Riga is the capital of Latvia, Latvia the middle of the three Baltic states and Riga being the largest city of the Baltics. I feel like there’s a lot of misunderstanding around the Baltic states, most commonly mistaken for part of Russia. They’ve all got a similar and interesting history, all having fought for their independence two in the last 120 years. The people we met in these places were very proud of their countries and excited to share them with visitors.
Yesterday was Latvian Independence day and they celebrated 100 years of Independence. Naturally, I coordinated my blog post to go up the day after this big celebration.
A quick history lesson
Geographically Riga is at the mouth of the Daugava river so it was highly sorted for trading purposes. Riga’s modern history begins in the 12th century with the arrival of Germanic merchants and missionaries and 1158 it was established as the trading outpost for the Balts.
The city was quickly converted to Christianity and then Protestant after the Reformation, as the city remained mainly German and the outer areas of the city and country were Latvian. Over the next few hundred years Riga was fought over and changed hands multiple times; by Poland-Lithuania, Sweden, and Russia. Throughout this time the language spoken most commonly was German and they had most say over the laws and rulings in the city, making it hard for non-Germans to become craftsmen, among other things.
In the late 19th century Riga’s population boomed with the late-industrial era and became one of Russia’s largest industrial cities. During this time Latvians from the country moved to the city to help drive the city’s growth and with this the amount of Latvian spoken in the city almost doubled. However, as the area was still ruled by Russia the signs around the city were still in Russia (political rule) or German (local elite rule).
In WWI, the treaty of Brest-Litovsk saw Riga and surrounding areas given to Germany (from Russia). At the end of the war this was renounced and on 18th of November 1918, for the first time in history, Lativa with its capital of Riga were finally their own country… on paper. The Latvian people fought for another two years before they firmly established Riga as the capital of their new country.
Riga grew and developed over the next twenty years, establishing itself as “The Paris of the Baltics”, this growth was cut short by Soviet occupation in 1940. Buildings were destroyed, developments were cancelled, locals were murdered or sent to the dreaded Siberia. The Nazis then invaded a year later, only to be taken over again by the Soviet Union at the end of the war. After the war the population of Latvia was devastated, hundreds of thousands were dead, thousands more were sent to enslavement in Siberia. Lativa officially became a Soviet Republic for the remainder of the communist rule.
Life in Riga and Latvia for the next forty odd years was similar to anywhere under the Iron Curtain; shortages of goods, long queues, KGB surveillance, square box buildings of the classic communist design were erected. Latvian was rarely spoken in public as the number of ethnic Latvians declined and 2/3 of Riga’s schools were instructing in the Russian language.
As the Soviet Union collapsed, Latvia declared its independence once again and became its own country for the second time in 100 years. This second fight for independence was characterized by peaceful protests and non-violence. Latvian language use grew, as it became the sole language on signs and in public places however it took over 10 years for it to be the common language spoken publically. Riga grew to become the Capital of the Baltics and celebrated 800 years of the city in 2001.
The messy history, the constant change of rule and the fight for independence has made Riga very proud to be the Latvian city and capital that it is today, you can easily see this by talking to people and looking around at the city.
Ok, history lesson over…. onto the city itself.
Getting there
Fly
Wizzair, Ryanair and Air Baltic are the main flight services that fly into Riga from the UK. You can fly from most places in the UK including Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, and East Midlands as well as London airports, Luton, Stansted and Gatwick. Ukraine, Scandinavia, and Germany are also popular places that fly directly to Riga. Prices vary and flight time is just under three hours from the UK.
Drive
When visiting the Baltics, many travellers try to tick off all three countries so driving, bussing or taking the train between the countries is common and fairly accessible by public transport. Buses are from €5 between the capital cities Vilnius (Lithuania) and Tallinn (Estonia) and also from Poland and Russia.
What to see
Old Town
The Old Town in Riga dates back as old as the city with the arrival of the German merchants and missionaries. Cobbled streets, spacious squares, old churches, city wall ruins, and fantastic eateries, the old town is a great place for a wander.
House of the Blackheads
This name makes me giggle because it reminds me of pimples and that’s pretty grim. However, the Brotherhood of the Blackheads actually dates back to the 14th century to a guild of young, unmarried traders, merchants and shipowners, known for their outrageous parties and events. It’s located in the old town on the edge of the river Daugava. To this day it’s still used for public celebrations and has become one of the more famous landmarks in Riga.
St Peter’s Church
The tallest church in Riga was built in 1209 as just a small hall, over the hundreds of years following the church has undergone many renovations, collapses and rebuilds. The tower is the newest edition, made in the 70’s as a project by a group of local architecture students. We didn’t manage to go to the top, but it’s said to have a wonderful view of the old town.
The Three Brothers
The Three Brothers is a group of three medieval houses all built closely together. Legend has it, they were built by three men of the same family, so it’s a real original name.
The oldest one (in white on the far right) was built in the late 15th century and is potentially one of the oldest houses in Riga. The interior under its original design was one large room on the bottom floor for all trading, manufacturing and everyday living. The middle brother (in yellow) was a mid 17th job, with a large room on the second floor as living space in order to separate trading and living. It also has the detail of “Soli Deo gloria!” inscribed in Latin over the door meaning Glory to God alone. The youngest brother (green on the far left) is obviously the latest addition of the brothers, built in the late 17th century. The green colour is said to protect the house from evil spirits. Today it stands as the Latvian Museum of Architecture.
