Friday's Lightbulb: Latvia

Latvia is my featured destination today. I chose this destination because earlier this year, Latvians marked the 25th anniversary of a Soviet crackdown on pro-independence protesters. Twenty five years ago, they built barricades across the country to defend against Soviet attempts to quash the Baltic nation's quest for independence.

It may have taken the country a huge part of that time to shrug off the chains of Communism, but it's a beautiful place and is starting to shine. Riga, pictured above, is its cosmopolitan capital, but aside from that it's a country full of unspoilt parkland.

Latvia's national parks boast fantastic hiking trails, and if you visit in spring you can see huge numbers of wild cherry trees in blossom. If city life is more your thing then Riga boats one of the finest collections of Art Nouveau buildings in the world - in fact incredibly, they account for a third of the properties in the city centre!

When to visit depends on what you're looking for. The summer months are perfect for lazing on the beach, while Christmas time can be great fun if you fancy activities such as bobsledding!