Riga, Latvia

Visiting Riga in January was a unique and memorable experience. From beautiful blue skies and sparkling sunshine at -16ºC to a city covered in a picture-perfect blanket of white snow, Riga was magical!

With snow dusted rooftops, red-tiled turrets and pointy-spired churches, cobblestone narrow streets and amazing architecture, Riga embraces modernity while preserving its rich heritage!

DOME SQUARE & RIGA CATHEDRAL

As we wandered the old city's (Vecriga) narrow streets, we were captivated by the magical ambiance of the festive Christmas market at Dome square and the twinkling lights in every corner of the city.

Dome Square is home to the magestic Riga Cathedral, a stunning gothic masterpiece dating back to the 13th century.

ST PETER'S CHURCH 

Not far, and still in the heart of Riga, is the medieval St Peter's Church with its tower that oversees the roofs of the Old City, modern Riga and Daugava River. You can buy a ticket to climb up the tower, which we didn't do this time.

Just behind St Peter's Church, in Skarnu Street, you can find the statue of the town musicians of Bremen, a fairytale story about 4 domestic animals, a donkey, a dog, a cat and a cockerel, who feared they were about to be put down and run away to Bremen to be musicians. 
It's believed to carry political undertones; the animals looking through a crack in the wall symbolising the iron curtain. The crack was the result of Gorbachev's Perestroika allowing them to see a new world.
Rubbing the animals noses, brings you good luck!

TOWN HALL SQUARE

Claimed to be the location where the first Christmas tree was created, this area was destroyed during WW2 and completely rebuilt after independence. Aside from Town Hall and a replica of Roland Statue, which was destroyed during the war, it also hosts the most iconic building in all Latvia, the House of the Black Heads.

 
HOUSE OF THE BLACK HEADS

A very iconic and impressive building, the House of the Black Heads, is a gothic style must-see museum with a grand ballroom used for cultural events. It also hosts the presidential silver collection as well as  the medieval cellars in the basement.

Once a merchant guild for unmarried merchants, the building was completely destroyed during WW2, except for the basement. After independence, it was fully rebuilt in 1999 and used as the temporary presidential residence between 2012 and 2016.

No visit to Riga is complete without visiting this intricate and marvelous building!

Tickets were only €7 and included a coffee (our choice on a very cold day!) or sparkling wine which you could sip while wandering in the luxurious halls of celebrations.

CAT HOUSE

Just off Livu Square, if you look up, you can see the 2 copper cats on the corner turrets of the building. Says the legend, that the cats were designed with their backsides turned towards Riga's house of the Great Guild because of a grudge held by the Latvian owner for not being allowed  in the Guild. After a court case, the cats were turned back  to the right way and the owner admitted to the Guild.
It gained popularity as a symbol of protest.

THE THREE BROTHERS

Just a walk away from Dome square, is the Three Brothers, a trio of medieval houses that show different styles from different eras, from the 15th to the 17th centuries.

In medieval times, Maza Pils iela was located in the suburban area and inhabited by craftsmen.
House nº17 is the oldest and it was used for production and trade. Built around 1490, it lacks of embellishments, and it's a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance.
The middle house, nº19, was built in 1646 and is the most splendid one, with influences from Dutch Manneirism. Above the door you can read "Soli Deo Gloria", the latin term for Glory to God alone.
House nº 21 was built in the second half of the 17th century and is a Baroque building.
The trio houses the State Inspection for Heritage Protection and the Latvian Museum of Architecture.

SWEDISH GATE

Only a few streets away, at 11 Torņa iela, is the Swedish Gate, the last remaining gate out of the 8 gates that were used to control entry to medieval city. The gate was opened at sunrise and closed at sunset.

It only survived because it was turned into an apartment and his tennant was the city's executioner. According to tradition, he would lay a red rose on the windowsill on the morning of an execution.

Torna iela is located where once was the border of Riga; today is a charming street with shops and fine restaurants on one side of the street and the old town fortification on the other.
And to my surprise, but also as a sign that Portuguese people are everywhere, I found a very fine wine shop Da Gama in here.

At the end of Torna iela, there is a beautiful building showing the coats of arms of the Latvian parishes.

