Author's Guide: Riga
Hello travel lovers! My name is Katya, and I adore Riga <3 Many avoid this city because it's a long journey – not everyone can endure 10-12 hours on a bus (my Petersburgian sympathies). But the city is definitely worth your attention, so I've prepared a small guide for you to experience and fall in love with Riga just as I have.
Where to stay
Riga is an inexpensive city, so you can stay in hostels or luxurious hotels that won't break the bank. For example, Red Nose Hostel is located in the very tourist heart of the city — a two-minute walk from Riga Cathedral and the House of the Blackheads. It costs ridiculously little: from 11 euros for a bed in a shared room. It also has private double rooms and 24-hour reception. Convenient for those arriving at night.
Hotel Justus is located in another part of the Old Town, and its main advantage is its historic interiors, which appeared in the Soviet film "Seventeen Moments of Spring." Yes, it was in this hotel that Stierlitz observed caged display birds, and from here, the luxurious Art Nouveau window frames with decorative faces were filmed! Soviet cinema lovers, welcome!
The Radisson BLU hotel is located a bit further from the center, but it spoils guests with the most magnificent view of the capital — the panoramic Skyline bar is on the hotel's top, twenty-sixth floor. The bar's cuisine isn't its strong suit, but the cocktail menu is interesting: the average price for an alcoholic cocktail is 8-10 euros.
Interesting Museum
For cultural experiences, head to the Paula Stradiņa Medicīnas vēstures muzejs. It is located between the city center and the Art Nouveau quarter and will amaze you with a multitude of medical devices from different eras. Here you'll find medieval torture instruments, Pavlov's dog, and a life-size imitation of a functioning human organism. Also, various anatomical specimens: hearts, lungs, brains — all in formaldehyde. You can take an audio guide (available in different languages, including Russian) and easily (and usefully!) spend several hours here. You'll learn a lot of new things about the body, 100% guaranteed.
Where to walk
In your free time, take a stroll from the Old Town to Lucavsala park, and let your path lead along the embankment, which offers views first of all the spires and turrets of central Riga, and then of the railway bridges across the river. In the evening, this walk will delight you with the best "water" view of the sunset (Oh my, the sunsets there are truly magical!).
In the park itself, you'll find running and cycling paths, scooter, rollerblade, and any wheeled entertainment rentals, and sometimes even music concerts. This summer, for example, the main event in Lucavsala was Ed Sheeran's show, which gathered over twenty thousand people outdoors.
On your way back from the park, after crossing the bridge to the Old Town, visit the Riga Central Market — these semicircular buildings are impossible to miss. In recent years, the market has become a true hipster mecca! Here you'll find endless coffee shops, restaurants, a motorcycle studio, shops with posters and T-shirts, and a public area with swings, bike paths, and even a charging point for gadgets!
Where to eat
Eating in Riga can be very inexpensive: a budget traveler's best friend is the LIDO cafe chain. Here you can feast on an unlimited buffet breakfast for 5 euros (until 10 AM), and at lunchtime, create your dream salad at the salad bar: a large plate of salad will cost you 5 euros, and a small one – two and a half. It's also worth trying traditional local desserts here – sweet "bread soup" with whipped cream and dried fruits, and oat kissel with berry puree. Desserts at LIDO cost up to 3 euros, hot dishes – from 7 to 12 euros, and a large mug of beer will set you back 2.80.
If Latvian cuisine doesn't appeal to you and you crave something familiar – head to the dumpling place XL. Here you'll be offered more than ten types of dumplings with various fillings – there are even vegetarian options! And you can serve them yourself with a large ladle, paying for your plate by weight. The prices are more than pleasant, which is why XL is always full of students, workers, and tourists.
For a quick and inexpensive snack in Riga, Narvesen kiosks, which are plentiful in the Old Town, can help. They sell newspapers, drinks, and fast food, including healthy options like yogurt and muesli cups or sliced vegetables and fruit salads. For coffee with a burrito, you'll pay 3 euros; for coffee with a bun – 1.80; for a hot dog – 1.50. Bonus: always fast and free Wi-Fi!
For something sweet
For "Instagrammable" desserts, sweet tooths head to the art cafe Sienna in the Art Nouveau quarter. This is one of the most elegant and delicious establishments in the city, believe a sweet tooth! Cakes and coffee are served here in painted porcelain cups, and the interior looks like it's straight out of a romantic novel: plush sofas, painted wallpaper, stained glass, vignettes on tables and chairs, satin tablecloths, heavy velvet curtains, art books, and photo albums. In short, there's plenty of space to create a "flat lay" for social media likes. Be sure to try their signature pine cone dessert and pancake cake, but don't count on excellent coffee – it's quite ordinary here; it's better to choose one of the forty tea varieties.
