By Riga is the capital of Latvia. A quite small beautiful city with lots of colourful and high buildings. You may have already caught up with my Riga stories on Instagram. However, if for whatever reason you haven’t. Do not worry. I’m about to give you a detailed list of things to I did and you can do when in Riga.
As you may already know, I went to Riga last month for a travel conference with WitSummit! I will be writing about this and will publish next week. But it wasn’t just the conference I attended. There was a bunch of other tours which the sheswanderful had organised for us to participate in. So what did I do in Riga?
11 Things to do in Riga, Latvia
1. Go to Latvian National Opera
I was informed that the Latvian people love their performing arts, so visiting the opera house felt surreal for me! I was delighted to go and see the ballet. To be honest with you, I wasn’t truly sure what to expect, but as it was only €8 (euros), I thought it would be improper to miss out on the opportunity.
Would you like to go? If you’re ever in Riga and have some time get yourself some tickets for a performance.
2.Head over to St. Christopher’s Church
One thing I noticed on my walking tour in Riga was the several churches in the beautiful city. After the travel conference finished, a friend suggested heading over to Christopher’s Church. Although it was hella cold. I was grateful to see such a beautiful view of the city. The escalator is quite tricky to manage with a big group of people, but once you are up high, you will be consumed by such a breath-taking view.
I only paid €5 (euros) to get the top and would say it was totally worth it!
Note: when you are in the building, try and be very quiet as there may be a church service going on.
3. Try some Latvian food at Ludo
Latvian food is delicious, and Ludo is a must! The restaurant is cheap as chips! You have a variety of selections to choose from. Then you pay at the counter.
Listen I was able to get a 3-course meal with mulled wine (who else loves mulled wine) for less than €15 (euros) tell me that isn’t a bargain!
4. Try out some food at the central market
I went here a couple of times while in Riga, and would say it’s a place that you do not want to miss! It has all sorts of clothes and essential household goods.
Oh, and a whole variety of Latvian food. You guys know that I love me some good food! It also has a fish market where it displays living fish! Be sure to not miss the market. I would suggest it as a place to go for a relaxed, quick lunch.
5. Take a picture outside the House of Black Heads
I knew I wanted to get a picture here when I heard Black Heads! I would say it was undoubtedly one of the main attractions of the city. The building was built in the 13th century, bombed during WWII.
6. Soviet Architecture
Also known as the Academy of Science or Stalin’s Birthday cake, take your pick. I personally think it sounds excellent as Stalin’s Birthday cake. Again, like the St. Christopher’s church, it has terrific views from the top!
For just under €4, you can head up to the 17th-floor for more breath-taking views of the city’s skyline.
7. Take a stroll Downtown/ a walking tour
Yes, I did this for two days while I was there. Riga is actually a charming city with lots of colourful buildings. I was very impressed to see so much colour, with the buildings. A walking tour should give you a background of the history and you will be able to ask questions along the way.
8. Visit a museum in Riga
There are several museums in Riga. And I would say that it’s a great way to catch up with Latvian history is the Latvian National Museum of Art. The focus lies on paintings, but usually quite some lovely special exhibitions going on! Check it out here.
9.Play with the bubbles
Hahaha!! This is a funny one! I really do love this picture that was taken off me and would suggest that we should all take photos of ourselves and live our lives fully. This picture has so much meaning for me, and you can find out why on my Instagram.
10. Visit the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church
I have never in my life seen such a beautifully coloured church! This church is a marshmallow pink and blue orthodox church that is absolutely perfect for your Instagram posts.
11. Head over to the national Kemeri National Park
This was one of the first things I did when I arrived in Riga. I wrote all about it this week have a read – A Day Spent at Kemeri National Park.
I hope you enjoyed reading a list of things you can do in Riga! Have you ever been to Riga before? Let me know if there any other cool stuff you did while you were there!
What do you think?