With its spectacular views, leafy walking trails and storybook castles, Sigulda has been sweeping lovers off their feet for generations. One local artist has turned the region’s romantic legends into an artform and is finding deeper meaning through them for our troubled times.

For many Latvians, the house in the country is the ultimate battery recharger, where long summer days are spent tending the tomatoes and splashing in the pond. Few do it with more style than Dita Balčus and her daughters, who have turned an old aristocratic pile into a hotel and cultural hotspot.

The Covid 19 crisis is more than just a medical issue, as many people face poverty and hunger in the economic downturn. Fortunately, one young Latvian is organising his peers to help those most in need.

With over half the country covered by forest, trees are a vital part of Latvia’s economy and national identity. Meet a man who also finds art, music and poetry in the woods.