Despite its compact size, Riga, the capital of Latvia, features several places of interest and landmarks. The city has a magnificent atmosphere, and the sophisticated traveler will find plenty of things to do in Riga. Known for its marvelous architecture and for Europe’s largest food market, Riga largely remains an undiscovered destination for international travelers. However, this is slowly changing, and the Baltic city has started seeing an increase in tourism.
Therefore, in this travel guide to Riga, you’ll find everything you need to know before visiting Latvia’s beautiful capital. Specifically, you’ll see a detailed list of the top attractions in the city and how you can make the most out of them. Moreover, I will share the best places to eat in town and point you to the top hotels in Riga. In addition, I’ll also share local guided tours to enhance your stay, and I’ll reply to frequently asked questions about the city.
So, let’s start with the guide and the best things to do in Riga.
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The best things to do in Riga, Latvia
It’s not that common to find such a variety of sightseeing in a city of Riga’s size. In fact, the variety of the things to do in Riga is only similar in significantly larger cities. Latvia has an interesting history, and as you’ll see in this travel guide, the country’s rise in the 19th century impacted Riga for decades.
So, here’s what you need to see in the Latvian capital.
House of the Black Heads & Town Hall Square
The House of the Black Heads is the most iconic building in downtown Riga. Located on Riga’s Town Hall Square, the House of the Black Heads is an architectural masterpiece. Tightly connected to the medieval Brotherhood of the Black Heads, the building features a mixture of architectural elements. Nowadays, the building hosts an interesting museum, and wandering through its luxurious halls is a must-do in Riga.
However, the House of the Black Heads, pretty much like the whole Town Hall Square, was leveled during World War II. As you can imagine, it took quite some effort and investment to regain today’s stunning status. Exactly opposite the House of Black Heads, you can see the reconstructed Town Hall and the Roland statue. Although it is a replica, the Roland statue is a local meeting point and a tribute to the famous paladin of Charlemagne’s court.
And here’s a fun fact: the original Roland statue is just a few steps away, in St. Peter’s Church.
Bonus: I wrote a separate article about the interesting yet bizarre story of the Black Heads guild and the building that hosted them. You can read the article about the House of the Black Heads here.
Discover Riga’s art nouveau architecture
You won’t find any other European capital featuring an almost constant architectural style in its city center. While Riga’s Old Town has a medieval style, it’s actually out of it that you’ll come across stunning Art Nouveau buildings. Between the late 19th century and World War I (1914), Riga’s economy boomed. This resulted in an unprecedented architectural orgasm that made the Latvian capital an Art Nouveau epicenter.
Art Nouveau is the style that sealed Europe’s fin de siècle architecture. Consisting of ornamented facades featuring flowers, animals, and human faces, Art Nouveau is one of the most impressive architectural styles. Riga’s rapid growth coincided with the dominance of Art Nouveau in Europe, and in Riga, you can see some of its finest examples. To get a better impression, every third building in Riga is Art Nouveau, making it the city with the highest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings worldwide.
A stroll around the city feels like a visit to an open-air architectural museum, and walking its wide streets is one of the best things to do in Riga. Don’t miss the chance to admire Riga’s Art Nouveau architecture!
Bonus: If you are genuinely interested in architecture, I wrote an article about Riga’s Art Nouveau architecture.
Visit the former KGB Headquarters
The Russian Secret State Police was stationed in Riga for decades. KGB’s Headquarters in Riga was a site of torture and suffering for the local population. However, after 1991 the KGB was declared a criminal organization, and nowadays, you won’t find much regarding its presence in the city. Nevertheless, its impact is still in the hearts and minds of the locals, and there’s one place where you can observe contemporary Latvian History.
The so-called Corner House at Brivibas iela 61 used to serve as the KGB building in Riga. It’s not a surprise that it’s one more Art Nouveau building, however, this wasn’t its main characteristic. Throughout a good part of the 20th century, the Corner House was a place of interrogations and executions. Nowadays, it hosts the Riga KBG Museum, and it’s open to the public.
