The tiny, Baltic city of Riga is an underrated gem. Nestled in the heart of Latvia, its ancient historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre, which boast tiny glowing cafes tucked behind churches, grand buildings dating back to the 1200s and oodles of wintery ambiance. Under Soviet rule until 1991, it’s since shaken off the shackles of the past: in its place is a cultural hotspot that begs to be explored for a long weekend.
With Christmas in the air and markets springing up around the city, there’s no better time to go. Breathe the chilly air, wrap your fingers around a gluhwein, and set off: here’s how to make the most of 48 hours in Riga.
What to do
The beautiful Vecrīga (or old town) deserves be explored on foot, and you can easily spend half a day doing so. Founded by Latvians and expanded by German settlers from the 1200s onwards, the ancient city centre is a beautiful mix of Gothic architecture, modern reconstructions and medieval townhouses.
Wander around at your leisure, but make time to see the House of the Blackheads (itself a reconstruction after it was demolished by the Soviets), St Peter’s Church, with its instantly-identifiable bulbous spire (this can be climbed for €9, affording you a great view of the city centre), the Great Guild and Three Brothers, the three oldest stone houses in Riga.
Just outside the old walls awaits the Freedom Monument: built to commemorate Latvia’s independence in the 1930s. Ironically, just a few years later, it was repurposed as a memorial by the Red Army.
If it’s December, then a trip to the festive markets is also a must. Located around the Dome Square, they’re a festival of bunting, German-style wooden cabins and open fires, upon which sausages, pots of soup and cauldrons of mulled wine bubble away merrily.
The stalls sell a mix of local goods (amber, knitted gloves and pottery), which can be browsed while sipping your gluwein. Even better: they’re free to attend. And when the snow starts falling (in December and usually carries on until February) it’s pure Christmas heaven.
Outside the oldest parts of Riga, there’s still plenty to see. Between the end of the First World War and the start of the Second, Riga underwent something of a building frenzy, resulting in a gorgeous Art Deco quarter that deserves at least a few hours of your day. Head to Albert Street for authentic 1920’s grandeur, and keep a look out for the scattered wooden houses that have survived to this day, which date from the days of the Russian Empire. They have something of an American Frontier air to them and mostly house cosy cafés.
If you’re a culture lover, why not head along to the Latvian National Museum of Art? Located in the Art Deco quarter, next to the Russian Orthodox Church, it’s perfect for a lazy Sunday stroll.
On display paintings that trace the evolution of Latvian art from the 1700s to the present day, as well as one-off exhibitions from national artists. Keep your eyes peeled for the wonderfully titled Madonna with Machine Gun from Kārlis Padegs, which pretty much does what it says on the tin (tickets from €8, lnmm.lv).
Also of interest, is the excellent Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. Opened recently on Latvian Riflemen Square, the museum is housed inside a former Soviet war memorial, now adapted to tell the horrific story of life under Stalin. Its stories are sensitively told; and even better, it only costs €8 – but is free on certain days to mark significant historical events from Latvia’s past (okupacijasmuzejs.lv).
Similarly, the Museum of the Riga Ghetto and Holocaust is a sobering visit, but one that’s well worth carving out the time to do. Free (though there is the option to purchase tickets for €5 to support the museum), it’s not big, but it is an exhaustive account of the devastation of the persecution of Jewish people before, during and after the Second World War (muzeji.lv).
Where to eat
Riga punches well above its weight when to comes to food. And if you only have 48 hours here, make sure you schedule in a visit to Tails, a restaurant where fish isn’t so much an ingredient as a religion. Naturally, it’s a Michelin Guide favourite, and has made it onto the list for two years running.
The chefs here take their business very seriously, so sit down and feast on scallop carpaccio with tomato water, coffee oil and ginger salsa – then follow it up with their god-tier seafood risotto, which comes complete with chunks of acidic lemon to cut the cheesy, creamy goodness of the sauce. Heaven on a plate (meals cost around €150 for two, tails.lv).