Sea and Spa
If Riga seems entirely explored, head to its suburbs — the most popular and foolproof option at any time of year will be Jurmala. This is a part of the Baltic Sea coast, along which several settlements stretch. You might even encounter Russian pop stars there. Yevgeny Petrosyan is definitely hiding somewhere around the corner, or Igor Nikolaev is drinking to love.
Getting there is easy: suburban trains run every 40 minutes from the central station, and minibuses from the bus station. A round-trip train ticket costs 3.80 euros.
To reach the most popular beach near Riga and admire the sea, get off at Majori station. Stroll along the pedestrian street, pop into the cozy Lighthouse cafe for crème brûlée and fried cheese with berries, and then head down to the sea. To your left will be the famous Soviet hotel-sanatorium Baltic Beach, built in the shape of a huge liner; to your right — the Dzintari concert hall and brand new SPA hotels. In one of them, Lielupe SPA, a full-day pass to the pool and Spa area costs 16 euros. You'll find several saunas, a Turkish hammam, a salt cave, and a 25-meter swimming pool. Be careful, local children and juniors practice swimming here on weekdays!
You can also swim in the pool and enjoy the steam room at Hotel Jurmala SPA. The clientele here is predominantly families or romantic couples, and the hotel itself offers a huge selection of massages. Admission to their wellness center for two and a half hours costs 17 euros on weekdays and 20 on weekends.
Castle and Nature
For those who have already visited Jurmala, Riga has prepared another town — Sigulda. You can also get here from the central railway station; trains run every hour and a half, the journey takes about an hour, and ticket prices start from 5.20 euros round trip.
Sigulda is an ancient area that locals call "Latvian Switzerland"; its main attraction is a medieval castle with views of the forest massif of the Turaida Museum Reserve. Climb to the observation deck on the Main Tower inside the fortress and admire the Latvian greenery from the highest point in the area. On the park grounds, there's an excellent shop with handmade ceramics, where the same bearded man has been working for many years. For 5-8 euros, you can bring home a large glazed fish or whimsically shaped cups.
On your way back from the castle, stop by the cafe-confectionery Mr. Biskvitis near the railway station, whose main specialty is casseroles. Cottage cheese, berry, sweet and savory, with bacon and three types of cheese, mmmm! Be careful, despite its enormous popularity among tourists (of whom there are few in Sigulda, by the way), the cafe does not accept bank cards! Also, be vigilant on your way back to Riga: trains from Sigulda to the city stop running early, at 8-9 PM, so plan your return to the city in advance.
Shopping
Shopping in Riga is not abundant. The city has several large shopping centers, for example, ORIGO right at the railway station, or Domina shopping in the southern part of the capital. But the stores here are the same as in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the prices are the same or even higher.
In the center, there are several interesting second-hand shops like KiloMax, where European brand items are sold by weight. A sweater will cost you 13-15 euros, a dress – ten. What's nice is that the assortment includes many accessories and shoes from English brands New Look and Peacocks, which left the Russian market several years ago (a pity!).
Fans of "household" shopping might enjoy Spice Home — a huge shopping center consisting of several buildings with furniture, interior items, lighting, and renovation supplies.
For grocery shopping, be sure to buy Karums curd snacks, bread yogurt, and Djugas cheeses to take home.
Souvenirs
Look for small souvenir shops with local brands in the Old Town, while Riga's tourist symbols — the black cat, ladybug, and a can of sprats — are sold as magnets, figurines, and badges even in newspaper kiosks.
For Riga Black Balsam, go to the Black Magic bar-shop: in the atmosphere of a medieval tavern, you'll not only get a tasting of balsams and alcoholic candies but also free nuts (coated in alcohol!) with any purchase. And for candies, of course, head to Laima — Latvia's oldest and most iconic chocolate factory has been supplying tourists with sweet souvenirs for many years. Prices for chocolate bars start from one euro, for bulk candies — from 7 euros per kg.
5 must-do things in Riga:
- Get lost in the streets of the Old Town
- Try sweet bread soup at LIDO
- Buy a bottle of Riga Black Balsam and Laima candies to take home
- Find the Bremen Town Musicians monument and rub their noses for good luck
- Take a trip to Jurmala
Such is the diverse Riga! If your rear end isn't ready to sit in a bus for 10 hours, take a plane instead. Especially since tickets aren't much more expensive, and travel time is significantly shorter!
Text and photos: Katerina Turkina
