Who wants to win an all expenses paid trip to the beautiful capital of Latvia, Riga to stay on the couch of one of the local Latvian celebrities? If the answer is “Not me!” Maybe you should think again. Live Riga and Air Baltic are offering six lucky contestants the chance to win an all expenses paid weekend in this wonderful city on the fringes of Europe, and having just visited for 48 hours myself, I can wholeheartedly recommend a trip, even if you don’t manage to win the contest. Better still, you’ll really get a feel for the city as the locals live it, by avoiding the overly-touristic bits and getting to the heart of what makes this amazing place tick.  If that’s not enough to convince you, I’ll be back next week with a full account of my amazing time in Riga, where I even got to stay with one of the celebs. To enter the contest, just follow the link here.

Let’s assume you do win for a second, what exactly is in store and who exactly will you be crashing with? Let’s start with perhaps the most surprising inclusion in this line-up which is Maris Gailis, who just so happens to be the ex-prime minister of Latvia. It’s not everyday you get hang with a former head of state and despite his advancing years, as you can see in his video below, a stay with this guy promises to be great value for jokes.

Next up is Martins Sirmais, one of Latvia’s most famous chefs, with years of experience and a reputation for dazzling his guests with his culinary skills and aesthetic flair. If there’s one man who knows all the secret flavours and textures Baltic cuisine has to offer it’s this guy. He has even promised to name his new gourmet burger after his guest!

Are you more into partying than eating or politics? Then perhaps Arturs Mednis is the Latvian celeb for you. Known as much for his golden touch with social media (his office looks like something from Silicone Valley) as his varied style of DJ sets, Arturs is one of Riga’s golden boys and knows the night life here inside out, a quick word and a smile for him will unlock even the tightest of doors and any night out promises to go ’til dawn and beyond.

Who’s that coming round the corner? It’s Toms Albergs the current world record holder of the burgeoning new extreme sport – Mini Drome. Having just started his own clothing company to go with his fixed gear bike company “Tru Fix Kru“, winning the chance to crash on his couch means you’ll also win a custom designed bike all for yourself as well as lessons on who ride like a madman around these tiny tracks.

Up next, for all you fashionistas out there, Agnesa Kleina is a break out visual journalist/fashion blogger and one of the brightest stars in the Eastern European fashion scene. She recently helped opened a store fashion store “Paviljons”, showcasing the best in local talent, and a trip to Riga, guided by her promises to be a serious and stylish eye-opener, with cutting edge design.

Last, but by no means least, are Latvian electro-indie-pop band, Instrumenti. As one of the most critically acclaimed Baltic groups of the last decade, they are a seriously respected band in Latvia, and you’ll get the chance to hang with the guys and take part in the song writing process with them, who knows what you guys will come up with!

Win a trip to Riga!