16 Best Things to do in Riga, Latvia
WALK | Old Town Riga
One of the best things to do in Riga is just wander through its beautiful old town, as you'll discover something around every corner. This part of town is quite compact, the architecture is lovely, and many of the important attractions are to be found here.
Interesting museums, great views, good restaurants - more on this later.
Check out Livu Square, or Dome Square and definitely the Town Hall Square. And don't forget to keep an eye out for statues too. Find the musicians of Bremen, and see if you can reach the rooster - which also happens to be a symbol of the city, in an unrelated way. Look for the cat on the top of the roof, or walk past the Ghost after dark. See the Coats of Arms of Latvian Municipalities mural next to the war museum. And more.
WALK | Art Nouveau District
The city of Riga presents a remarkable display of Art Nouveau architecture. It is said around a third of the buildings in the Riga city centre are designed in this style, which makes Riga the city with the largest density of Art nouveau architecture in the world.
There is one area in particular in the northern side of the city centre, where streets are lined with unique buildings, decorated with various motifs that are typical of Art Nouveau. The nicest streets to check out are Alberta Iela and Elizabetes Iela. As you walk along those streets, you'll notice intricate details in almost every single building - don't forget to look up!
WALK | Bastion Hill Park
This is a beautiful park with a water canal flowing through its centre, running all along the north-eastern edge of the old town. It's a wonderful place to relax, an oasis of greenery in the middle of the city. You will also find the Freedom Monument here on the main street crossing the park, which stands as a symbol of Latvian independence.
VISIT | House of the Black Heads
The House of the Black Heads is a historic building in the Town Hall Square, the very heart of Riga. It is perhaps the most iconic building in all of Riga. Its history dates back a long time to the 14th century, and its name comes from a group of merchants that used to meet there during medieval times, and called themselves the Brotherhood of Blackheads.
Sadly, the building was bombed and ruined during WWII - as was much of the old town of Riga. As if that wasn't enough, it was also entirely demolished by the soviets later on. However, it was reconstructed based on original drawings and reopened in 1999, and today all looks as if nothing ever happened.
The building is mainly a museum, but it can also double as an event venue, as it has a large ballroom upstairs. The price of admission is 7€.
Just next to the House of the Black Heads lies the first ever recorded public site of a Christmas tree, erected in 1510 - look for a marking on the pavement.
VISIT | The Corner House
Back when Latvia was under Soviet occupation, this building used to be the headquarters of KGB in Riga. This consisted of offices as well as prison cells where interrogations and other horrible things would happen. After Latvia's independence in 1991, the building was claimed by the police until 2015, when it opened as a museum.
You can visit the main area on the ground floor for free and see a small exhibition, including explanatory panels and videos. If you want to see more of the building including the prison cells, this can be done as part of a guided tour (admission fee 15€). This attraction is actually part of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, which is found in a different location in the old town, and represents an extension to their main exhibit.
VISIT | Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
For just over 50 years, Latvia has been occupied by the URSS, then Nazi Germany, then URSS again until its independence. The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia aims to educate the public about this dark chapter of Latvia's history. This exhibition is housed in a modern-looking building found next to the river and the Riga Town Hall Square. The admission fee is 5€.
VISIT | Lavian War Museum
Another interesting museum for those that wish to delve even more into the topic of military history is the Latvian War Museum. This is one of the largest and oldest museums in Riga, housed in a round historic building at the edge of the old town, and opened just over 100 years ago. The exhibitions here are more about the general history of Latvia, and covers a longer period including the time before the occupation. The museum is free to visit.
VIEW | St. Peter's Church Tower
The Riga Cathedral, surrounded by beautiful old town houses, set against the Daugava River and Vansu Bridge - this is perhaps the classic Riga postcard view. This view can be admired from the highest point in old town Riga, the tower of St. Peter's Church, located in the heart of the old town. From the top, you get to enjoy a full 360° unobstructed panoramic view across the entire city. The only downside is that this view doesn't include St. Peter's Church itself, which is arguably the most prominent element of the Riga skyline. Think of it as the Eiffel Tower of Riga.
The admission fee to the cathedral and the tower is 9€. There is an elevator to the top, so access is quick and effortless, though there may be a bit of a queue. On weekdays, the tower closes at 18:00, but on Saturdays/Sundays, it remains open until later (22:00). On summer days, this offers an opportunity to enjoy the views at golden hour and past sundown.
