Traveler's Choice of 13 Unique Products from Riga, Riga, Latvia

Reemerged after regained independence in the early 1990s, Latvia is anxious to reveal its beauty to the outside world. The country's capital Riga is a good showroom for the country's cultural riches and traditions. Here's the list of the unique Latvian products to look for while in Riga!

Amber is greatly appreciated for its color and natural beauty. It is also called "The Solar Stone" or "Baltic Gold" because of the Baltic Sea taking up 80% of the world's amber supply. Collected along the Baltic coast, amber soon appears on local markets and specialized shops in the form of necklaces, bracelets and various artwork, shimmering in 250 different shades. Color-wise, amber ranges from almost white to nearly black, and can be completely transparent or turbid, but the most common type is translucent yellow, resembling solidified drops of sun rays.

The Baltic region has been famous for its amber since ancient times. A Greek legend refers to amber as the tears of the Heliades, daughters of Helios. According to it, Phaethon, son of Helios, attempted to ride his father's chariot of fire across the sky, but lost control and fell to his death. The Heliades came down to cry for their brother and the gods transformed them into poplars and their tears into amber. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).