The biggest metropolis in the Baltics, Riga perfectly blends timeless tradition and cutting edge cool. Riga is the beating heart of the whole region, worth being explored on its own – and our suggestions will help you get the best out of your visit!
It’s charm comes in many guises: from the dainty houses of the Old Town and the art-nouveau grandeur of the historic centre, to hip spots around Miera iela and the wooden gems of Pārdaugava. Season it with local slow-food and craft beers or take a dive into Riga’s world-class cultural offering, for the perfect memorable package.
Amazing architecture and history
A Nordic blonde with a fiery heart, there’s much more to Riga than meets the eye.
In its 800 years of turbulent history, everyone from German knights to Swedish kings and Soviet commissars have left their footprints, and today Latvia’s capital is an exciting European metropolis at the crossroads of eastern and northern Europe.
Riga’s astonishing skyline tells the story, as the timeless Gothic spires in the Old Town mingle with the fantastic facades of one of the world’s richest collections of Art Nouveau on the grand boulevards.
Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage site of cobblestones and breathtaking river views, as well as Europe’s Wifi capital with almost 1,000 spots to get online for free.
Some popular daytrips
This city of 700,000 ingabitants has enough to keep you busy for days, but it’s also compact enough for easy daytrips to the beautiful Latvian countryside.
Explore the natural paradise of Sigulda with its fairytale castles, romantic vistas and adventure sports, stroll along miles of pine-fringed sandy beaches in the seaside playground Jurmala, and marvel at the Baroque and Rococo splendor of Rundale Palace.
Gastronomy
Bread, beer and balsam
Riga is an adventure for the taste buds too. The enormous Central Market is a treasure trove of earthy sausage, cheese and black bread, smoked fish, and much more. Sample the goods on a picnic in one of Riga’s lovely parks, or enjoy a hearty meal in many great value bistro and cafes.
To wash it down, sample intriguing local beers in the brew pubs along hipster strip Miera iela, or a cocktail with the mysterious Riga Black Balsam in fun-filled bars across town.
What´s is so special about Lavian food?
Any Latvian will tell you that we’ve forged a very special relationship with nature – we pick, hunt, forage, smoke, cure, pickle and ferment everything we can get our hands on. With four distinct seasons, it’s seasonality that dictates what’s on our plates. Spring brings mountains of baby vegetables, almost nothing but freshly-picked berries are eaten in summer and apple harvest in autumn marks the start of winter food prep. Once a thick layer of snow covers the ground and temperatures fall to -20°C, we raid our pantries and dig into jars of pickled veg, chutneys and jams. Latvian food is all about comforting, soul-soothing and caring home cooking with every bite resembling a warm hug.
What dishes and drinks you can try?
Stewed sauerkraut
Hot stewed sauerkraut is a winter staple, especially around Christmas. Unlike German sauerkraut, Latvians have different types of pickle used to ferment the cabbage – the dominating flavour in the pickle can be sweet, salty or sour. When stewing sauerkraut, it’s most important to fry off a base of onions and cubed pork belly that’ll help develop a rich, comforting flavour. Other common additions include caraway seeds and grated carrot. A classic sauerkraut meal includes soft-boiled potatoes and a fried smoked sausage or an oven- or pit-roasted meat – order a roasted pig’s snout if you see one.
Rye bread pudding
A beloved dessert, this unusual pudding combines tangy, sweet and savoury flavours. This layered dish is made with thick cranberry or lingonberry sauce, sugary whipped cream and crunchy fine black rye bread crumble and is unique to Latvia. Often served at family gatherings, this is another recipe that has as many variations as home cooks who make it.
Smoked fish
With the Baltic Sea on our doorstep, several large rivers snaking their way through the country and countless lakes peppered across the land, there’s an abundance of fish in Latvia. Fishermen in villages along the Baltic Sea coast have been hot- or cold-smoking their catch of the day for centuries. Particular attention is paid to the wood used to create the smoke as it has a big impact on flavour – most popular types include alder, birch and maple.
Shashlik
These succulent meat skewers that originate from the area of modern Armenia and Azerbaijan are now much loved across the Baltics as well. No summer barbecue is complete without shashlik and lots of casual cafes now serve it as a permanent part of their menu. Marinated in vinegar with lots of onions, black pepper and herbs, the cubed meat is then skewered and grilled over hot coals. For the best experience, go to an Armenian restaurant that serve theirs wrapped in a thin bread called lavash that soaks up all of the juices seeping out of the meat.
Grey peas with speck
An indispensable part of any Christmas or New Year’s fest, this dish has been around for centuries and is one of the fair few recipes that’s not borrowed or adapted from a different nation. Historically, Latvians were peasants ruled by foreign powers and during this time, a typical diet was mostly vegetarian with small amounts of meat eaten only on special occasions. Similar to chickpeas, grey peas are soaked and then boiled before a stew with fried onions and cubed speck (a type of smoked fatty bacon made from pork belly) is made. It’s a very hearty meal and a much loved comfort food during the cold, gloomy winters.
Beer
The abundance of grains grown in the flat farmlands of Latvia means that every city, mid-sized town and country house has its own brewery. Many types of beer are produced all across Latvia, from a pale lager to a German-style dunkel. However, the most popular and, frankly, the best beer is ‘live beer’ – unfiltered and unpasteurised lager. It has grown in popularity in the last decade, meaning Riga’s coolest bars will have a selection of ‘live beer’ on tap.
Riga Black Balsam
Something reminiscent of Jägermeister, Riga Black Balsam is a herbal bitters liqueur made from mixing vodka and natural ingredients, like herbs, flowers and berries. It can be enjoyed on the rocks, even though it has a serious kick (it has an alcohol concentration of 45%) or, ideally, with blackcurrant juice. It can also be made into a warming wintery cocktail with the bitters boiled with apple juice and cinnamon or lemon peel – something reminiscent of a hot toddy.
Herbal tea
Most Latvians can pride themselves on owning a tea box with a rather extensive selection of herbal teas. Part of our connection with nature means we believe in the natural properties of the various plants so lots of these herbal teas are used as natural remedies for a variety of ailments. Chamomile and peppermint are among the more popular, however, dried linden flowers, rose hip and echinacea plants are common as well.
Climate
The Baltics do live up to their icy reputation in winter – so the best time to visit Latvia is between end April and September. Birders will enjoy the spring and autumn migrations, with flocks of ducks, geese and divers, and the autumn foliage is a sight to behold.
Average temperatures during this period: April min. 1°C and 12°C max.; May and September min. 8°C and 18°C max.; June min. 10°C and 21°C max.; July and August min. 13°C and 24°C max.