The Freedom Monument
This 42m tall monument stands to represent Latvia’s strive for independence and freedom. On the base inscribed in Latvian is “For the Fatherland and Freedom”. The statue was erected in 1935. There were chats during the Soviet occupation of destroying it but it was neverfollowed through and it still stands today.
The Cat Statue
This statue is one of my favourite stories we heard in Riga. One of the first things I noticed when we got to Riga was the abundance of black cat souvenirs. As a black cat fan myself I was intrigued and wondered why was the black cat such an important symbol of Riga. Luckily our walking tour guide Toms was able to inform us.
The story goes; in the early 20th century a wealthy Latvian businessman was turned down membership by Riga’s Great Guild, an exclusive German merchants group, who ran the business interest of the city. The Latvian man was upset by this decision and his loss at the chance to mingle with important business minds of the city. So, he created a plan to spite them. He commissioned two cat statues to be placed atop the building opposite the Guild’s beautiful old building in Old Town Riga.
Now, what’s the most offensive way to place a cat statue? With the cat’s butt facing your enemy’s building, of course. The Great Guild was so outraged with this act of spite they got a lawsuit involved. The Latvian man was taken to court and was made by law to turn his cat’s butts away from the guild as they were so blindly offended by the cat’s behinds. And that is why black cats are popular amongst souvenirs in Riga.
This was definitely not what I was expecting when I asked the question.
Where to eat
Vecmeita ar kaķi
The name translated into English is “Maiden with a cat”. We found this beauty when we were trying to find shelter from the rain in the middle of the afternoon. It’s hidden away around the corner from Riga castle (the presidential residence). You climb down the stairs into a below the ground bar and restaurant area. It’s a cosy area and they served a bloody lovely cheese platter and the local beer was cold and delicious. Mazā Pils iela 1, Rīga.
Skyline bar
For a great view of the city the Skybar is a great spot. Above the Radisson Blu, this bar boasts views from the 26th floor and the views speak for themselves. Elizabetes iela 55, Centra rajons, Rīga.
Sala Konditoreja
A delicious high-quality bakery with fancy treats of all flavours, textures and styles. They have them all through the city but we went to the one near the Russian Orthodox church. Confectionary “Sala”, Brīvības Boulevard 23, Esplanade, Rīga.
Traditional Food
Like a lot of colder countries, Latvia’s food is quite meat heavy. There’s a lot of what James calls comfort food on offer. We stopped at a pub for lunch and had some delicious Latvian food. I can no longer remember the names of these dishes but I can tell you I still remember how delicious they were!
Where to stay
Anywhere in the old town is a great idea, the accommodation was reasonably cheap and available.
Riga Old Town Hostel and Backpackers Pub
When booking this I didn’t realise it was also known as Aussie Backpackers Pub. It was a super rowdy hostel, but fun. You walk in the ground floor to an old VW combi van set up as not only the check-in desk but also the bar. The door from the bar area to the hostel was a bookcase turned door.
The rooms were tidy and spacious. The showers were clean and had good pressure. It was located nicely in the Old Town with a mini supermarket and pasterssiere around the corner. They offered one free welcome drink as well as one free drink each day of your stay. It’s a place I’d advise to take earplugs to, to assist your sleep, but worth it for a funky and different style hostel. Vaļņu iela 43, Rīga.
What to do
Walking Tour
The Free Old Town walking tour was a great insight into the city and its history. Toms was our tour guide, he was a local with lots of knowledge and recommendations for Riga. There were additional stories, like the cat one, that we wouldn’t have known otherwise thanks to Toms.
Central Market
This was one of the biggest fruit and veg markets I’ve been to in a while. Masses of delicious-looking fresh produce filled four old Zeppelin (the big old airships) hangars from WW1, it was incredible. There was fresh meat, bread, spices, seeds, and homemade vodka and beer. Outside along with the fruit, which included multiple watermelons twice the size of my head, there were also your usual market culprits, second-hand clothing and games, handmade gifts and woolens. It was here I bought some sexy woolen socks with sunflowers on them, they’re my new faves. Nēģu iela 7, Latgales priekšpilsēta, Rīga.
Museum of Occupation
We walked all around this building in the pouring rain to try to find the entrance to this museum, only to find it was closed for reconstruction. I’ve heard it’s really informative and I was disappointed we were unable to go there. So can someone please go here and tell me about it? Raiņa bulvāris 7, Centra rajons, Rīga.
Walk around the park
There is a lovely park in the middle of Riga that’s good for a wander. There’s a couple of viewing spots and a canal running through the middle of it.
Ice Hockey
In classic Ash and James style, we just happened to be in Riga the night of their big ice hockey match against Sochi. Naturally, we headed on down to Arena Riga for the excitement. Unfortunately, Riga lost the match 4-1, but we still had a great time and the €3,50 beers went down a treat.
Map of Riga
All the sites noted on this blog post in map format:
Riga was beautiful, a pretty old town, tidy streets, friendly people, delicious food, an abundance of trees and greenery. Majority of people spoke English very well and if not a lot of pointing and facial expressions will get you by. The service everywhere we ate was friendly and efficient, but not pushy. It was refreshing to go to a country and city not full of tourists. And look around to see a lot of locals wandering the old town too. If Riga isn’t on your list yet, I don’t know what else to say to you, but bloody put it on your list already!
References:
Riga History – A Retrospective
The Three Brothers | Lativa Travel
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