Today we will have a fascinating and informative tour of the capital of Latvia. We will try to take a one-day trip to get acquainted with all its sights and look into the darkest corners of the history of this city. We'll tell you what you can see in Riga in one day.
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Nymph Fountain
This architectural delight is located at the entrance to the famous Opera and Ballet Theater. It was created in 1887 by the brilliant master of his time A. Volz.
The history of the creation of the fountain is no less unique than the final product itself. According to legend, the author of the fountain, in the process of creating the figure of a naked girl, fell in love with his model. The sudden feelings that overwhelmed him did not give him peace, and the completion of the construction was constantly postponed. As a result, the beloved nevertheless reciprocated and agreed to become the wife of the brilliant architect, and the fountain, to the great joy of the residents of Riga, was completed. Today it is a statue of a naked girl holding a shell in her hands, from which a stream of water bursts out. Next to the nymph there are figures of children, a turtle and a dolphin. Each element of this sculpture is created in the smallest detail. Therefore, it is highly recommended to include this attraction in your excursion program.
Monument to the Bremen Town Musicians
As children, we all watched with interest the adventures of the Bremen Town Musicians and sincerely rooted for them, sitting in front of the TV screens. It seems that in Riga there is a special attitude towards the heroes of this fairy tale, because there is a real monument to them on one of the streets. On the pedestal, one on top of the other, there are four recognizable characters - a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster. It should not be surprising that the author of the monument was a German sculptor from Bremen. After all, this city is considered a sister city of Riga. By the way, according to the sculptor’s idea, the monument carries a deep historical and philosophical thought and is dedicated to the end of the Cold War between the West and the East. Of course, modern Riga residents and guests of the city do not think about such “high matters”. They prefer to believe that if you rub the nose of a donkey or the beak of a rooster, your deepest desires will certainly come true.
House of the Blackheads
This historical building was restored after war devastation only in the 90s and became a kind of gift to the city for its 800th anniversary. Today this house attracts tourists not just with its unique appearance, but also with its luxurious interior. Exhibitions and private events for high-ranking guests are held here. According to historical information, the house was created in the 14th century and belonged to the famous merchant guild of the Blackheads. By the way, the name is not at all connected with the surname of the traders. The coat of arms of the house depicted St. Mauritius with a black head. Unfortunately, it is not possible to check whether the current appearance of the building corresponds to the historical prototype.
Museum of Occupation
In 1993, the Museum of Occupation opened its doors, which, from its very creation to the present day, has stood out for its political and financial independence. His collection is replenished exclusively with funds from sponsors. The main idea of the exhibition is to convey to modern society the life of Latvians who suffered from Nazi terror during the war, and were also persecuted by representatives of the Soviet regime. For the convenience of visitors, the collection is divided into several sections, each of which is dedicated to a separate historical period of the country. Many Russians have a contradictory attitude towards the gallery, because its creators actually equated Stalin with Hitler.
The Dome Cathedral
One of the most significant attractions in all of Latvia is the Dome Cathedral, the construction of which continued over 5 centuries, starting from the 13th century. It is not surprising that the project, which was worked on by several generations of architects, has such a mixed style. This is where the unique organ from the German manufacturer E.F. is located. Walcker & Co, which reaches a height of 25 meters! The musical instrument is decorated with decorative carvings, and when a rending sound bursts out from its seven thousand army of pipes, the heart begins to pound furiously in the chest. Even today, this instrument is considered the largest in the territory of the former USSR. And in 1883, when it was installed, there were no analogues in the whole world.
Art Museum
The gallery called “Riga Stock Exchange” includes a huge collection of the best examples of European, Oriental and Ancient Egyptian art. The oldest exhibit dates back to the fifth century BC. A huge collection of works and contemporary artists is presented. The gallery with works by Northern European authors is especially popular among art connoisseurs. Near the Western Gallery there is the Silver Cabinet, where you can enjoy an impressive collection of products made from this noble metal, which came to Riga not only from Europe, but also from the Asian region.
