Ever since she was restored as the capital of Latvia in 1991 – after a long pause under Russian domination – Riga renewed her streets with an impressive architecture that pays tribute to the city’s composite history, giving the center a familiar, friendly atmosphere.
But Riga is still an old capital in the heart of the Baltic – the sweet arts buildings dominate the center and the border between the city and the province are smeared, with visitors from the forest traveling to the city and wild mushrooms sold in a prominent position in the local markets.
Ways to stay busy in the Latvian capital range from the trip to the museums of cultural art to the river cruises and you will definitely want to spend time visiting the beautiful old city and some of the many sights reminiscent of the Soviet era.
The perfect destination for the curious history lovers, Riga is a place where you can go with the stream or do your own, whether it means drinking coffee in warm cafes under the art, facing facades, admiring the greatness of rising Gothic churches, or picking a jump bar.
To plan an interesting route in the city, below you will see the best things you can do in Riga.
13 best things you can do in Riga
1. Excuse the Old Town
If you only have a few days, go to the old town of Riga, known as Vecrīga. You can get to know the history of the history in churches and its decent museums or see Art Nouveau buildings on the Jugendtil neighborhood and visit the impressive Latvian National Museum of Arts.
Before you return to specific monuments and sights, take a walk through the streets around the Rīgas Doms Cathedral and the City Hall Square to take the atmosphere, pause coffee at local cafes and admire the impressive architecture.
2. For the church of St. Peter
Between the tall facades and the paved streets of the Old Town of St. Peter’s Church is the center of the center of the Riga horizon. This Gothic tower is one of the oldest medieval buildings in the Baltic, dating from the 13th century, but has changed a lot over the centuries. Its increased bell tower is decorated with a gold crane, which has become a symbol of the city.
In 1721, the bell of the church was destroyed at fire, arose in fire, despite the fact that the Russian Emperor Petros I was personally in a man on stage to extinguish the fire. It was again destroyed during World War II, but was restored in 1973, with the elevator carried visitors to a 72 -meter platform for viewing in the bronze bell tower.
Tip: If you are a fan of historical churches, visit the nearby church of St. John the High Red Brick Structure, which became known during the time of the locals embedded on its roof to repel the attacking knights.
3. Know the local history in Rigas Doms (Riga Cathedral)
Near the central square of the old town, in the huge Riga dome This is the most important cathedral in the country and the largest medieval church in Baltika. The architecture is a mix of style from the 13th to the 18th centuries -partially Roman, Gothic and Baro, with discreetly polished black bricks, a trademark of the Hansessa architecture.
While in Dome SQ, check out the three old stone houses called “Three Brothers”. Conveniently located in a photogenic series, they are an example of the different combination of the architectural styles of the old strip.
Against the City Hall, you will find Black dots Built in 1344 as a true home of the Brotherhood for the Black Dots, a guild of unity of single German traders. The original house, destroyed in 1941 and replaced by an exact copy in 2001, is supposed to be the place where the Christmas tree decoration was born.
Tip: If you visit Riga at Christmas, a Christmas Christmas market is filled from December to January, and Dome SQ fills seasonal idlers, food and drinks.
4. Daugawa River Cruise
For much of the history of the 800 -year -old Riga, the new arrivals took the first look of the city from the water. You can survive the experience by exploring the floating streets of Riga – small boats, some new and some harvests – the climb of the hill of Basion and continuing along the Daugawa River.
Operators also hire water bicycles, kayaks and a standpoint paddles-all is a good choice to explore at your own pace. Discover the circular routes crossing Daugava, exploring channels and islands on the other side and entering the busy yard of Riga.
Last but not least, big yachts travel to Daugawa by receiving passengers on many anchors outside the old town. In addition to short cruises in the city, these ships travel to Lake Kosherses, with the ability to land on Meraparx and return to the center with a tram.
Another exciting boat experience is Cruise to Daugawa’s Curre And then the entrance to the neighboring Lilupe River to complete the trip to Majori Station in Jurmala.