With around 700,000 inhabitants, the Latvian capital and former Hanseatic city Riga is the largest agglomeration of the Baltic states. It is the region’s political and economic center. The place with the title “Reformation City of Europe” boasts an art nouveau new city and a charming old town with colorful houses that is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. A total of nine churches including the Evangelical-Lutheran and the Saint Gertrude Church characterize the cityscape. Further attractions are the House of the Blackheads, which was rebuilt in 1999 and is a splendid guildhall, as well as the Riga Palace dating back to the 14th century, where the president is based today. The capital offers – like most other large European cities do – several cultural attractions, such as the Latvian National Opera. The arena is used for sporting events and concerts. In the inner city, there are a lot of restaurants, bars und shops. Riga is a transport hub, since it has an airport, a central station, a bus terminal and a ferry port (direct connection Lübeck-Riga). National and international connections are guaranteed.