Overview to Riga: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
- Riga Information
- Eating & drinking in Riga
- Night life in Riga
- Things to do in Riga
- Where to stay in Riga
- Riga street map
Strikingly handsome and steeped in history, Riga is an 800 year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site. But there’s diversity as well as depth to the history here, which gives the city a wonderfully layered feel; it's at once romantic, intriguing and captivating.
The Pilsetas Kanals handily splits the center of Riga in two. Southwest of the waterway you’ll find the Old Town with its assortment of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architecture. Cross over and you’re in the modern Art Nouveau/Jugendstil surroundings of the New Town.
The Old Town includes three squares that can easily fill a day’s sightseeing, starting at the bottom with the Town Hall Square, home to the impressive St. Peter’s Church, St. John’s Church and the outstanding House of the Blackheads.
To the northeast (past the Museum of Decorative Art), Cathedral Square opens up where the magnificent cathedral (with its Museum of History and Navigation, also a thoroughly worthwhile attraction) towers over the many appealing cafés.
Stroll up the Pils Iela and you’ll soon be in another charming square – this time the forecourt of a castle. The Latvian History Museum can be found here as, given that this is the Presidential Seat, can Latvia’s President!
Unsurprisingly, the New Town is less densely populated with historic sights, although it still makes for fascinating strolling. It also boasts a handful of must-see attractions, including the Freedom Monument, the Museum of Medical History and the Latvian Art Museum.
Whether you're hopping from bar to lively bar, or meandering arm in arm through the streets on a balmy Baltic evening, Riga has an atmosphere that’s undeniably seductive. Which means that, one way or another, a stay in this blossoming city is typically unforgettable.
