Riga Travel Guide

Riga, the capital of Latvia, is the largest city in the Baltic’s region and a major seaport situated on the southern dip of the River Daugava loop. With over 800 years of history behind it, Riga is steeped in fascinating cultural heritage and former regal resplendence…so much so that UNESCO has designated Riga’s Old Town as a World Heritage Site, a major classification of the United Nations given to only the most noteworthy of historical locations.

Beginning life as a Viking port around the time of the 2nd century, Riga has since existed under various church-led regimes and come under the rule of foreign empires until gaining full independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. It is now a flourishing business centre, travel destination, and home to over 700,000 residents. Commercial activity in Riga has steadily increased since 2004 when Latvia gained entry to the European Union and is responsible for around half of the nation’s industrial output.

Divided into two parts by the Daugava, Riga is an interesting mix of time and place reflecting the long history of foreign involvement and occupation of the city. The Old Town section of Riga is composed of mainly 19th and early 20th century buildings combined with 2-floor houses of pre-World War Two, and Soviet-designed apartments, though in some areas there are still pedestrianised squares that retain much of the 17th century charm from when they were first erected and are now favourite tourist attractions.

Riga has a wealth of important cultural high points to savour as well as historic architecture to admire including the renowned Jugendstil, a network of buildings influenced by German Art Nouveau. The Rigas Doms cathedral is another popular visitor site, as are the unusual lakeside Ethographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia (a collection of wooden buildings from olden Latvian times), The Freedom Monument, The Occupation Museum, The Latvian Museum of Architecture (housed in a 15th century dwelling), and the intriguingly entitled House of Blackheads!

For those who enjoy diverse cities with fascinating history, a visit to Riga is a must-do with plenty to excite and enthuse about in the many pretty cafes, restaurants, and bars.