Riga

Understand

Riga is famous for its world heritage-listed old town (Vecrīga) and city centre (Centrs), in which over 800 buildings — a third of all buildings — are of the Art Nouveau (aka Jugendstil) style of architecture and thus Riga is one of the best destinations to see this architectural style. Chiefly built in the first years of the 20th century, many of Riga's Art Nouveau buildings were created by ethnic Latvian architects unlike earlier buildings in the city . The Art Nouveau style involves intricate building facades, with carvings of flowers and mythological creatures, and ornate doorways and windows. A considerable part of the old town was either destroyed by fire or destroyed by the Germans in World War II but many old buildings were also spared. The old town was a draw of the city during the Soviet times and it received protected status in 1967. The damaged parts, most notably the House of the Blackheads, were restored in the late 1990s, mainly to make Riga more attractive as a tourist destination. Another thing that attracts visitors, especially young adults, is the lively nightlife and discount airlines that offer cheap flights to/from much of Europe. Riga is bisected by the river Daugava. Old (medieval) town is in the centre of the city on the east side of the river. It is surrounded by a ring of 19th– to early 20th-century architecture including the Art Nouveau buildings described above, followed by a mix of private 2-floor house districts (many also pre-World War II) and Soviet-era 5-18 floor apartment districts. Especially near railway lines, they are interspersed with industrial plants from different eras, including some from the Imperial Russian era.

History

Riga was founded in 1201 by Albert of Bremen as a port city and a base to conquer and convert the native Livonians to Christianity, a goal that was achieved in 1206 after a battle in Turaida during the Northern Crusades. Riga developed as the major trade hub of the area during the peak of the Hanseatic League in the 13th to the 15th centuries and was ruled by the Archbishop of Riga. The Reformation reached Riga in 1522, which ended the Archbishops' power. In 1621, Riga became part of the Kingdom of Sweden, although it maintained a great deal of autonomy. In 1710, an invasion by Peter the Great of Russia ended Swedish rule and cemented Russian influence on the city. Latvia declared its independence on November 18, 1918. It was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940. Riga served as the capital of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. Germans have inhabited the city since its establishment by Albert, and throughout most of its history, Germans were the elite while Latvians remained a lower class. The Germans' position as the elite continued through the Imperial period of Riga, visible in some of the architecture of the city. The Germans were forcibly evicted after the Nazi occupation of 1941-44.

Talk

The official language of Latvia is Latvian; however, in Riga, the majority of the population speaks both Latvian and Russian, and ethnic Russians form slightly more than a third of the city's population. English is widely spoken by younger people and by people in the tourism industry. German is also commonly spoken by tour guides.

What's inside

There are many administrative districts in Riga. However, almost all tourist attractions, historic buildings and hotels are contained within the borders of the relatively small and walkable Centra rajons district, which is made up of Vecrīga (the old town) and Centrs (the modern-day business district). However if you have already seen the more famous attractions in the city centre, the outer districts do have their own draws too.

On both sides of the mouth of Daugava river, the Gulf of Riga offers extensive sandy seaside beaches, which can be reached by city bus or train. A nude beach can be found a 15-minute walk out of Vecāķi.

Getting there

By plane

1 Riga International Airport (Starptautiskā Lidosta Rīga RIX IATA) (10 km southwest of Riga). The airport serves approximately 5 million passengers per year. Many flights to/from Riga are operated by Air Baltic, Ryanair, and Wizz Air. There are designated areas in the airport where smoking is allowed. Getting there and away:

Bus route 22 runs between the airport and the old town, with a stop near the central bus and railway stations as well as old town. These buses operate as any other public transport in Riga; see Riga#Get_around for more information on riding the buses. The journey to the old town takes 30-40 minutes. The buses operate whole day, after midnight it goes by number N22 until 4:45am. The bus stop at the airport is easy to reach - it is located at the arrivals hall entrance. There is a ticket machine in the arrivals hall; tickets can also be bought in ticket machines, at the Narvesen shops on the departure and arrivals levels in the airport or in the mobile applications, such as an official applicationor Mobilly. Price of a single ticket is €1.50 and it comes with free transfers within Riga public transport system for 1.5 hours since first activation. You also can pay €1.81 onboard using Visa or Mastercard. Bus will get crowded if there are many incoming flights. The ride to the centre by taxi takes 15 minutes. Official vouchers are available for purchase, but for a very high price (€33). Some taxis will illegally try to charge even more. The best way to hire a taxi is to use the Bolt Taxi mobile app, which allows you to see the rates being charged, time to pickup, enter the destination, and pay with the credit card that is linked to your account. Baltic Taxi runs taxi service from the airport to the centre for a fixed price of €15 if booked online or via metered rates if paid to the driver. Service to the old town takes 15 minutes. Red Cab Taxi offers metered taxi services from the airport. A journey to the city centre costs approximately €12 and the ride takes 15 minutes, depending on the traffic. Wheelchair accessible mini-vans are available but must be pre-ordered. It is common to use carsharing apps, which are cheaper than a taxi. Some cars are usually available near airport for taking. Download and register in Bolt or Citybee apps before you arrive.

