Tag: Riga

The journey to Riga on the Flixbus was surprisingly comfortable, although despite it being advertised, it didn’t come with charging points, WiFi or a toilet.. We did get the quickest wee stop at a Circle K, however I’m also not convinced he even checked everyone was back on-board 😂 in 4 hours we arrived, and got our first feel for Riga. The bus station had an interesting vibe, with some rather questionable characters hanging around, making our five-minute trek to the hotel feel a bit twitchy arse — late-night subway walks are never the most reassuring! But as soon as we stepped into our hotel lobby, we were welcomed by a glorious fragrance, and we headed up to check out our room for the next 2 nights. It was huge, with a separate room for clothes and cases, and floral wallpaper reminiscent of the early 00s. The only hiccup was discovering how close we were to the train line, with each passing train shaking the room like a mini earthquake. Despite this, we had a great sleep. 

We started off our day in Riga, not in the old town, but heading over the river to the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church. The route here is definitely not touristy and very much off the beaten track, but we actually loved that. It was abandoned and eerie at times, but it gave us a taste of local life. The church was completed in 1893, and the red belfry with striking blue domes can be seen from a fair distance away.  A short stroll from the church brought us to the Āgenskalns Market, the largest and oldest market in the neighbourhood, bustling with the rhythms of daily life. Split across two vibrant floors, the market was filled with an array of local produce, from fresh vegetables to artisanal bread, showcasing the best of Latvian ingredients. We had some delicious coffee, paired perfectly with a slice of wood-fired pizza. We walked back through the snow-covered Uzvaras (victory) park, which stands as a reminder of Latvia’s complex historical journey. Here is the ‘carved tree’ which is adorned with an array of intricate carvings, each telling a unique story that reflects the rich history and folklore of the region.

After crossing back across the river, we were eager to dive into the charm of the old town, only to discover it was completely deserted! So, we headed to one of the best viewpoints
at the top of St Peter’s Church. Although quite pricey at €9pp (the church itself isn’t worth spending time looking around), it’s definitely worth it for the retro staircase to the lift and the 360° views across the city. Plus, there’s no glass or mesh obstructing
your view, so you can capture those perfect photos without any hassle. The lift attendant however couldn’t be any less arsed about his paying guests 😂 Facebook is much more important. 

We strolled through another park to the Freedom Monument, prominenly situated at the entrance to the old town. It serves as a powerful symbol of Latvian statehood, reflecting the enduring values of national unity, independence, and freedom. At the base of the monument, a two-man honour guard stands vigil, a poignant representation of Latvia’s sovereignty and pride. We continued further to the gold domes of Nativity of Christ Orthodox Cathedral, the largest Orthodox cathedral in the Baltic provinces. It survived the Soviet era, and restoration efforts began in the 1990s, driven by a strong desire within the community to reclaim their heritage and spirituality, allowing it to become a sacred sanctuary once more. Despite the bitter cold cutting through our layers, we stayed to watch the locals do their tricks on the ice rink next to the cathedral, before heading back into town to find something to eat.

We had planned to just have drinks in ‘Two More Beers’, as a lot of the menu was very I’m a Celebrity (think pigs ears and bulls penis) but we managed to find ‘normal burgers’ on the menu, and ended up staying for nearly 3 hours whilst Mark made his way through their extensive beer selection. Due to the time of year, most of the pubs were dead, with only a small handful of people in them. We spotted a bar that was absolutely rammed, so decided to check out what was occurring. Turns out they were in the middle of a pub quiz, and we joined during the all important music round (between us, we got them all correct!). 

The following morning we spent exploring another neighbourhood. Lastadija is known as the artistic quarter and is a project of the Free Riga union – dedicated to breathing new life into abandoned houses and transforming them into hubs for cultural and artistic endeavors, as well as residential spaces. Just down the road is the Latvian Academy of Science building. This striking example of Soviet architecture that dominates the skyline is hated by the locals, as they refer to it as Stalin’s Birthday Cake. In contrast to this is the Annunciation of Our Most Holy Lady Church, with its exterior of gold and green. As this area is just a short walk from the central market, it’s definitely worth the detour. 

The Central Market is one of the largest in Eastern Europe, and the building was originally used as military airship hangars. It’s full of diverse and colourful produce, and I was looking forward to the smell of the fresh fruit and veg section. Unfortunately this is also shared with the fishmongers 🤢 potential unpopular opinion.. we preferred the Āgenskalns Market, but central is still worth the visit.

We headed over to Alberta Street, known as Riga’s Art Nouveu gem. The buildings are decorated with sculptures, balconies, columns, and other elements characteristic to this style. They survived World War II and decades of Soviet occupation, and you could definitely spend ages here just gazing up at the beautiful buildings.

We spent the rest of our time in Riga just wandering around the old town, and stopping for a delicious treat from Cruffins before the next leg of our trip. As a treat, I booked us extra leg room and extendable seats in the Lux Express to Tallinn.

So is Riga worth the visit? It’s full of history, beautiful buildings, a ridiculous amount of bars/restaurants, easy to get around on foot and it would definitely be a perfect Christmas market destination. However for the time of year we went, there just wasn’t really any atmosphere, and if was very much like a ghost town. The old town felt very geared to tourists, and around the train station felt very uncomfortable. But 48hrs was the perfect amount of time and we would defo recommend it.