GVANEWS SPRING 2017 - No.67
Fly airBaltic to Riga
Fly Geneva to Riga on an airBaltic 144-seat Boeing 737-300 starting this summer. As of 4 May 2017, the Latvian carrier will operate direct flights between the two cities on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. The aircraft leaves Riga at 7:55, landing in Geneva at 9:45. It takes off on the return flight at 10:40, landing in Latvia at 14:20 local time (one hour difference). Home to approximately 650,000 inhabitants, Riga is the capital of Latvia and the biggest urban centre in the Baltic countries. Despite its size, it has retained a decidedly human feel, and hosts a wealth of monuments and a downtown area that is easily visited on foot. Major attractions include the castle, which was initially a fortress built in the thirteenth century, the cathedral and numerous Orthodox and Protestant churches. Riga is also the northern capital of art nouveau, typified by the composition of certain building facades and in furniture design. There’s even an art nouveau museum in the one-time home of a well-known Latvian architect. The entire historical city centre, with its medieval structures and traditional nineteenth-century wood buildings, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The direct flights afford travellers easy access to Riga for a short city-break and rapid onward connections to the other Baltic countries. Latvia is ideally situated between Estonia and Lithuania, and there’s really no place that’s very far to travel. In fact, there’s no longer any excuse for not doing the classic week-long tour of the three Baltic capitals. In addition to launching the Geneva-Riga route, airBaltic continues to expand in Europe, inaugurating seven new destinations. The carrier currently flies to over 60 destinations; it offers excellent connections via Riga to its network in Europe, Scandinavia, the CIS countries and the Middle East. Its fleet comprises 24 Boeing 737 and Q400 Next Gen aircraft. It’s starting to introduce the brand new C-series 300, which will gradually replace the Boeings.
Information and reservations : www.airbaltic.com Tourist office : www.latvia.travel