Riga, Latvia was one of my favorite cities that I visited on my trip through the Baltic countries. Riga was designated as last year’s European Capital of Culture, and it’s not hard to see why. Aside from a stunning medieval Old Town filled with winding alleyways and charming squares, the city is world famous for its art nouveau district called Quiet Center. Without a doubt, I could have easily spent a few more days in Latvia’s capital and I would have loved to have more time to explore the rest of the country. But, if you’re headed to Riga you can hit the city’s highlights in a couple days.
Here’s 11 Things You Must Do in Riga, Latvia:
1. Learn the Legend of the Famous Cat House
Probably the most photographed building in Riga (which has now become a symbol for the city), you can’t miss the mustard colored building in Old Town adorned with two black cats atop its roof. Out of all the statues the owner could have chosen, why black cats? Well, as legend has it, the wealthy merchant built his home on the same square as Riga’s Great Guild, the premier guild for businessmen in Riga. The merchant sought membership into the Guild, but was refused. The merchant commissioned the cat statues to be placed on his roof where everyone could see them to seek revenge… oh, and the cats were positioned so that their rear-ends faced the Guild. (How’s that for a creative revenge plot?) Enraged by the merchant’s actions, the Guild struck a deal with him – he would turn the cat’s rears to face away from the Guild and in return the Guild would allow the merchant into their club.
2. Sample a Shot of Black Balsam
Black Balsam is a 90 proof Latvian alcohol which is made with 24 ingredients, including oak bark, wormwood and linden blossoms. You’ll find three different variations and most establishments that sell the balsam will let you sample it for free. I was told by a local that some Latvians take a shot a day of the liquor as “medicine” since they believe it treats cold symptoms and digestive issues. Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of the drink, but you have to at least try it once while in Riga!
3. Visit the Occupation of Latvia Museum
You can’t travel to Latvia without understanding the country’s complicated past. Latvia has spent the better part of the last few centuries under foreign occupation and just became an independent nation in 1991. Its recent history includes horrific occupation by Nazi Germany and the Soviets which you can learn about in detail at the Occupation Museum.
4. See the House of the Blackheads
Don’t miss the famous House of the Blackheads. The beautifully ornate building was originally built in the 14th Century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for married German merchants living in Riga.
5. Touch the Musicians of Breman
In Old Town you’ll find a sculpture of four stacked animals – a donkey, dog, cat and rooster. The statue depicts the characters from the Town Musicians of Breman, a Brothers Grimm Fairytale, and is an exact replica of the one found in Breman city hall. It’s said that if you touch each of the statue’s appendages you’ll be granted good luck!
6. Take a Canal Cruise
I would highly recommend that you take a canal cruise if you happen to visit Riga during nice weather. The city is surrounded by water, so not only is the cruise a pleasant, relaxing experience, it also offers unique views of the city’s skylines.
7. Sip Some Local Alus
Alus (or “beer” in English) is huge in Latvia and many towns produce their own brews. Head to the popular Folkklubs ala Pagrabs, a beer hall and restaurant in Old Town, to sample a large array of Latvian beers on tap. On a related note, my dinner at Folkklubs was one of my favorites in Riga – the food was delicious and cheap, the portions were huge and the beerhall ambience was a ton of fun.
8. Travel Back in Time to Riga’s Medieval Era
Rozengrals is a medieval themed restaurant tucked off a narrow street in Old Town. I would have expected this dining experience to be cheesy (much like the one I had in Tallinn), but surprisingly, it wasn’t. The food was fantastic, as were the musicians who would bounce from table to table and were playing instruments used during the medieval times. The restaurant’s building itself gave off an aire of authenticity since parts of it actually date back to the 1200’s!
9. Take a Walking Tour of Old Town
The city has an eventful and interesting history which I found to be best appreciated with a knowledgable tour guide. You can hop on Traveller’s daily Free City Tour or you can pick up a private tour guide (and negotiate a price) in many of the popular squares in Old Town.