By bus

There are international bus connections to anywhere in Europe, including frequent service to Tallinn and Tartu in Estonia, and Vilnius and Kaunas in Lithuania. 2 Riga's main bus station is just outside the old town. As of October 2023 there is substantial road and tramway construction underway around the bus station. Expect traffic snarls throughout most of the day. Pedestrian access is limited and may require stairs or negotiating un-even terrain.

Getting around

On foot

Vecrīga mainly comprises rounded cobblestone streets that may be hard to walk on if you are not wearing proper shoes. Outside of Vecrīga, most streets are paved with asphalt, although some smaller streets may be unpaved. Sidewalks are predominantly concrete everywhere. Vecrīga is best explored on foot. Due to the neglected drainage system, the streets may be flooded during heavy downpours.

By public transport

The city-owned Rigas Satiksme company operates the trams (street-cars), buses, and trolleybuses. They all use the same e-ticket system called e-talons. A single fare of €1.50 covers any number of rides on any route independent of the distance and is valid for 90 minutes. For routes, timetables and live traffic see Rigas Satiksme's official route planner. Single fare is €1.50 if purchased in advance. The most convenient app that accepts foreign phone numbers is Mobilly, because it not only allows you to purchase local tickets, but also tickets for remote trains and buses in the same place. You can top-up your app wallet with credit or pay the "missing" amount directly (every transaction is minimum €3, but presumably you'll need a return ticket at some point). Do not forget to activate the ticket by scanning the vehicle QR code. Otherwise, an e-talons card can be purchased from a ticket office, vending machine, select shops, app or other location listed on the Rigas Satiksme website. These electronic tickets are for one time charge only, without deposit. You pay the number of rides that you want on them (even if it is just one ride), and discard after using up all rides. Unlimited 24-hour ride card costs €5, 3-day card costs €8, and 5-day card costs €10. The cards all are activated by using the yellow device in the vehicles. You must activate all cards every time that you enter a vehicle. On some Latvian public holidays (January 1st, May 4th, June 23rd and 24th, November 18th, December 31st) Riga public transport is free. Tram lines are numbered 1 to 14; bus lines are numbered 1 to 63; trolleybus lines are numbered 1 to 35. Night buses are numbered N1, N2, N3, N4, N6, N7, N10 and they only operate on Friday and Saturday nights. Night bus N22 operates every night. While the numbers are similar, the routes are completely different - i.e. bus #13 is totally different from trolleybus #13. Tram numbers on stops are identified by "Tr", buses (not trolleybuses) by "A". Stops are marked by a blue rectangular sign with a stylized white image of the vehicle and lists the numbers that stop there. Timetables and stops of the route are also usually posted at stops and are fairly accurate. On timetables yellow-orange background is for bus routes, red for trams and blue for trolleybusses. The vehicles include screens with next stop information, which may occasionally malfunction, and audible stop announcements Trams are generally the fastest public transportation apart from trains. Although they are on the street level and the rails are not physically separated from the rest of the traffic, in all but the busiest rush hours they have the right of way.

By bicycle

SIXT Latvia operates self-service bicycle rentals at bicycle stands across the city. The service is available to both residents and guests of Riga. You must have a mobile phone to register, but registration is free. The bikes have 3 speeds and lights, but no helmets. The advertised price on the website is €0.90 per 30 minutes, with a maximum of €9 per day. However, the effective amount charged seems to be €0.99 (Oct 2017) per half hour (the first minute of a subsequent half hour counts as a full 30 minutes). Alternatively, ask your hotel if they provide bicycle rental. Downtown Rīga has a lot of cobblestone streets, so be prepared for a bumpy ride. Bike lanes and paths exist but are not always marked clearly. On main roads, you may occasionally end up finding yourself on the wrong side of a guardrail.