Admission to the KGB Museum is free, but you’ll only be able to see a small part of its ground floor. If you’d like to see more of it, you should pre-book a guided tour: it will allow you to see significant parts of the building and learn more about its dark history. I highly recommend a visit, especially if dark tourism fascinates you.
Bonus: I took a guided tour of the building, and you can read my impressions about the KGB building here.
Stroll around Riga’s Central Market
As I wrote in the introduction of this Riga travel guide, the city hosts the largest market in Europe. Although it might sound odd to suggest visiting a food market, the thing is that this is actually more than a market. Together with the Old Town, the Riga Central Market is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its architecture.
Constructed between 1924 and 1930, the Central Market is among the odd things to do in Riga. It has five separate pavilions, and all of them are built by reusing German Zeppelin Hangars! Converting military airship hangars into a perfectly functioning market is a challenge -and Riga succeeded in implementing a part of its history into contemporary life.
The Riga Central Market is huge and features more than 3,000 stands. Located next to the Daugava River, this food market is one of the absolute Riga highlights. You can stroll around during its opening times and buy local delicacies and taste them on-site. It’s one of the top local sights -and a place to find some warmth if you visit Riga in winter.
Riga travel tip: There is a fantastic Central Market guided tour where you’ll learn more about its story and -of course!- taste Latvian food. You can book the Central Market tour here.
See the Riga Freedom Monument
One of the most iconic spots in downtown Riga is the Freedom Monument (Latvian: Brīvības piemineklis). Apart from its imposing style, the Freedom Monument in Riga is a meeting point for the locals and a place where military parades always cross during their march.
The monument honors the soldiers who lost their lives during the Latvian War of Independence (1918-1920), and it’s Latvia’s most important symbol of freedom and independence. Constructed from granite, this 42-meter-tall monument features sculptures and reliefs, all of them narrating aspects of local history. On its top, a statue of Liberty holds three gilded stars -and watching their glow shortly before sunset is impressive.
Since the Freedom Monument is centrally located in Riga, chances are that you’ll see it more than one times during your Riga vacation.
Taste local delicacies: Laima Chocolate and Riga Black Balsam
Latvian cuisine quickly became one of my favorites. The food is spectacular, and I wish I could stay longer in Riga. Although there’s a section about the best places to eat in Riga later on in this guide, I’d like to point out two local delicacies you should try while in town. Both of them are famous well beyond the Latvian territory, and tasting them while in Riga will enhance your experience.
Laima is the most famous chocolate manufacturer in Latvia. They produce a wide variety of chocolates, and they are extremely tasty. Laima’s chocolate factory is open to the public, and you can tour its premises and buy chocolates. Moreover, since this is a trademark of the city, there’s also a Laima clock a few meters away from the Freedom Monument. Constructed in 1924, the locals called it the “Big Clock,” and it was refurbished in late 2017.
On the other hand, the Riga Black Balsam is equally famous and considered the national drink. Rumor has it that only three people know its recipe: the Liquor Master and two of his apprentices. Abraham Kunze created the initial recipe in 1752, and nowadays, the Riga Black Balsam sells more than 2 million bottles annually. Keep an eye on it when consuming it, though: despite its fruity taste, it has 45% alcohol.
Don’t miss the Riga Ghetto and the Latvian Holocaust Museum
Featuring several permanent exhibitions and objects from the darkest days of humanity, the Riga Ghetto and Holocaust Museum is a must-see. The museum was inaugurated in 2010, and you can find it next to the former Jewish Ghetto. The location feels like a time capsule because not many things changed after World War II, and it still has the original wooden houses of the era.
Apart from the exhibitions, you can also see a wagon used for deportation; it’s unimaginable how many people were driven to death with similar wagons. Despite its compact size, a visit to the Museum and the Ghetto is among the unique things to do in Riga.
Last but not least, adjacent to the Riga Ghetto and Holocaust Museum, you can find the Spikeri Quarter, which aims to be the city’s cultural hub.
See Riga from the Latvian Academy of Science
The Latvian Academy of Science might sound like a bizarre thing to see in Riga. Located close to the Jewish Ghetto, the building is strongly connected to local history and offers an incomparable viewpoint.
