Crafts have always been a quintessential part of Latvian culture. Fabrics, clay, wood, metal and foodstuff – these are the “five elements” of local crafts that remain very popular nowadays. Whenever there’s a public festivity, summer or winter, be sure you’ll find craftsmen stalls nearby 🙂

A culminating event for many artisans is the annual crafts fair, which takes place at the Open-Air Ethnographic Museum. Situated on the shore of the picturesque Jugla Lake in the outskirts of Riga, museum hosts a two-day event when hundreds of craftsmen from all over Latvia put on display their colourful handmade produce. This is a great chance to get to know Latvian traditions, try yourself at one craft or another, taste wide variety of local meals and drinks and find authentic souvenirs to bring with you back home…