Auce, Latvia

Capital City

With a population of just 2,154, the tiny town of Auce is hardly the bustling metropolis some expatriates may envision. Tucked away near the Lithuanian border, this Semigallian outpost offers a sleepy, provincial lifestyle - complete with persistent bureaucratic headaches. While the town did see a burst of development after the 1889 construction of a railway, its history as a German-occupied territory during World War I and the subsequent nationalization of its manor lands in the 1920s suggest a complex, multilayered past. Ultimately, Auce is best suited for those seeking a quiet, rural existence far from the trappings of modern city life.