The locals call it humorously “Stalin’s birthday cake” because it’s an example of Stalinist architecture. Completed in 1961, the building’s financing initially derived from the kolkhozes; however, as costs started to increase, the excuse of “voluntary donation” was introduced. It’s not what it sounds: actually, it meant that money was deducted from people’s salaries. Hammer and sickle decorations co-exist with Latvian folk elements, and at the time of construction, it was Latvia’s first skyscraper.
Nowadays, the Latvian Academy of Sciences is popular among travelers due to the cityscape view from the 17th floor. If you want to see the city from above, that’s your chance.
Look up at the Cat House
The Cat House is one of the most fun things to see in Riga. Although this is not exactly your typical sightseeing stop, the Cat House is one of the most legendary locations in downtown Riga.
Located at 10 Meistaru iela, the so-called Kaķu nams is famous for the two cat sculptures on its rooftop. Both cats seem ready to jump. According to the local legend, it was actually the owner of the house who decided to have these two -slightly angry- cats on the roof. The reason was that he was denied membership in the Great Guild, and the two cats expressed his will to hold a grudge against the Guild’s members.
True or false, the Cat House is among Riga’s most-visited locations. It won’t require too much of your time, but it’s a fun thing to see in Riga. If you want to shoot a photo, make sure you have a zoom lens: that’s a residential house, and some people call it home. That said, you can’t access the rooftop.
See the head of the Liiv
If you’re after some enigmatic yet fun things to do in Riga, the sculpture of the head of the Liiv is something to consider. This bizarre stone features a head, but not many things are known about it. According to the locals, the head of the Liiv was discovered in the 1850s by a farmer.
As if this bizarre rock wasn’t odd enough, it then disappeared for almost 150 years. Then, gladly, it reappeared during excavations at the beginning of the 21st century, and ever since it has stood outside Riga’s Cathedral. Although its exact story remains unknown, people assume that the gigantic head is probably a religious idol.
Cross the Swedish Gate
An equally fun thing to do in Riga is to cross the Swedish Gate. Although its style makes it easy to miss, the truth is that it’s one of the oldest locations in town. Moreover, it has a relatively romantic background connected to a past tale.
Dating back to 1698, the Swedish Gate was part of the old Riga Wall. It was used as an entry point to the city, and that’s the last remaining one. However, a local folk tale elevates the meaning of the Swedish Gate to another level. According to it, women were not allowed to date soldiers, but a local broke the rule and she fell in love with a Swede. This gate soon became their secret meeting point. Unfortunately, once the Swedish soldier failed to arrive on time, the locals decided to punish the woman: they built her into the wall.
Explore Riga’s stunning museums
Besides the variety of folk tales, Riga also has an impressive number of top-class museums. Depending on your interests, there are plenty of museums to choose from. The ones that I enjoyed the most and, therefore, I can recommend are:
The Museum of Latvian Occupation. That’s one of the most important institutions in town, dealing with Latvia’s occupation by the USSR and the Nazis. See more about the Museum of Latvian Occupation.
The Latvian Museum of Architecture. Hosted in an old Medieval house known as the house of the “Three Brothers,” that’s one of the best places to learn about the country’s architecture.
The Latvian National Museum of Art. That’s the place to learn everything you need to know about Latvian art. The impressive museum hosts more than 50,000 paintings dealing with the country’s artistic development over the last three centuries. Read more about the National Museum of Art here.
Art Center Zuzeum. Last but not least, I recommend a visit to the Art Center Zuzeum. That’s the biggest private collection of Latvian art worldwide, and it presents the Zuzāns Collection. You can see more about Zuzeum here.
Photograph the Bremen Town Musicians
Well, it might sound odd that the Bremen Town Musicians from the famous Grimm fairytale have a spot in Riga. But as you already read, Riga is not your ordinary capital. However, this is not one more odd story from Riga; on the contrary, it’s easily explained after looking at a history book.