10. Enjoy a Cocktail High Above the City’s Rooftops
Just outside Old Town you’ll find the Radisson Blue Sky Bar. The bar is situated on the 26th floor of the hotel and offers unparalleled city views. One would expect a hefty price tag for such a swank venue, but Sky Bar is extremely reasonably priced by western standards with drinks starting at about $5 to $6 USD. Plus, there’s no cover charge if you visit during the day.
11. Take an Art Nouveau Walking Tour
I’m far from an architecture expert, but I do love viewing and learning about historic buildings. I especially loved viewing Riga’s wild and imaginative art nouveau architecture (even in the pouring rain). Riga has more art nouveau buildings than any other European city – over 750! Venture outside Old Town to the Quiet Center district where you will find screaming masks, gods and goddesses, lions, snakes, and even peacocks crowding the opulant building facades. I did a self-guided 3km tour of the district (which took about 1.5 to 2 hours at a leisurely pace and allowed plenty of time to take photos), but there are also several organized and guided tours you can join to learn more about the city’s early 20th century art nouveau craze.
Where to Stay in Riga:
If you read this blog, you know that I typically choose my accommodations based on location, location, location. But, staying in the city center isn’t without its downfalls – especially when we are talking about a historic Old Town center, like Riga’s. The tradeoff of a prime location usually means a hefty price tag, smaller rooms and may mean that you’ll be carrying your luggage up flights of stairs if there is no elevator.
While in Riga, I chose to stay at Primo Hotel which is located across the bridge from Old Town in the center of the Agenskalns district. The rooms were modern and HUGE, and the breakfast buffet was delicious. It was also really easy to get to Old Town from the hotel – there was a bus stop less than a block away and the ride took 5-10 minutes. If Riga isn’t the only stop on your itinerary, the hotel is conveniently located 15 minutes from the airport and 15km from the resort city of Jurmala. I found the Primo Hotel to be a great value.
Other options are: Dome Hotel and Spa ($$$), Neiburgs Hotel ($$) or Radi un Draugi ($).
You can check rates, find a great deal and book your Riga hotel online here.
Have you traveled to Riga? What did you enjoy most? Anything else you would add to this list?
This post is part of a series detailing my trip to the Baltics. You can also read about my experiences in Tallinn, Estonia, as well as Trakai and Vilnius, Lithuania.
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Disclosure: Although I was a guest of Primo Hotel, all opinions are my own. CC header photo from Flickr: untitled by [Jim]. The link in this post is an affiliate link, meaning that if you choose to book through it, I will earn a small commission at no cost to you. I appreciate your continued support to keep this site up and running!
October 13, 2015
Riga is lovely, I was there just for short trip but it was very pleasant. I was surprised with such a strong influence of Russia and Russian culture, still so strongly visible.
Although I must admit I liked Tallinn better. Maybe it was food, maybe the atmosphere but it made bigger impression on me.
October 13, 2015
In my opinion Tallinn’s beauty surpasses Rigas, but I liked Riga because I thought that it was more authentic and less touristy – plus, there was so much to do. And yes, I agree about the Russian influence. I was told that the city’s inhabitants are 50/50 Russian and Latvian, which I was surprised by!
October 16, 2015
I’ve never been, but I want to now! Old Town looks awesome! The dinner halls sound really fun and those views from the sky bar look fantastic! You’re right, drink prices are not bad at all. I would totally try black balasm. Sounds like an aperitif, so I’d probably love it. Did you have a favorite cocktail or alus while you were visiting?
October 16, 2015
You should add it to your list, Amanda! I tried several of the beers while I was there and really enjoyed them! While in Tallinn, I really liked the Vana Tallinn after dinner which I discuss in this post.
October 18, 2015
Looks fantastic. I definitely would want to do all 11 on the list. I am especially intrigued with the Museum of Occupation. I would be interested how the museum treats the occupation by Germany and the Soviet Union and if there are any differences in the way they present the two occupations.
October 19, 2015
I thought that the museum was really well done and interesting, Ted. I learned a ton!
November 2, 2015
I travelled to Riga and I think its a beautiful place. I would probably add going to all of those stylish restaurants and bars, they are just stunning. Here is what I think in greater detail 😉
http://bonfiredream.wix.com/wanderlust#!Stylish-Riga/czh7/55d4b8e80cf23f7ba76fb373
November 2, 2015
Great suggestion, Nikoleta!