Government Castle
This ancient complex deserves to take its rightful place in the excursion program. Tourists will be amazed by its unique appearance and rich history, which dates back several centuries ago. At one time, it was in his offices that the historical decisions of numerous “occupation” governments of the country were made. Since each new owner of the castle adapted it to their needs, we can contemplate a rather interesting interpretation of its exterior and interior decoration. Today this building is the residence of the head of the Latvian state. But there was also room for several museum galleries.
Bar Black Magic
We recommend finishing the day's program at the Black Magic bar on Kalku Street. It was here that the legendary Riga balsam was invented, the author of which is considered to be the alchemist A. Kuntze. By the way, this drink owes its popularity to Empress Catherine II, who not only appreciated its refined taste, but also allowed the launch of a full-fledged production of herbal tincture. Even today, the bar has a safe containing 24 types of herbs needed to create the drink. And for 20 euros, each visitor can see how it is actually created. The interior decoration of the bar is also attractive - antique lamps swing under the stone arches, and the furniture is made exclusively of wood.
Hotel Garden Palace
Located in the historical center of Riga
2235 reviews
Booked 65 times today
What to see in Riga in 1 day. My short guide - How to get there, where to stay, where to eat, as well as transport and attractions.
My trip to Riga, like most trips to Europe, was determined by chance, or rather a $30 discount on booking 3-5 star hotels, which turned out to be most successful to use in Riga. After that, all that remained was to watch for a promotion on bus tickets Minsk-Riga-Minsk and here, too, we were lucky to start a sale with a 50% discount.
How to get to Riga
You can get to Riga, like most European capitals, by plane, bus and train. I took a night bus from Minsk for 6.9 €, but I can’t guess your option, so I’ll tell you about the main directions.
- : a ticket for a city bus from the airport costs 1.15 € if you buy an E-Ticket in advance, a single ticket from the driver will cost 2 €. Transfer from the airport can be ordered for 30€.
- : buses travel up to 10 times a day, the average ticket price is 13 €, you can buy or. Flights from 30€ can be found on.
- : buses to Riga go up to 4 times a day, tickets are sold from 15 €. The train costs from 40€.
Housing in Riga
- Apartments: It’s best to book apartments for a day on Airbnb, and to save money, use. Most apartment owners speak Russian.
- Hotels: if you don’t want to overpay and there are no promotions, then use a combination of a search engine and the function. The search engine will find the best deal, and CashBack and coupons will reduce the price by up to 20%.
I was lucky to book a 4-star hotel for 13 € for two with breakfast (using a discount coupon), but such promotions are very rare. The hotel is located almost in the very center of the city on the island of Kipsala. Breakfast is a buffet with a large selection of food, and the hotel also has a free sauna for guests.
Public transport in Riga
The tourist part of the city is very small, and is also located next to the railway station, and if you come to the city for less than a day, then public transport may simply not be needed.
If your route involves the use of public transport, then it is worth knowing that in Riga there is an electronic fare payment system, and tickets are called E-Talon. You can buy them at any newsstand.
It is best for tourists to use disposable yellow E-Talons. A ticket for one trip costs 2.5 €, but if you plan to travel more than once, then it is profitable to buy a pass for a day for 5 €.
Sights of Riga
Before I move on to the description of my walk around Riga, as usual, I will provide several links that should help you organize your trip in advance and save time.
- Tourist bus Riga Sightseeing Tour - and. More expensive than a city transport pass, but it is more convenient to get to some attractions.
- — 15€.
- Excursion — — 25 €.
- — 69€.
What to see in Riga in 1 day
Although I was in Riga for almost two days, due to bad weather, my stay in Riga itself as a tourist was reduced to 3-5 hours. This is enough to explore the tourist center of the city and the main attractions of Riga.
Central station
I will start covering my walking route from the Central Station - the place of arrival of almost all tourists in Riga.
Latvian National Opera
You don’t have to go straight to the historical city, so as not to make an extra circle and go for a walk in Bastion Hill Park, where you can see several attractions at once. The first thing along the way is the building of the Latvian National Opera, built in 1863.
The next point will be the Freedom Stella, located in the center of the park. It was erected in 1935 as a symbol of freedom of the Latvian people.