See

Individual listings can be found in Riga's district articles For tourists, the most interesting districts are Vecrīga (the UNESCO-listed Old Town) and the area around the nearby Freedom Monument, which do double duty as the setting of Riga's foremost historic sites and the centre of its burgeoning nightlife. In Vecrīga, the two main clusters of historic sites lie just a few blocks from each other: Town Hall Square, which contains the striking 13th-century House of Blackheads, the Town Hall (built in 2003 as a down-to-the-last-detail copy of the 17th-century original), and Riga Cathedral and the square surrounding it. There you'll also find important museums such as the National History Museum of Latvia (in Riga Castle) and the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, as well as remnants of the Medieval-era city fortifications popping up here and there. Further out from Vecrīga is Riga's modern-day downtown (Centrs). Aside from the aforementioned Freedom Monument, architecture buffs flock here to admire the beautifully preserved Art Nouveau row houses on Alberta iela and other nearby streets — one of the densest clusters of architecture of that style in the world — as well as still more museums, such as Latvia's National Museum of Art. However, there are places worth visiting outside the city centre. Some other old and well-preserved urban districts that are relatively unvisited by tourists include Agenskalns and Tornakalns, just over the Stone bridge. Further out, the residential areas on the periphery of town are largely made up of gray apartment blocks built in the typically Soviet style. These areas are nearly identical to those all over Eastern Europe. However, they do give an idea of how the vast majority of the people in Riga live and of the history of the area. The Riga Pass, which costs €16-26, has discounts for museums and some tourist attractions.

Organised tours

The tourist office, inside the House of Blackheads, offers guided tours and free pamphlets, complete with detailed descriptions of many buildings, for independent walks. These walks cover the old town, the nearby city centre sights, and the Art Nouveau district. It's easy to do each of these in around an hour, or linger and read every detail in the booklet. In the absence of any signs or plaques around the city, the booklet gives you an insight to what you are seeing. Many private companies offer organized tours of Riga. Options include bike tours, Segway tours, pub crawls, hop-on-hop-off bus tours, walking tours, free tours, and tours focused on a certain aspect of Riga - away from the touristy old town.

Do

Individual listings can be found in Riga's district articles If you're interested in classical culture, head to the National Opera in the Old Town to enjoy opera or ballet or to the Koncertzāle Ave Sol a little further north. The city has several pleasant parks, notably around the city canal and further north into Centrs. Another interesting park is Mežaparks in the north of the city with beautiful old villas and Riga's zoo. It's also possible to do a boat ride on the canal, making a tour around the old town on the Daugava river. Start point is near the Freedom Monument. Also, check out the nearby sights of the Riga region, some of which allow for a good day trip from Riga due to the frequent and comprehensive travel options of the region.

Football: the men's national soccer team play at Daugava Stadium, 3 km east of city centre. City clubs playing soccer in Virslīga, the top tier, are Riga FC and RFS. Metta play in Future League the second tier. FK Auda play in Virslīga at Kekava 15 km south. The playing season is April-Nov.

Adrenaline sports

Riga and its surroundings are popular destinations for adrenaline sports, which can be booked online, from most hostels and hotels, or from any local travel agent. The activities generally include transfers to/from your accommodation and all necessary supplies. Popular activities include bobsledding, AK-47 shooting (€40), bungee jumping from a cable car, scenic flights, canoeing, kayaking, go-karting, golfing, paintball, drift biking, husky dog sledding (€40), indoor skydiving (€60), laser tag in an old factory (€50) and driving a 4x4 off-road.

Shopping

Individual listings can be found in Riga's district articles Buy items like amber and wool mittens and socks in the central market or throughout Vecrīga in little stands. You might haggle and get good prices for souvenirs. During the Christmas season there is a small Christmas market in the main square of old town which offers lots of festive fare and hot wine. Like in other cities around the world, you can find shopping malls in the suburbs along most major thoroughfares. While not attractions in themselves, they may come in handy especially if you get around by car; you can buy things you need on your trip, some Latvian specialties to bring home or have a quick meal there.

