"A Week In Riga" a Riga Travel Page by OnTheRoadGoombah

I traveled to Latvia for a conference and was able to squeeze in a two-day conference and five days of sightseeing. My first impression of Riga was in comparison to Vilnius – the Old Town of Riga is larger and has more elaborate and preserved architecture than its neighbor to the south. While a larger city offers more to see and do, it also invites a different type of traveler and businesses. I will not try to distinguish between Riga and Vilnius here, but will discuss each on its own merit.

Riga’s Old Town is sprinkled with numerous historical and cultural buildings, religious icons and churches, and many pubs and restaurants. I will say that the orthodox and Catholic churches of Riga are quite and ornate and well worth a visit. While two of my colleagues took a day trip to some castles, I was working that day and could not break away. They reported back that their tour was well worth the price (55 Lats each), despite their car breaking down and their driver and tour guide youth (about 18 years old).

Having read up on Riga on VT prior to embarking on this trip, I was “warned” about the stoic nature of the Latvian people. I still was surprised by the lack of friendliness of folks in the service industry – waitresses, bar maids, hotel staff and shopkeepers. Having been forewarned, I didn’t take it as an insult, but it still felt a little strange. At the Skyline Pub on the 26th floor of the Reval Hotel, I asked the waitress how her day was going and she looked at me like I just kicked her dog. She snared and walked away. So just be warned and don’t expect pleasantries to be passed. Just because I knew it would annoy her, I continued to pass pleasantries her way.

There are many sights to be seen in Old Town but it can be accomplished in a day or two. Blackheads Square is a must stop with the Blackheads Monument, Museum of the Occupation and City Hall. Our tour guide was very good and explained all in detail. Riga’s magnificent churches are also a place to tour and take photos. I would recommend buying postcards, as the average camera cannot capture the beauty that you can get in a postcard.

The “three brothers,” Master Guild and Small Guild, Black Cat House and Dome and Lieb Squares should round out Day One of your tour. Day Two should take you to the Art Museum, War Museum, and Jacob’s Barracks.

We did not have a bad meal in Riga and recommend grabbing the latest edition of “In Your Pocket” for suggestions and recommendations. I am going back in May and will hopefully get better weather – it rained most of the week and actually was snowing this morning as we flew out.

Be wary of panhandlers and folks on the street trying to lure you to nightclubs or sell you Russian hats, but because we were not out late at night and tended to travel in a pack, we did not witness any pick pocketing or petty crime that I have read about here. All in all, I enjoyed my time in Riga and look forward to returning.