We continue our walk through the park to the place that gave it the name Bastion Hill. There is little left of the slide itself, but you can get good views from it in good weather. Our case was an exception and the weather was bad.
Powder Tower
We go down the hill and go towards the Powder Tower, the peak of which is visible in the previous photo. The Powder Tower is practically the only thing left of the city’s defensive wall. Nearby there are some more remains in the form of the Ramer Tower and a piece of the fortress wall.
Powder Tower 
The corresponding thematic Latvian War Museum is located next to these buildings. The museum is open every day from 10 to 17-18 hours, in admission is free, address Smilšu iela 20.
cat house
We continue to move deeper into the historical part of the city and come to a building called the Cat House, for which they came up with a whole legend about cats on the spire of its roof. According to this legend, the cats were initially turned with their backs towards the building of the Riga Merchants Guild, and this was done due to the refusal to admit one of the merchants, who was the owner of this building, to the guild.
Today, the spiers of this building with cats are one of the symbols of the city; even a tourist magnet is rarely complete without images of these cats.
cat house From the cat's house we move towards Dome Square, where the Dome Cathedral is located, but we will not go to the square and the cathedral for now, but will walk a little to the right to the Cathedral of St. James.
And now we go out to Dome Square and the cathedral of the same name.
Nearby is Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation. Entrance to the museum is 4.27 €, for adults, but it is better to immediately buy a subscription to 3 museums for 5.69 € ( Museum of Riga History and Navigation, Menzendorf House and Latvian Photography Museum).
If you are not interested in the museum, then we move to the central square of Riga and the House of the Blackheads located on it, as well as the Monument to the Bremen Town Musicians, which is hidden around the corner of the House of the Blackheads.
Not far from the House of the Blackheads there is another one of the main attractions of Riga - the Church of St. Peter.
This is practically all that we managed to photograph during our walk around Riga and the entire story “What to see in Riga”; a light rain prevented us from taking more photographs. But in Riga, in the old town, there are still a dozen or two interesting houses that could be photographed, and you can also find the house that was filmed in the Soviet film about Sherlock Holmes and passed off as his place of residence on Baker Street.
National Library of Latvia
And the last photo is now also a landmark of Riga - the new building of the National Library of Latvia, opened in 2013. I got here because my hotel is located nearby.
Where to eat on a budget in Riga
I’ll finish my story about Riga with a snack, or rather lunch. In Riga, if you don’t want to overpay for restaurants and expensive cafes, it’s better to go to LIDO. It’s tasty, satisfying and inexpensive, and also somewhat similar to canteens, but much nicer and cozier.
There are 4 such establishments not far from the center, and one of them is right in the historical center. The Lido in the center is constantly crowded due to its good location, so it’s better to walk a little and have lunch at any other one. Below are the addresses according to distance from the center.
Photo article about what to see in Riga in summer and winter over a weekend (one, two or three days).
My personal TOP 15 attractions of Riga (the capital of Latvia): center, streets, architecture.
Now I am on the verge of global changes for the better. I can feel it. I know this, as well as the fact that in order for dreams to come true, it is not at all necessary to rub the nose of the rooster on the monument to the Bremen Town Musicians in the center of Riga, but we will return to this later.
And now about what to see in Riga in one or two days. Let me clarify right away that Riga, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It is not for nothing that it is listed as a UNESCO cultural heritage site as a city with one of the largest collections of Art Nouveau buildings in the world.
The photos below mostly show Riga in summer, but there are also a few from a trip to Riga in winter.
My TOP 15 attractions in Riga
In Riga we lived in these apartments, rented at a discount for 50 € per day.
1. Architecture of Riga
You can spend hours looking at the buildings of one of the most beautiful cities in the Baltics. 40% of houses in Riga are built in Art Nouveau style
Riga houses of the 17th century (mainly warehouses and residential buildings of wealthy merchants):
The cat's house is one of the most legendary buildings of old Riga.
2. Observation deck of St. Peter's Church
Address: Old Riga, st. Skarnu, 19
The height of the observation deck is 72 meters.
