Hotel Miķelis

Set near the Mūsa River in Bauskas novads, Hotel Miķelis keeps close reach of Bauska's museum and its historic manor. The land here is Zemgale farm country, flat and quiet, and the hotel reads as a working base rather than a spectacle. Rooms come fitted with flat-screen televisions, wireless internet, and their own bathrooms. Nearby, a homestead and a collection of old vehicles give a sense of the region's rural past, both within reach of the hotel. The restaurant draws on local ingredients alongside international dishes, and the menu runs from burrata and seared scallops to steak and linguine with prawns. It is not a large operation. A sauna cabin and boating fill the leisure side, useful for families as much as couples passing through Zemgale. You can hear the Mūsa River from parts of the grounds, a plain fact rather than a selling point. Wine runs from Chablis to Malbec, with cocktails and non-alcoholic versions of the same list for those not drinking. The kitchen also runs a children's menu, from chicken burgers to pasta in cheese sauce, which marks the hotel as built for stays longer than a single night. Check the restaurant's pizza list too, made with mozzarella, pecorino, and fresh basil.