Riga packs a UNESCO-listed old town, the world's finest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture and a lively, affordable student life into one compact, easy city. It's home to the University of Latvia, RTU and the medicine-focused RSU, which draws a large international cohort. Young Latvians speak good English, prices are among the lowest in the EU, and the rest of the Baltics is a cheap bus ride away.

Nightlife clusters in and around Vecrīga, the old town, from cellar bars to clubs, while the creative crowd gravitates to Miera iela's cafés and the Kalnciema quarter market across the river. It's a small scene, which makes it friendly and easy to break into. Summer flips everything outdoors, to Jūrmala beach, park terraces and the midsummer madness of Jāņi.

Riga is the cheapest base in this group, so budget around 650 to 950 euros a month all in, with rent, groceries and transport all noticeably lower than western Europe. The Central Market and Lido buffets keep food costs down, and student transport is inexpensive, leaving room for weekend travel.

Rooms and small flats are affordable and reasonably easy to find, whether in the atmospheric centre (Centrs) near the universities or the wooden-house districts of Āgenskalns and Ķīpsala across the river. RSU and RTU offer some dormitories; otherwise use local rental sites and Facebook groups. Always view before paying and check heating costs, which spike in winter.

Riga is small and very walkable, and the Rīgas Satiksme network of trams, trolleybuses and buses covers the rest cheaply. A rechargeable e-talons card is all you need; a single ride is a euro or so. Cycling is pleasant in the warmer months, and the train to Jūrmala beach is a local staple.

The University of Latvia is the country's largest and broadest; RTU (Riga Technical University) leads on engineering; and RSU (Rīga Stradiņš University) is the internationally focused medical school. SSE Riga is a respected regional business school. Many programmes, especially at RSU and SSE, are taught in English, and international offices are used to exchange students.

Latvia is an EU and Schengen member, so your paperwork depends on your passport. EU/EEA citizens can move freely and simply register for a residence certificate at the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) within the first months, receiving a personal code used for daily life.

Non-EU students, including those from the UK, US, Canada and Australia, generally need a long-stay D-visa or a temporary residence permit for study, applied for through a Latvian embassy or the PMLP. Prepare proof of funds, accommodation and health insurance in advance, and start early because it is not the fastest bureaucracy in Europe.

Latvian food is hearty and seasonal: grey peas with bacon (pelēkie zirņi ar speķi), dark rye bread, smoked fish, and pīrāgi (bacon pastries), often washed down with the herbal Riga Black Balsam. The Central Market, set in old Zeppelin hangars, is the place to graze. Lido buffets are the cheap, cheerful introduction to it all.

Vecrīga, the old town, is the postcard core but touristy; the surrounding Centrs holds the Art Nouveau streets, universities and best transport. Across the Daugava, Āgenskalns and Ķīpsala offer wooden houses, a good market and lower rents. Miera iela, north of the centre, is the hipster pocket of cafés and studios.

Riga is a natural hub for the Baltics and beyond. The beach town of Jūrmala is 30 minutes by train; Sigulda, with its castles and Gauja valley trails, about an hour; and Cēsis a little further. Comfortable Lux Express buses reach Tallinn and Vilnius in around four hours each, making a Baltic capitals tour cheap and simple.

Come prepared for the dark, cold winters: good boots, a warm coat and a bit of vitamin D make January bearable, and the long summer days more than repay it. Cash is fading but keep a little for markets. Latvians can seem reserved at first but warm up fast, and a few words of Latvian go a long way.