Riga , The Crown of the Baltics

Latvia is a small country with a population of 2.3 million, and its capital, Riga, is a cultural hub renowned for its globally acclaimed architectural ensemble.

The capital of a country that experienced Polish, Swedish, Russian, and German occupation before gaining independence from the former Soviet Union in August 1991, it surprises with its immense economic progress, having now been part of the European Union since 2004, advancing rapidly without losing its exceptional cultural identity.

Riga is a magnet for Europeans because it combines the old with the new. Its Old Town, with its medieval past, honoured by UNESCO, is filled with luxurious, romantic hotels, restaurants, and commercial streets.

Exploring Riga

In Riga's suburbs, you'll see old wooden Baltic houses, stone churches, brick factories, and remnants of the Soviet Union. Latvia has a diverse population; 41% of its inhabitants are Russian, Belarusian, Polish, and Ukrainian.

You can begin your stroll from the magnificent Town Hall Square, located in the Old Town, where you'll see the 800-year-old Gothic St. Peter's Church, which is also the country's largest church.

Right on the square and opposite the church, you'll find the "House of the Blackheads," an architectural structure dominated by red brick, statues, gold, and blue colours. This was where the young, unmarried merchants of the Brotherhood of Blackheads held their meetings.

Today, this building houses a museum and the official banqueting hall. However, what stands out in the square is the statue of the city's patron saint, St. Roland, from whose sword the geometric centre of Riga is defined.

Walking through the cobbled streets around the square, you'll see various buildings that make Riga resemble an architectural museum, thanks to their colourful facades, decorated windows, plasterwork, towers, and statues that create the entire scene. Among these buildings, you'll discover one of the city's oldest churches, St. George's Church, which hosts the Museum of Applied Arts.

It's worth visiting the Powder Tower, the only one of the 18 14th-century fortification towers that withstood the wars. Today, it houses the War Museum, where visitors can learn about the country's history, which experienced Nazi and Soviet occupation during World War II, through photographs and various artefacts. On Troksnu Street, there's another remnant of the city walls, surrounded by cafés and shops selling amber jewellery.

In Riga Dome Cathedral Square, you can enjoy a coffee, facing the stock exchange building, which resembles a Renaissance Venetian palazzo, and the largest cathedral in the Baltics, one of the largest in the world, the Dome. Built in 1211 and rebuilt many times, it retains its medieval style. A truly unforgettable experience is to attend a service and listen to the music from its organ, with its 6,768 pipes, cascading from the colourful stained glass of the 90-metre bell tower!

Outside Riga's old centre, walking past the Freedom Monument and the impressive Russian Orthodox Church, you'll encounter one of Europe's most captivating Art Nouveau districts, with wide boulevards, embassies, mansions, royal residences, and shops with stunning décor.

 

How to get there

You can reach Riga by air with Lufthansa, with a layover in Frankfurt.

Air tickets can be found from 150 euros. The flight duration is less than 4 hours.

There are flights to Riga with the Polish airline Lot via Warsaw. Other airlines operating flights to Riga include Czech Airlines, Aeroflot, Finnair, Norwegian Air, Ryanair, Turkish Airlines, and others.

The airport (RIX) is approximately half an hour from Riga. It has 3 Terminals: A & C for non-Schengen departures, and B for Schengen.

To get to the capital, you should take bus number 22 directly outside the main entrance of the airport.

Buses run to the city centre every 15 minutes from 5:00 AM to 12:00 AM, and the journey takes approximately 30 minutes. The ticket cost is 0.50 LVL or 1.20 LVL. You can also take a taxi, which takes about 15 minutes and costs 8 LVL. It's advisable to negotiate the price before you set off.

 

Useful information

Currency: It is the Lats (Ls), with an exchange rate of 1 euro = 0.70 Ls. Product prices in Latvia do not differ greatly from ours. Most products are slightly cheaper than in Greece.

Gastronomic suggestions: Heavily influenced by Russian and German cuisine, Latvian cooking is dominated by potatoes and pork, creamy soups, herring, salmon, and small pies filled with vegetables or meat, as well as Russian ravioli filled with pork, chicken, or vegetables. In Riga, options are plentiful; you can find restaurants serving Japanese, international, Russian, and of course, authentic Latvian cuisine.

Bars – Entertainment: Most cafés transform into lively bars in the evening, with the festivities lasting until the next morning. Ascending to the Skyline Bar on the 26th floor of the Reval Hotel, you can combine your drink with views of the new city.

Shopping recommendations: In all souvenir shops, you'll find jewellery and items made from amber, antique shops, traditional and classical CDs at Upe, high-quality linen clothing, handmade woollen jumpers, and wooden toys. Don't forget to buy a bottle of the National drink, Black Balsam, and of course, the famous Laima chocolates, sold almost everywhere.