As a former Hanseatic Town, Riga was a partner city of Bremen in former times. Therefore, Bremen gifted a sculpture to Riga back in 1990. The iconic animal statue found its home next to St. Peter’s Church, and it’s a perfect replica of the original. Touching the donkey’s legs brings supposedly good luck, so give it a try. Hopefully, it will work for you.
Stroll around Riga’s parks
Last but definitely not least, after all this extensive Riga sightseeing, it’s time to relax. Besides its stunning Art Nouveau architecture and the picturesque medieval Old Town, Riga has plenty of parks to unwind. If you visit Riga in summer, don’t miss doing it like the locals: grab a drink and relax in the city’s parks.
Some of them, like Kronvalda and Vermans Park, are close to the city center, while others are on the town’s outskirts, like Mezaparks. And, of course, the nicest of them all, the Bastejkalna Park in the city’s heart -and on its edge, you’ll find the elegant building of the Latvian National Opera.
Where to stay in Riga
There’s no lack of great hotels in Riga. The Baltic capital has seen a steady increase in international tourism, and this has resulted in new hotels and facilities during the last decades. While some of Riga’s hotels might feel old-fashioned, most of them are charming and offer high-quality services.
That said, in this section of my travel guide to Riga, you’ll find the best hotels for your accommodation. Moreover, I will also share the place I chose to stay and my impressions of it. At the bottom of this subsection, you will find an interactive map featuring the best hotels in Riga’s city center.
Riga travel tip: Before I start with the best hotels in Riga, I’d like to say that for a first-time visitor to Riga, your best option is to stay in the Old Town or close to it. Since most places of interest are in this area, it’ll be a pity to stay far away. Therefore, the following list focuses mainly on accommodations in Riga’s heart.
The best hotels in Riga
Grand Palace Hotel Riga. Located conveniently in the Old Town’s heart, the Grand Palace is one of the most elegant accommodations in the city. The hotel is hosted on a building dating back to 1877, and it’s less than 100 meters from the Riga Castle. It offers elegant rooms and bathrooms with heated floors, and guests can access the sauna. See the prices and availability for the Grand Palace Hotel.
Relais Le Chevalier. Situated close to the House of the Black Heads and the Riga Town Hall Square, Relais Le Chevalier is one more elegant hotel in the Old Town. The rooms are tastefully decorated, and there’s a bar in the lobby to unwind after a long day out. See more about Relais Le Chevalier.
Neiburgs Hotel. If you’re after a more minimal hotel in Riga, Neiburgs is probably one of your best options. It’s less than 5 minutes from the Latvian National Opera, and it’s hosted in a historical Art Nouveau building. This 4-star hotel overlooks Dome Square, offers luxurious apartments, and serves a buffet breakfast with products straight from the Riga Central Market. See prices and availability for the Neiburgs Hotel.
Grand Hotel Kempinski. Of course, Riga also has a Kempinski hotel. You can find it close to the Latvian National Opera, offering the same luxurious standards as every other Kempinski hotel in Europe. That’s one of the best hotels in Riga, and it comes, of course, at a price. The fitness center, sauna, and spa are all available for their guests. Book your room at Grand Hotel Kempinski here.
Grand Poet Hotel and Spa by Semarah. Last but not least, the Grand Poet Hotel is one of the top accommodations in town. This luxurious hotel in Riga will impress you with its unique style, cozy bar, and elegant rooms. It also has a fitness center and spa and is located next to Bastion Hill. See prices and availability for the Grand Poet Hotel.
Where I stayed in Riga
I chose St Peter’s Boutique Hotel for my accommodation in Riga. That’s a beautiful small hotel on the edge of the Old Town, just 100 meters from Town Hall Square. Despite its central location, the rooms are nice with an old-fashioned touch. St Peter’s Church is just 200 meters away, and the breakfast buffet is delicious. In addition, since I visited Riga in winter, I have to tell you that the room was very warm, which was extremely important due to the freezing weather.
Overall, I was delighted with my stay at St Peter’s Boutique Hotel, and I would definitely consider staying there again in the future. However, soon after I departed, the hotel shut for renovation. I will, therefore, update this section when it reopens its doors for guests.
Please use the interactive map below for all other accommodation options in Riga, Latvia.
