Things to See in Latvia

Behind the big, dark-red Latvian Riflemen statue, in a controversial bunker - at one point slated to be razed for its ugliness - is the Latvijas okupcijas muzejs, or Occupation Museum. It gives an impressive account of the Soviet and Nazi occupations of Latvia between 1940 and 1991. It is both informative and disturbing.

There are 518 elk antlers to be seen in the Museum of Horns & Antlers - the collection from one man's lifetime of work as a forest warden in the national park (none are hunting trophies). Outside, antlers hang from the street signs. Vaide is on the Livonian coast, nestled among a wilderness of sea, sand and breathtakingly beautiful beaches and pine forests.

Aglona Basilica is Latvia's most important pilgrimage site and the leading Roman Catholic shrine in the nation. The church was built in 1699, but it's since been engulfed by an enormous courtyard that was created for Pope John Paul II's visit in 1993.