We also recommend Whitehouse for dinner (also on the Michelin Guide), which is perched on the edge of one of Riga’s many parks and makes full use of its location with floor to ceiling windows and breezy interiors. The menu is wide-ranging but creative: we’d recommend the mussels, which are arranged on thin slices of toast in a tomato miso sauce, and the octopus, which is presented in a sea of chorizo foam and baba ghanoush (meals cost around €150 for two, whitehouserestorans.lv).
In search of something lighter? Hačapuri Meitene on Terbatas iela is a must-try. Latvians are big fans of Georgian cooking, especially hačapuri, or khachapuri – a sort of deep-dish fried cheese pizza. Hačapuri Meitene is one of the best places to get it: it’s cheap, cheerful and bursting with flavour (meals cost around €30 for two).
The capital is also bursting at the seams with cafes: the perfect places to seek some respite from the winter cold or buy a quick lunch. Top of the list for its proximity to the Christmas markets is V. Kuze. Once a chocolate shop owned by Vilhelm Kuze, it was later nationalised by the Soviets and fell out of business. Kuze himself was deported to and died in Siberia, but this café was created to honour his legacy. Decked out with beautifully kitsch 1920’s furniture, it serves a killer hot chocolate, and its pastries make it a great place to visit for breakfast (kuze.lv).
Just down the road from the markets, lurks Parunāsim kafe’teeka: arguably the most Instagram-friendly shop in the whole city. Tucked away down an old alleyway by a church, it’s all odd angles, squishy old furniture and exposed woodwork. It also does a mean pastry – once you’ve finished taking photographs, that is.
In the Art Deco quarter, the food spots are more numerous: Mīkla Bakery is warm, welcoming and a firm favourite among locals, while just down a side street, the warm welcoming glow of Robert’s Books beckons. Set up by journalist Robert Cottrell (formerly of The Economist), it’s the perfect place to buy a coffee whilst also browsing his eclectic collection of literature: English, Latvian and everything in between (robertsbooks.lv).
Where to shop
Step aside Borough Market: hello Āgenskalna. Located in the up-and-coming hipster district of the same name, this Latvian local favourite is a feast for the senses: roam the stalls to find everything from fresh halva to freshly baked breads, beers and Latvian cheeses, which sit cheek-by-jowl with fresh vegetables and kvass (a fermented rye drink popular in the Baltics).
It’s also a great place to grab a bite: Kalve on the ground floor does excellent coffee (and has several branches throughout Riga), and the top floor has a range of food stalls. In addition to the usual fare (Vinkalni has been around for 25 years and does a top-notch pizza), there’s also a local stand that sells favourites like khachapuri and solyanka from €6 (agenskalnatirgus.lv/).
For those in search of something a little more authentic, the Riga Central Market is also well worth a visit. Packed with locals and located a five-minute walk from the Old Town, it rewards those willing to wander the aisles and gawk at the shopkeepers hawking produce to the locals. Make sure to visit the fish section, if only to see the gleaming piles of orange caviar heaped in mountains next to the smoked haddock.
Inside the old town await some more tourist-friendly shops: in addition to the festive markets, make sure to visit Latvian Green, just off Latvian Riflemen Square. Small and unassuming, it’s a treasure trove of locally-sourced goods.
Shop their great range of pottery, knitwear and candles before enjoying a coffee –or perhaps pursuing their selection of alcohols. Latvia’s not famous for its wine, but it does a mean apple cider, and you can buy bottles here (studijapienene.lv/en/latvian-green-studio-pienene).
Where to stay
Hotels abound across the Old Town, but our pick might have to be the Radisson Blu just outside it. Opened in 1979, it used to be the hotel of choice for diplomats and spies visiting the Soviet Union – these days, it’s undergone a makeover and boasts well-appointed rooms as well as Latvia’s largest spa.
Make sure to visit the ESPA (which is a firm favourite with locals too, especially in the frigid winters) and indulge in some of their treatments alongside the Thermal Suite – which includes saunas, a heated swimming pool and steam pool. However, the hotel’s ace in the hole has to be its sheer height: all 27 storeys of it. Get a room as high as possible for unparalleled views of the Rigan skyline; they’re views people usually have to pay for (room start from €67, radissonhotels.com). And indeed, there is a Skyline bar where you can sip drinks and contemplate the city from high up.