VISIT & VIEW | Riga Cathedral Tower
A similarly impressive 360° view can be seen from the top of the Riga Cathedral Tower, the other tall building that dominates the old town cityscape. This is only possible as part of a small group guided tour and the opening hours are more restrictive - 10:30 & 12:30 Mon-Sat and 15:30/17:00 on Sunday. The entrance fee is 10€, which is well worth it given that it also includes a guide. Advance booking is not required, but visitors numbers are more limited.
There are 217 steps to the top, so you have to put in the effort for this view. You get to stop along the way as the guide explains a few things about the history of the cathedral. Once at the top, you have some time on your own to walk around the balcony, admire the views and take pictures. It's a beautiful view all around, though pretty much all of the interesting landmarks of Riga are found towards south-east
VIEW | National Library of Latvia
The National Library of Latvia is found directly across the Stone Bridge from the old town. This is a unique building inside and out, and you will most likely notice it from any viewpoint around the city, due to its distinct architecture. It's well worth visiting, and anyone can enter for free. Access to study areas is restricted and there are limitations on luggage (they have lockers), but otherwise you can wander around.
There is a viewing platform on floors 11&12 with great views from a different perspective. This is great to look at, but you will have a hard time taking any good photos, because it's an indoor area and the glass panels are entirely covered in tiny black dots. There is an unobstructed opening towards St. Peter's Church on floor 3, however the view is not as impressive.
VIEW | Latvian Academy of Sciences Observation deck
Another unique building in Riga is the Latvian Academy of Sciences. The architecture of this skyscraper is very typical of soviet-era buildings, and similar ones can be found in other cities across Eastern Europe.
On its 17th floor, there is an observation deck with 360° views towards old town Riga. It is open every day, from morning until late evening. This viewpoint is a bit farther away than others, but it's also higher up, and the view is spectacular. It's definitely worth checking out and the entrance fee is only 6€. This spot is also less popular than some of the viewpoints inside the old town, so you probably won't find many other people there.
VISIT & VIEW | Vanšu Bridge
This is another bridge that offers nice views across Riga. There is a small park on the opposite shore from the interesting part of Riga, where you can relax by the Daugava river and admire the old town skyline. As you make your way across the bridge towards the old town, a photo opportunity presents itself as the taller buildings in Riga align nicely.
VISIT & DRINK | Skyline Bar @ Radisson Blu Latvija Conference & Spa Hotel
If you like your views to be accompanied by a drink and/or a nice meal, then the Skyline Bar at the Radisson Blu hotel just outside of the old town is something you may want to add to your list.
The bar is located on the 26th floor and comes with great views, especially towards south-west. They welcome outside guests and there appears to be no need to book in advance. We only went for drinks, so I can't say anything about the food.
DRINK | Riga Black Magic
Riga Black Balsam is a traditional herbal liqueur considered the national drink of Latvia. There is a nice venue in the old town called Riga Black Magic that specialises in this particular drink, and also serves a wide selection of fancy chocolate pralines. It is meant to resemble an old pharmacy, since this drink initially started out as a medicine and the original recipe was developed by a local alchemist and pharmacist in the 18th century. Over time, this became more of a recreational drink, and would often be accompanied by coffee, chocolates, and other confectionery. This venue aims to take visitors back to that time, and I think it succeeds in doing that.
We sampled the various flavours of the balsam drink, and also tried a few chocolates. The chocolates were lovely - though quite expensive. As for the drink, I'd say it's not for everyone (myself included), but it is something to try while in Riga, and there is no better place to do that than Riga Black Magic.
EAT | Experience Latvian Cuisine (and beyond)
While in Riga, you really should try some of the traditional food and drinks that Latvia has to offer, which is typical of the Baltic countries in general (I found that many of the dishes that I tried in Lithuania, where I visited first, I found here too). But there are so many great options for eating out while in Riga, Latvian cuisine or otherwise.
We tried the following places and can recommend them all:
for food,
Two More Beers
Domini Canes
Petergailis
Milda
for coffee,
Zvaigzne Cafe
Kalve Espresso Room
for ice cream,
Molbers
STAY | Grand Poet Hotel Riga
We decided to spoil ourselves during our short stay in Riga, and spent two nights at theGrand Poet Hotel Riga, which has got to be one of the best choices in the city. We thought it was excellent value for a luxury hotel of this standard, and while it can be more expensive than this, we paid only 130€ per night, including a phenomenal breakfast (good quality, huge selection, and they even had prosecco!), and access to an amazing spa facility. The location of the hotel is perfect - right next to Bastion Hill Park, and a short and pleasant walk away to the old town. I honestly have only good things to say and would recommend this hotel to anyone.
You can check rates and book here.
For more ideas of places to visit, check out my map of Latvia.
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