have been transformed into a lovely hotel deep in the woods, near a river ravine, just west of the centre. Banishing decades of grim municipal furnishings, the rooms feature a mix of appealing modern and traditional-style furniture. The restaurant is also good.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Latvia attractions

3. Cēsis Castle

1.54 MILES

Cēsis Castle is actually two castles in one. The moody dark-stone towers belong to the increasingly restored old castle. Founded by Livonian knights in…

4. Cēsis History & Art Museum

1.57 MILES

Right from the outset when you're handed a lit candle in a glass lantern, it's clear that this isn't an ordinary museum. At its centre is Cēsis Castle,…

5. St John's Church

1.59 MILES

Switch on your imagination in this 13th-century church where armour-clad Livonian knights prayed and buried their dead in what was then a lonely island of…

6. Āraiši Archaeological Park

4.64 MILES

Photogenically set on an islet in the middle of Āraiši Lake, Āraiši Archaeological Park is a reconstruction of a fortified settlement inhabited by…

7. Ungurmuiža

6.36 MILES

Beautiful Ungurmuiža is one of the best preserved manor houses in all of Latvia. The stately red mansion was created by Baron von Campenhousen, who served…

8. Soviet Secret Bunker

7.13 MILES

What poses as a dreary rehabilitation centre is in fact a top-secret Soviet bunker, known by its code name, the Pension. When Latvia was part of the USSR,…