Paid entrance. For adults - 9 euros
From the height there is a view of the Daugava River and the city center
3. Monument to the Bremen Town Musicians.
Excursions in Riga
Riga guides tell such intricate stories related to this monument that every tourist considers it his duty to rub the nose of one of the animals.
It’s funny to watch how, through subtle verbal manipulations, guides force plump guys to jump half a meter above the ground in an attempt to reach the rooster’s nose, because tactile contact with the bronze bird will give a 200% guarantee that your most cherished desire will be fulfilled.
You can order a tour of Riga on the Internet, so as not to wander aimlessly around the city, but to learn a lot of facts in a relatively short period of time and see all the most interesting things
4. Center of Riga
My Riga is cozy cafes with open terraces, where you can drink beer from large glasses and coffee from tiny cups, wrapped in a warm blanket.
These are the streets of Riga, where you can easily see a beautiful car
So does a wooden cow
These are cobbled streets where you can wander endlessly, every now and then bumping into shops with antique trinkets, designer jewelry, strange clothes and ridiculous toys.
My memory still retains fragments of memories of walking in a man’s jacket along the lantern-lit pavement, tightly squeezing a rooster between my fingers, smelling of childhood. I really wanted to believe that it would always be like this.
5.Riga Castle
Majestic building on the banks of the Daugava River:
6. Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ
Another name is the Nativity of Christ Cathedral - one of the most impressive Orthodox churches in Riga
7. Cathedral of St. James
The main Catholic church of the country, built in the Gothic style back in 1225.
8. House of the Blackheads
It was completely razed to the ground during World War II and restored quite recently.
Riga is even more beautiful at night
9. Red Barns
An area of barns near the Riga Central Market. This is a typical warehouse trading district for merchants. The architects of most of the buildings in the Red Barns area were Baltic Germans.
10. Stalinka, Academy of Sciences
There is an observation deck on the 17th floor, from where from 8 am to 10 pm you can admire the panorama of Riga from a height of 65 meters for just 2Ls
11. Three brothers.
Three brothers - this is the loving name given to three cute houses nestled in the very heart of old Riga. The development is so dense that each house is an extension of the one next to it.
12. Bridges and beaches of Riga
Bridges over the Daugava River and city beaches, where here and there you can stumble upon idle townspeople sunbathing behind bushes.
Riga is a small city in principle, and in one incomplete day you can have time to see the lion's share of its attractions. It’s ideal if you have time to go along three routes, which in general will allow you to form your own opinion about Riga. Travel time is approximately 5 hours excluding lunch break.
Important! If you arrive in Riga between October and March, remember that the weather in Riga is usually treacherous: either damp and chilly, or clear and very frosty. In both cases, the traveler faces the risk of rapid freezing, so thermal underwear, warm hats, scarves and mittens, and a warmer jacket will not be superfluous. But it’s best to leave high-heeled boots at home - picking heels out of the pavement is tedious.
Keep in mind that daylight hours during this period are short - about 7 hours; in winter it gets dark at half past five or five, so plan your time wisely so as not to admire the sights in the dark, wasting precious daylight hours on shopping.
So the walk begins with Town Hall Square(Ratslaukums) and then we walk along the route (crimson line in the diagram). It ends at Powder Tower(Pulvertornis) on the corner of Smilsu and Troksnu streets.
We walk to the end of Smilsu iela, turn right and walk a few minutes to Freedom Monument on the left side (a female figurine with her arms raised high).
We turn right and walk past the monument along Freedom Boulevard (Brivibas bulv.). The third street on the left will be Elizabetes street(Elizabetes iela), from which the next walk begins - (blue line).
It smoothly turns into entertaining (orange line).
Back through A stone bridge(Akmens bridge, Akmens tilts) from the last funny monument to the Town Hall Square, you can find a place for a snack and for shopping. Or you can go to the water park in Jurmala, fortunately it is open until late (see the story for the coordinates of the water park and how to get there), but this is for mega-active travelers. Have a nice day in Riga!
Route maps (is this readable?)
See also the following themed walks in Riga
1. The route “along the paths” of the Middle Ages, or in search of adventure, knights and romance
,
2. Starring Riga