🇱🇻 Is Riga Worth Visiting? – Yes Absolutely and Here’s Why

I’ve visited Riga 3 times now and I love it!

I’m lucky enough to have visited Riga a couple of times.

The first time I visited I was taking a group on a tour through the Baltic States. We stayed for 2 nights in Riga. I was able to explore the city and knew it wouldn’t be too long before I was back.

I went back for a short trip on my own and in January 2023 took my nephew for his first overseas trip there.

If you wondering ‘Is Riga Worth Visiting?’ this post should help you answer that question.

Here are my quick links to great deals for hotels & travel

Is Riga Worth Visiting?

My Experience of Visiting Riga

On my first trip to Riga, I was lucky enough to have a couple of days exploring the city and what a city it is.

Riga is quite small as cities go, which makes exploring the city easy. There is a lovely old town, located beside the river. Think cobbled streets, pretty buildings and lots of lovely cafes with outside dining areas.

The city centre has some lovely green areas to enjoy, including a lovely park around the river area. You can take boat trips in small wooden boots, squeezing around some of the buildings in the city including the market halls. It’s a wonderful way to see the city from a different perspective.

In the centre of the city is the Freedom Monument. The art deco-style monument is striking – a strong female figure facing the river. Freedom is important to Riga. They’ve been invaded multiple times and many still have family memories of the Russian occupation during World War 2.

They are understandably nervous about the war in Ukraine but reassured by the fact that Latvia is a member of NATO. The war underlined the importance of that membership given how small Latvia is, geographically and in terms of population compared to Russia.

There are reminders of Russia throughout Latvia. There is a Museum of Occupation which tells vividly of this time. A sister museum is the KGB Museum, located in a building previously used to interrogate and imprison Latvians before shipping them off to Siberia.

Locals were unaware of what happened to their family members until people started reappearing in Latvia some 10 years or more later, having walked back home.

Riga Motor Museum also has a display of Russian vehicles. The Latvian museum had made their feelings about Russia known. Each Russian vehicle was marked with a sticker showing support for Ukraine. A small but powerful act.

There are also reminders of Russia when people speak. Around 30% of the population speak or understand Russian.

Is Riga Worth Visiting?

The Food Market

In the city centre are five huge pavilions. Riga is home to the largest food market in Europe and it’s an absolute must if you want to see local life and find great Latvian produce.

Each of the halls has different things inside. One of the halls is all fruit and vegetables, one is meat etc. There are also stalls outside. Also dotted through the food market are stalls selling snacks and food for visitors. We enjoyed a lovely morning breakfast in the market, watching locals go about their daily business.

We couldn’t resist some of the amazing fresh fruit and ate the best strawberries we had ever tasted at the market.

These huge pavillions have some interesting history too. Whilst now they are full of people, goods and chatter, they were previously Zepellin airship hangars. Germany built a base here to fly the airships over the Gulf of Latvia in 1916 and keep an eye on Russian activity.

Is Riga Worth Visiting?

Food in Riga

I’ve enjoyed some lovely food in Riga. Everything from amazing wood-fired pizza to a plate of potatoes and vegetables at one of the Latvian buffet restaurants that dot the city centre. My nephew, a meat eater, had a much more successful visit as there were many more options for him.

Is Riga Worth Visiting?

Riga is Easy to Get To

Getting to Riga is very easy and affordable in the UK. There are plenty of flight options from the UK.

Direct flights are available from Nottingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, London and Manchester.

With a little bit of planning you can get great value flights to Riga.

• Read More: How To Get To Riga from the UK

Is Riga Worth Visiting?

Riga Is Good Value

Everything in Riga is good value.

There is a huge variety of hotels available, with competitive rates available most of the year. There is something for every budget, including beautiful 5-star hotels, spa hotels and more.

We stayed at the Bellvue Park just across the river from Riga’s old town. For 3 nights in a park-facing room with breakfast every day, we paid £75 for the two of us (that’s not per night, that’s the total for both of us for 3 nights). Next door to the hotel is a tram stop. We could hop on and be in the city centre in a few minutes.

Is Riga Worth Visiting?

Getting Around Riga Is Easy

Getting from the airport to Riga centre is easy. There is a public bus that runs from outside the building with a ticket machine at the bus stop.

The bus runs right to the city centre.

Small tobacco and convenience stores sell transport tickets. These allow the use of all the public transport in Riga for one price.

Trams run around the city centre, with buses and trains going further afield.

It’s easy to use public transport and it’s very popular and well used by locals too.

Is Riga Worth Visiting?

Riga is Safe and Friendly

Riga is the only place I’ve been to where I have had someone try to pickpocket by handbag. However, I was walking through a very dodgy underpass and struggling upstairs with quite a large case at the time. That said as soon as I shouted at the man he walked off so it wasn’t too serious.

That said Riga felt like a very safe place. I felt safe walking around Riga on my own. My nephew and I felt safe going everywhere including out in the suburbs on the public bus.

Everyone we met was friendly and helpful when we needed anything or bought anything.

Read More: Is Riga Safe?

Is Riga Worth Visiting

Video

Is Riga Worth Visiting – Conclusion

• If you are looking for a great value city break that’s easily accessible from the UK then you should consider Riga.
• It’s a great option if you have people with different interests, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
• Don’t miss visiting the food market and ideally try out some of the food stalls. You can also get guided tours if you want to dive deeper into Latvian food.
• The KGB Museum is very interesting, moving and disturbing. It provoked lots of discussion with my teenage nephew as a result of our visit.
• Riga has a fantastic Christmas market in the old town and it’s supposed to be the first place that a Christmas tree was decorated!

You Might Also Like

If you have found my ‘Is Riga Worth Visiting? article useful you might also like;

How to Get to Riga from the UK

For everything you need to plan your visit check out my Riga City Break review

Further Reading