Eat

Individual listings can be found in Riga's district articles

Riga, as the most vibrant and cosmopolitan city of the Baltics, offers countless opportunities to sample both local cuisine and international favorites. Latvian food can be hearty, using a lot of potato, cabbage, beef, pork and fish. A diversity of foreign cuisines is also available — sushi restaurants in particular are in vogue. The most central districts Vecriga and Centrs are the places to go for the widest selection of restaurants, though there are certainly also places to eat elsewhere in the city. There are a couple of local restaurant chains that have eateries in many different parts of Riga:

Čili Pica, Several locations (one near the Freedom Monument, another on the ground floor of the Stockmann mall near central station). Cheap but good pizza. Lido. A network of 8 restaurants offering decent hearty Latvian food, including desserts, at good prices. The restaurants are either cafeteria-style or feature English menus. The Vecriga district has seen a rise in tourist trap restaurants. It is advisable to scrutinise and memorize the price and size of the advertised offer against what is actually being served.

Drink

Individual listings can be found in Riga's district articles

Cafes

Black coffee in Latvia is traditionally served unfiltered and quite strong in small cups. If you are used to filtered coffee, you may want to have a "white coffee" (with either milk, whipped milk or cream), or you want to have a glass of water on the side. Coffee "to go" has become increasingly popular, and many of the coffee chains offer coffee served in paper cups with lids.

Bars

Riga is a major nightlife destination for tourists and bars here are often open later than those in other European cities. On average, bars in Vecrīga will charge €2-3 per beer and bars outside of Vecrīga will charge €1.50-2 per beer. A specialty liquor is Riga Balsam, which is an acquired taste.

Sleep

Individual listings can be found in Riga's district articles Hotels and hostels in general offer free WiFi and many have computer terminals. Almost all accept credit cards. Unsurprisingly the largest concentration of hotels are in and around Vecrīga. For budget accommodation, head to the eastern half of the old town and the surroundings of the railway station. Upscale hotels are to be found in the core of Vecrīga and around the Esplanade Park in Centrs.

Stay safe

Riga is generally safe if you know how to take the basic precautions. Riga's old town is extremely safe at all times, as are the city's major thoroughfares. On the other hand, certain areas in the city's western parts have had their share of crime since the fall of the USSR. Many Latvians will tell you that any Russian-speaking neighbourhood is rife with crime and violence. While this may be blown out of proportion due to historical tensions, poorer parts of Riga with significant Russian populations do need to be avoided after dark. Alcohol consumption in Riga is high and bar fights are relatively common. It is wise to be level-headed and not escalate a situation. See the info box in the Riga#Drink section regarding common bar scams in Riga.

Go next

The Baltic states are compact and virtually all of the region is within 300 km of Riga, at least as the crow flies. All of Latvia and a large part of what Estonia and Lithuania has to offer is doable as a daytrip if you have a car. However, larger cities listed below do have several days' worth of attractions.

Latvia

Sigulda – A town in central Latvia with many interesting castles and historic points of interest. Probably, the most popular destination outside of Riga for foreign tourists, also due to its closeness. Jūrmala – A popular holiday and sea resort town with wooden houses just west of Riga, which claims to have the longest beach in Northern Europe. Salaspils – a former German concentration camp site 15 km southeast of Riga. Ligatne – A village fairly well known for its nature trails, with a great natural park with wildlife animals and "fairy tale" forests with characters from famous Latvian fairy tales. Nearby, also an old Soviet bunker complex can be visited, which was built in case of a nuclear war. Cēsis – One of the country's oldest towns. It has an impressive castle complex of Livonian Order origin, a charming city centre with some cobblestoned streets, and historic wooden buildings. Liepāja – Named "the city of wind", and the southwestern most city of Latvia. Famous for its sandy beach, numerous music events, and the largest organ in the world. It features modern architecture and a long history along with the formerly secret Soviet military neighbourhood of Karosta (literally: War Port). Valka – A unique town on the Estonian border, which runs through the town centre, creating Valga on the other side. It is close to regaining the status of an important cultural centre.

Estonia

Tartu – Museum-rich and hanseatic city on the banks of the Emajõgi River. Also, Estonia's second-largest and oldest city, intellectual hub famous for its universities, and a lively student city. Accessible from Riga by direct bus. Tallinn – The capital, and financial and cosmopolitan centre of Estonia, with a medieval Old Town. Beautiful and expensive. A 5-hour bus trip from Riga. Pärnu – Estonia's 4th largest city and the summer capital of Estonia, popular for its balneo-therapy complexes and spa centres, surrounded by numerous beaches, little more than halfway to Tallinn.

More pictures of Riga

From this destination's category on Wikimedia Commons. Each photograph is credited to its own author under its own licence.