Our competition to find the best holiday blogger has ended - and the winner is Cian Guckian! He shared his top tips and recommendations for 48 hours in Riga, Latvia's stunning historic capital city. Congrats Cian!
The Latvian capital of Riga is famous for its 800-year history so it’s fitting that it has become an incredible tourist destination. Riga is the largest metropolis in the Baltics, perfectly blending timeless tradition and cutting edge cool. This city is the beating heart of the whole region. Come and visit it when it’s safe to do so post COVID-19.
Visitors will be able to enjoy panoramic views of the Latvian capital from St. Peter’s Church, which dominates Riga’s cityscape as the tallest spire, and as one of the oldest and most valuable monumental architecture edifices in the Baltic States from the Middle Ages.
Riga’s unparalleled 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 which all visitors are guaranteed to see and experience.
Walk the cobbled streets and see some famous landmarks like the Freedom Monument. Take a selfie at the House of Blackheads (above) at Town Hall Square. Be awed by the beautiful art nouveau quarter, a short hop from Old Town. Visit the colourful central market, in converted German Zeppelin hangers from the 1930s, discover the Latvian National Museum of Art explore Riga’s Dome Cathedral, pay a visit to the Three Brothers, the oldest complex of dwelling houses in Riga and which were constructed in the 15th Century and don’t forget about the Kalnciema Quarter. A trip to the Riga Motor Museum and the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia is highly recommended.
The Lido Recreation Centre and restaurant on Krasta iela is a Rigan institution. It has a super menu of delicious local Latvian delicacies and an impressive beer cellar.
For an authentic sauna (pirts) ritual, a trip to one of Riga’s oldest is highly recommended. You can relax and recharge in soothing surroundings at Balta Pirts on Tallinas iela 71. It costs €13 for adults before 4pm and €15 after 4pm. Saturday Night Try the Latvian speciality cocktail the Black Balsam at Black Magic Bar on Kalku iela 10 Biblioteka No 1 restaurant and the Vincent’s restaurant on Elizabetes iela 19 are popular eateries. Finish the night at the Skyline Bar at the Radisson Blu Hotel Latvia on Elizabetes iela 55.
Take a boat trip on the Daugava River and visit Riga Castle, the official residence of the Latvian President.
Riga’s rich culture is awaiting you. Come and experience it now!