POWDER TOWER & LATVIAN WAR MUSEUM 

Also in the area is the Powder Tower, originally part of the old town fortifications, today part of the Latvian War Museum.
With free entrance, this museum aims to show the public the complex military and history of Latvia, emphasizing the 20th century, during which Latvia had to fight for its independence twice, from the Nazis and the Soviets. It holds a rich collection of documents, photos, medals, weapons and military uniforms.
Riga's strategic position made it a city fought over by many powers, the Germans, the Poles, the Swedes and the Russians. Riga has layers of history and the 20th century was particulary difficult; both the Nazi and Soviet occupations left deep scars.

 

RIGA'S CENTRAL MARKET

Another must-visit is this vibrant massive indoor and outdoor market, one of the largest markets in Eastern Europe and one of the most visited too; apparently between 80 000 and 100 000 people shop here everyday. Not so busy when we visited.
It's near the old town, on the banks of river Daugava, and it was built in the 1920s on 5 military airship hangars.
We were greeted by a bustling atmosphere and a plephora of stalls offering a diverse variety of fresh produce, meats, cheeses and fish. There's also a array of shops selling handcrafts and souvenirs, including the traditional wollen mittens.
A great place to try Latvian cuisine at inexpensive prices.

ART NOVEAU DISTRICT

Riga is an Art Noveau wonderland, with a stunning collection of more than 800 buildings, one of the largest collection of Art Noveau buildings in the world. It was a style very popular in Riga at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century.
The most extravagant buildings are in Alberta iela and Elizabeth iela, where you can admire the adorned facades and exquisite sculptures and whimsical motifs.
We visited this district during a snow blizzard and the Art Noveau Museum at Alberta iela 10b was our escape to a warm environment. It's a period apartment that takes you back to the height of the Art Noveau movement. Well worth a visit!

CORNER HOUSE

As difficult as it can be to hear stories of the violent past, a visit to Riga shouldn't be done without an attempt to understand its history.

A guided visit to the Corner House, previous KGB headquarters, allowed us to see the cells used to imprison and question political prisioners, and hear the horrific stories of a vicious regime and occupation. The basement that witnessed accounts of torture and years of confinment is still very much the same way.

FREEDOM MONUMENT

Erected in 1935, near the Latvian National Opera House and  Bastejkalna Park, in honour of the soldiers that fought and died for Latvia's independence during WWI. It's also a symbol of national independence and in 1987 it became the gathering place for the new national independence, which finally succeed in 1991.

NATIVITY CATHEDRAL

 

On our way to the Art Noveau district we stumbled accross this magnificent building with its polished gilded cupolas gleaming on a snowy day.
It's the largest Russian Orthodox church in Latvia. It is still active for the Russian people that live in Riga.
We didn't go inside because it felt inappropriate to walk in the middle of their service.

Nearby is Kronvalda Park, a beautiful snow covered park and a frozen canal passing through it.

RIGA CASTLE

Although it doesn't look like a castle, Riga Castle is one of the largest medieval castles in Latvia and with a lot of history. It's situated on the bank of River Daugava and nowadays, is the official residence of the President of Latvia. We only had a brief look outside on the way to somewhere warm!

JŪRMALA

We could not visit Riga without a day trip to the Baltic coast.
Only a short distance from Riga, 30 minutes by train, Jurmala is a seaside resort town in the gulf of Riga. It costs less that 2€ for a return ticket to Majori (train stop) and it's a very picturesque ride through a few small villages and forests covered in snow.

We very much enjoyed a walk on the completely white and frozen beach, with a stop at a full-glass and weather adapted cafe for a hot drink to warm up our icy fingers, while admiring the frozen views. Surreal but stuning!

Right by the seaside, is the Baltic Beach Hotel & Spa (in the picture on the right), which was completely renovated in 2004 and is one of the best heath resorts in the area. It was originally built during the Soviet times, as Jūrmala was one of the most desirable places to holiday in the whole of the USSR.
It became popular with the communist party elite and top-ranking officials, including Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev, and the promise of a vacation in Jūrmala was frequently used to incentivise party members to perform well in their field of work. At its height in the early part of the 1980s, Jūrmala’s prominence as a Soviet spa resort was only outranked by Sochi in southern Russian and Yalta in Crimea.