The best tours in Riga
Since Riga gets steadily in the radars of international travelers, guided tours also see an increase in popularity. The tours you’ll find in the following lines will offer you a fuller Riga experience. All of them are in English, and booking one will help you learn more about Latvian culture.
Guided tours in Riga
If you’d like to learn more about the city, joining a guided tour is a must. The tours are hosted by local guides, and that’s priceless because they can help you immerse yourself into Latvia’s culture faster. There are loads of guided tours to choose from, however, here I’d like to focus on three specific ones. That’s because I want to propose a mixture of tours to you in order to gain some knowledge from different perspectives.
Therefore, the three tours I recommend are:
- A walking tour. A private tour with a local guide will help you see more and learn more. The tour lasts two hours, and it will take you into Riga’s main attractions while your guide will share historical info and stories. You can book this awesome walking tour here.
- A food-tasting tour. Local food is integral to every journey. There’s no better way to explore a city than to taste local dishes while strolling the streets. This tour will show you the best of Vecrīga (that’s the Old Town), and you’ll also taste Riga’s cuisine. See prices and availability for the food tour here.
- A communism tour. Riga’s 20th century has been turbulent, and the city suffered a lot. In this 3.5-hour tour, you’ll learn about the city’s dark secrets during the second half of the 20th century. The communism tour is a must-do if you’re interested in history and greatly supplements the Corner House visit. Book the communism tour here.
Day trips from Riga
If you just have a couple of days in Riga, it might be too tight to leave it for a full day behind. However, if traveling for you means seeing as much as possible, there are two awesome day trips from Riga to consider.
The first one will take you to ancient Cēsis and Sigulda. The latter is known as the Switzerland of Latvia due to its extreme beauty and dramatic landscapes. Additionally, you’ll also visit three medieval castles and the Goodman’s Cave (Latvian: Gūtmaņala), which is the biggest and most popular cave in Latvia. You can book the tour to Cēsis and Sigulda here.
On the other hand, if you’re more into an experience in nature, you can consider visiting the Kemeri National Park. That’s probably Latvia’s most beautiful location for nature lovers, and visiting the Great Ķemeri Bog, the Lagoon Lake Kaņieris, and Ķemeri forests will be unforgettable. See more about the Kemeri National Park tour here.
Where to eat in Riga
Baltic cuisine is delicious, and Riga has plenty of top-rated restaurants. In my recent journey to Riga, I visited several restaurants and bistros and tasted a variety of local delicacies. Of course, one can never cover every place to eat in a capital. However, in this section of my travel guide to Riga, I’ll share where I enjoyed having food.
Every link in this section will take you to the Google Maps location of the restaurant. Feel free to save them for your upcoming journey to Riga.
Milda. That’s the place I enjoyed eating the most while visiting Riga. The prices are steep, and booking in advance is recommended. However, the atmosphere is great, and the service is fantastic. A three-course menu with wine costs approximately 45 euros, but if you can afford it, it’s a great place for dinner. See Milda on Google Maps here.
Cafe Leningrad. This is one of the unique eateries in Latvia. It’s a bar-bistro featuring items from the Soviet Union. The place feels noisy, and that’s no surprise because it’s mainly visited by young locals. However, the atmosphere is nice, and I had a great time there. I visited it on a lunch break (do I have to mention it was cold outside?) and I had delicious dumplings. See Cafe Leningrad here.
Indian Raja. That’s a decent Indian restaurant I visited on a freezing winter night. The atmosphere was pleasant, and the palak paneer was tasty. The service could be better, however, the prices were average for this side of town. See Indian Raja.
Pienene. Well, that’s more of a shop selling home decorations made of wood. However, on the shop’s back side, there’s a cafe -or a couple of tables, to be more precise. The coffee and the sweets were nice, and if everything in central Riga is packed, it’s a good option because not that many people seem to know it. See Pienene.
Bon Vivant – The Belgian Beer Cafe. Bon Vivant is a Parisian-styled brasserie in the heart of Old Riga. It’s hard to find a table, so it’s better to book in advance. Despite its beautiful style, I found the prices reasonable. I chose it for dinner and had eggplants with curry sauce as an appetizer and salmon for the main dish. See Bon Vivant.
