Things to do in Rīga
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Central Market
Located in five huge hangars behind the bus station, this colourful, Soviet-style market is one of the largest in Europe and has Rīga's cheapest produce.
A 1330 manuscript provides the first written reference, alluding to the market near the Dome Cathedral being moved to what is now called 'Riflemen Square', east of Akmens Bridge, where it remained until 1570, when it was moved to the banks of the Daugava to facilitate trading along the river.
The market stayed on the Daugava for more than 350 years. By the mid-1600s when Rīga, then under Swedish rule, outgrew Stockholm, the market flourished with over 1000 merchants trading goods from all over the region.
In 1930 the m…
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Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum
Located way out on the outskirts of the city, the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum is a Rīga essential. The dozens of farmhouses, churches and windmills on the grounds provide a record of bygone country life. The National Fair of Applied Arts (early June) and several festivals are held here. Take bus No 1 from the corner of Merķeļa iela and Tērbatas iela to the Brīvdabas muzejs stop.
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Freedom Monument
Over the canal from Līvu Laukums you'll find the Freedom Monument. During the Soviet years the Freedom Monument was off-limits, and placing flowers at its base was a crime for which people were deported to Siberia.
Topped by a bronze female Liberty holding up three stars facing west, representing three regions of Latvia - Kurzeme, Vidzeme and Latgale - it bears the inscription Tēvzemei un Brīvībai (For Fatherland and Freedom).
During the Soviet years the Freedom Monument was off-limits, and a statue of Lenin, facing the other way down Brīvības iela, was placed two blocks east. Lenin was removed on the night of 20 August 1991, after the collapse of the Moscow coup atte…
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Lido atpūtas centrs
With an ice-skating rink and its own outdoor ethnographic park, it's a huge draw for Latvian families. From the bus station it's an easy 15-minute ride out to the 'Lido' stop on tram 7.
If you want to sample Latvian food look no further than the wildly popular buffet-style Lido restaurants. The chain's flagship enterprise is the gargantuan, amusement park-like Lido atpūtas centrs, where you can easily get lost amid endless buffet rows of pork knuckle, potato pancakes, fried cabbage and, oh, about a thousand other dishes.
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Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
Both the Soviet and Nazi occupations of Latvia during the last 65 years are chronicled in the chilling yet spirited Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. A gaggle of young tour guides gives free tours in English, and there's also a worthwhile one-hour audio guide available. Here you can also buy historical books on the occupation and dissident memoirs translated into English.
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Essential
Rīga's hottest club is a spectacle of beautiful bodies boogieing to some of Europe's top DJ talent in three dance chambers. Overzealous security aside, there's no safer bet if partying till dawn is your mission. Sorry, no local beer - just Coronas. Drink cocktails.
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Vincents
Inspired by Van Gogh, this fancy local institution boasts Rīga's finest European cuisine cooked up by Latvia's most famous chef, Mārtinš Rītinš.
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Čili Pizza
With five locations in Rīga and counting, this reliable Lithuanian chain is fast becoming ubiquitous. Another handy location is Raina bulv 15, New Town.
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St Peter's
Rīga's skyline centrepiece is gothic St Peter's, thought to be about 800 years old. Don't miss the view from its famed spire, which has been rebuilt three times in the same baroque form. Legend has it that in 1667 builders threw glass from the top - the number of pieces it broke into was the number of years it would stand. It landed on straw and didn't break, and a year later it burned down. The spire's current incarnation dates to 1973.
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Swedish Gate
Towards the centre of Old Town, look for Trokšnu iela, Old Rīga's narrowest street. It leads to the Swedish Gate, which was built into the city walls in 1698 to celebrate Swedish occupation. East of that is the round 14th-century Powder Tower, the only survivor of the 18 towers in the old city wall and home to the War Museum.
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Līvu Laukums
This square, near the busiest entrance to Old Town along Kaļķu iela, features beer gardens by summer and an outdoor ice rink by winter. The square is overlooked by the Great Guild which faces the yellow-painted Cat House on Meistaru iela 19 that adorns many a postcard.
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Forum Cinemas
Films are generally shown in their original language with Latvian or Russian subtitles. The Leviathan Forum Cinemas is the second-largest movie theatre in Northern Europe. Tickets are reasonably priced at most theatres.
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Red Fred
It's unlikely that the urban hipsters bathing in the sublime red glow of this eatery have too much experience using the pick-axes and hard hats that line the walls. But you can't blame them for liking the eclectic food.
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Kamāla
Trancey Indian music, ornately carved furniture and apsaras set the dreamy vibe at this intimate vegetarian restaurant. The exceptional Indian soup is among 25 on the menu, and many dishes are Ayurvedic.
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National Museum of Art
Across the Esplanāde park is the National Museum of Art, where pre-WWII Russian and Latvian art is on display among the Soviet grandeur of ruched net curtains, marble columns and red carpets.
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Museum of the History of Rīga & Navigation
The Museum of the History of Rīga & Navigation is in a cloister next to Dome Cathedral. The gruesome mummified hand of a criminal and the 16th-century executioner's sword are highlights.
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John Lemon
This small diner with orange walls and a pink bar is open until 05:00 on Friday and Saturday nights, but is a great spot for noshing any time. The calzone-like lavash are a bargain.
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Ķiploku krogs
- Rīga, Latvia
- Restaurants › Pub
The 'garlic pub' dices up garlic and sticks it into hearty dishes of all shapes, sizes and guises. The pasta dishes are especially good, and cheap to boot. Not a place for calorie counters.
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St Roland
A statue of Rīga's patron saint, St Roland, stands between the House of Blackheads and the Town Hall. It's a replica of the original, erected in 1897, which now sits in St Peter's.
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B Bars
Do not - repeat do not - leave Rīga without stopping by here for a mug of their heavenly Hot Balzams. It puts mulled wine to shame. Happy hour is two-for-one.
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Bites Blūzs Klubs
It has great live blues and a proper bar - the kind where the bartender can slide a beer from one end and it will take several seconds to reach a customer at the other end.
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Pelmeņi XL
Hungry mobs flock to this dirt-cheap cafeteria on Old Town's main drag for huge bowls of pelmeni (Russian dumplings) and varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings).
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Ai Karamba!
American country kitchen meets greasy spoon at this colourful Canadian-owned diner. There's a chill-out room upstairs and surprises like stuffed schnitzel on the menu.
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Dickens
Old Town has an inordinate number of Irish bars that show sports on TV and get taken over by stag parties on weekends. This is probably the rowdiest of the bunch.
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A Suns
If you happen to visit this popular expat hang-out in Berga bazārs, make a point of visiting the men's room for a truly warped example of artistic creation.
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