The very small town of Majori is very nice and cosy, with beautiful buildings, shops, cafes and a huge lit christmas tree covered in snow.
I had the best mushroom soup ever and rye bread in one of the local cafes.Perfect for such a cold day!

 

                                                 CRUMBLE CAKE CAFE 

 

A gem at Jāņa iela 14, it was probably our favourite cafe... and where we had our first taste of Black Balsam! Warm and cozy, Crumble cake boasts a tasteful hip decor, good coffee, a very good selection of homemade cakes and a very friendly service. We found it by chance, while looking for a place to warm up and were greeted by the first snowflakes on the way out.
It is located in a quiet and charming little street in the old town, only a couple of minutes away from St Peter's Church.

PARUNASIUM (the most romantic cafe in Riga)

Just a very short walking distance away, is Parunasium, the most romantic cafe in Riga. Romantic or not, with its rustic and cosy ambiance, is a gem  and a perfect place to warm up from the freezing temperatures outside.

BLACK MAGIC BAR

Located in Kalku iela 10, full of dark wood and darker corners, Black Magic is a great place combining a cafe, a bar, chocolatier and touristic attraction, all in one.
Cakes are from heaven!
Apparently, the apothecary where Black Balsam was first developed in the 18th century, was right here, in the basement of Black Magic Bar.

FOLKKLUBS ALA PAGRABS 

On the edge of the old city, Peldu iela 19, Folkklubs is a great traditional pub in a basement, where they serve food, a very wide range of beers (most of them brewed in the building), live music almost daily and a great atmosphere.
Although it's a very big space with plenty tables, it tends to get very busy and it can be hard to get a seat. We were lucky to find seats by the bar and the band playing that night was fantastic.

Definitely worth a visit!

LIDO

If you want to try Latvian traditional food on a budget, this buffet style Latvian chain offers an ample variety of dishes. You can also try the local beers on tap or a delicious tea cocktail (hot tea with sea buckthorn) which is tasty and very warming during winter.
Lido offers delicious food, lots of choices, friendly staff and each restaurant has its unique and nice decor.
We tried Lido Dzirnavas (our favourite, so we went back on the last evening), Lido Alus sēta, Lido Origo and Lido Vērmanītis.

BLACK BALSAM

A traditional Latvian liquer, originally formulated by a pharmacist as a restorative tonic over 260 years ago, and combining a recipe of 24 berries, roots, herbs, flowers and essential oils.
It comes in various flavours (balckcurrant and cherry are the most poular) and it can be served with coffee, tea, in cocktails or even as a topping to ice cream or desserts.
Over 2 million bottles are produced every year and exported to 30 countries. Well, one of those bottles came home with us as a souvenir from Latvia!

Cheers! or shall I say Priekā!

 

A FEW TIPS:

• You can travel between Riga Airport and the city by taxi, car or bus. We chose the bus (nº22). It's very easy to find the stop outside the airport, very affordable (only around 2 € each way and you can pay on the bus with card); enough room for luggage, it takes approximately 30 minutes to city centre and it has several stops along the way. Going back to the airport and if you are near city centre, you can catch it just around the corner from Origo Mall, near the train station.
  
  
•  Riga is a very small city and quite flat, so it's very easy to walk around even on snowy days :)
  
  
• Before travelling and when researching, I read a lot of posts warning about swindlers and pickpockets. We felt very safe and not once we experienced anything alike. But it's always good to be on the cautious side!
  
  
•  Although Riga is very affordable, Old City (Vecriga) prices are higher and you can easily pay as much for a coffee as in the UK, but if you go to the less touristic areas, you pay a lot less. They have nice cafe/bakery shops, where you can try local pastries and with a hot drink it can be a nice breakfast or snack during your walkabouts for just 2-3€.
  
  
• If you are planning on doing some shopping, there's a couple of shopping malls in the city, nice well known shops, but not cheap.
  
  
•  If you chose to visit Riga in winter, make sure you have appropriate warm clothing as temperatures can drop to -20ºC.
  
  
•  There is no Uber in Riga, but they have their version BOLT. You need to download the app and it works pretty much the same as Uber. Very easy to use and affordable.
  
  

Hope you enjoy Riga as much as we did!