Rocket Bean Roastery. If you happen to visit the Leima Chocolate Factory, there’s a great cafe on the opposite side of the street. This stylish place serves fantastic coffee and a variety of sweets. See Rocket Bean Roastery.
Parunāsim kafe’teeka. This cafe has a relatively hard name to pronounce, but it’s one of the top cafes in town. The so-called “most romantic cafe in the Old Town” is a must-visit place if you enjoy coffee in a nice environment. I stopped twice for coffee and the delicious Latvian honey cake, known as medus kūka. See Parunāsim kafe’teeka.
Riga FAQ
In the last section of this long travel guide to Riga, you’ll find some frequently asked questions about the city. While I tried to reply to everything that will help you have a fantastic Riga vacation, there might be something missing. Therefore, if you don’t find the answer here, feel free to write a comment at the bottom of this post, and I’ll do my best to assist you.
Is Riga worth visiting?
Yes, Riga is absolutely worth visiting. It is a beautiful city, full of stunning Art Nouveau architecture, contemporary history locations, and delicious food.
How many days are enough for Riga?
You should spend at least 3 days in Riga. Although its city center is compact, you’ll need three days to see all its attractions and get a good impression of the Latvian capital.
What is the best time of the year to visit Riga?
The best months to visit Riga are between May and September. This is because the days are long, and the weather is pleasant most of the time.
Is Riga expensive?
Everything in Riga is moderately priced. Therefore, you won’t find significant price differences between Riga and most European capitals. However, the days when Riga was very cheap are long gone.
Do you need cash in Riga?
Latvia adopted the euro in 2014, so it’s pretty easy to pay cash. However, major credit cards are accepted everywhere, so you won’t have problems paying with a card in Riga. For minor expenses (ex., water), it’s good to have some coins, but paying with a card in Riga will be okay.
Is Riga safe?
Riga is as safe as every other European capital. I didn’t feel insecure in Riga, even very late at night. Use common sense, and you won’t have any issues at all.
Which is better, Riga or Tallinn?
I find Riga’s atmosphere more cosmopolitan than Tallinn’s. Maybe that’s because I like more the Art Nouveau style compared to medieval Tallinn. Riga seems more energetic, too -I found Tallinn rather sleepy.
Is Riga a walkable city?
Yes, Riga is a very walkable city. The distances are short, and if you enjoy walking in foreign cities, you won’t even need to use public transport.
Is one day enough for Riga?
One day is not enough for Riga. You can only see a few attractions in one day, but you won’t have a proper overview of the Latvian capital. Therefore, I recommend at least three days in Riga.
In general, I don’t like to consume places; instead, I prefer enjoying them at a slower pace. Therefore, I think one day is not enough for any city.
Does Riga have a beach?
Riga’s city center doesn’t have a beach. However, Jurmala is a twenty-minute drive, and it’s one of the most beautiful beaches in the Baltic Sea. The water might be a bit cold, but Jurmala is an incredibly beautiful place to visit.
Is Riga water drinkable?
Yes, the water in Riga is totally safe to drink. It might have a strong taste sometimes, but it’s absolutely drinkable. However, if you feel insecure when traveling abroad, buying bottled water in Riga is cheap.
Things to do in Riga: Conclusion
So, this long travel guide to Riga, Latvia, comes to an end, and I hope you have a good overview of the best things to do in Riga. Despite visiting it in the winter, the city impressed me with its excellent atmosphere and the beautiful Art Nouveau buildings. Walking around Riga and seeing its popular locations made me realize once again how beautiful the Baltic countries are.
Therefore, don’t hesitate to add Riga to your bucket list. It doesn’t matter if you visit Riga on a city break or as part of a Baltic tour. Riga has enough places to see even as a standalone destination, and the delicious food will make your journey memorable.
More about Riga: The House of Black Heads, Riga Art Nouveau architecture, Riga Airport to the city center
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Last Updated on January 10, 2025 by George Pavlopoulos