November 6, 2015
Hello!
Very nice “things-to-do-list” of Riga! 🙂
Because I also love Riga I started to give guided tours to tourists!
http://www.rondleidingriganederlands.blog.com
http://www.facebook.com/RigabyRianne
See you in beautiful Rīga!
Rianne van Maaren – Rīga by Rianne
November 6, 2015
Thank you!
January 16, 2016
Thank you for a nice list, sure need to remember some of these next time I’m in Riga. 🙂
January 17, 2016
Thanks, Jesper!
June 27, 2016
Hi! We are planning a trip to Riga and are looking at Primo for our stay. I was wondering if you know how far of a walk it is from the hotel to the main sights.
June 27, 2016
We took the bus. The bus stop was right across the street from the hotel (less than a block) and dropped you off in the middle of the city sites. It wasn’t much more than a 5 min bus ride or so.
July 25, 2016
Hi! My father was from Latvia so I have always wanted to visit. I think the only thing holding me back is that I’m nervous since I don’t know the language. This may be a dumb question, but is English spoken there at all?
July 25, 2016
Hi Katrina, English is pretty well spoken throughout the tourist areas of the city. Not everyone spoke it, but most people spoke basic English, and it was not difficult to get by. In fact, I was told that about 50% of the people in Riga are Latvian and the other half are Russian, so speaking Latvian may not even help you as much as you would think! I really wouldn’t let this concern stop you from visiting – I don’t speak either language and didn’t have any issues. 🙂
October 11, 2016
Thank you for this helpfull tips and the great, clear and well written article. i found your article online and now its one of my favotires. Thanks again and keep posting.
October 11, 2016
Thanks!
November 19, 2016
Great post! I recently visited Riga for the first time and I absolutely loved the city, the Old Town is one of the best medieval examples that I’ve ever seen! I was there in winter so I couldn’t take the canal cruise, but it looks very intersting!
I actually wrote a post for my blog about the 48 that I spent there. Please feel free to take a look and let me know what you think! 🙂
https://www.arwtravels.com/blog/48-hours-riga-latvia
November 28, 2016
I bet the city was equally beautiful in winter! Thanks so much for the comment, info and post!
November 21, 2016
I have been to Riga but only one day! I really like it because it is a capital city still full of locals and its art definitely impressed me at first. I did not take a canal cruise like you because I went there in summer and it was so windy, so just walked around. Really worth visiting!
November 28, 2016
I completely agree, Natsucha. So glad you enjoyed the city!
March 14, 2017
Awesome tips I’ll add some to my Riga bucketlist 🙂
Me and my friend from Tallinn went there for a weekend and it’s so much fun! I love Riga!
People are super welcoming and they have so many amazing restaurants and prices are so good!
1. If you go to Riga 100% stay in Old Town – it’s like a fairytale! And you don’t neet to waste time with public transport or taxi because all the best places is in walking distance!
2. My favorite restaurants in Riga:
*Domini Canes
*Biblioteka No1
*Rozengrals
Can’t wait to go back for at least a week or two! Keep up the good work and your post is really helpful because there is not too many articles about Riga.
March 14, 2017
Thanks, Janice. I’m glad you found it helpful and thanks for the great advice.
March 24, 2017
Thanks for the blog and will stay at Hotel Primo too. Hopefully it’s good but at $NZ55 per night it’s hard to believe. But looking forward to visiting, just not the 34 hours to get there!
March 24, 2017
I hope you have a great trip!
December 14, 2017
I had no idea the story behind the Cat House, that is really interesting. It really is such an iconic building.
December 20, 2017
I thought so too! 🙂
January 14, 2018
Could you tell me is Riga wheelchair friendly as we are visiting next week. Also would it be more beneficial to hire a car
Thank you for information
January 17, 2018
Hi Beverley – quite honestly, I can’t recall whether the majority of the city was wheelchair accessible or not. As far as a car goes, it depends – if you are staying in the Old Town, no need for one.
January 24, 2018
VISITED CITY IN RIGA. WONDERFUL MARKET THERE.THANKS
March 7, 2018
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
March 24, 2018
Incredible post.