Three days is just enough to fall for Riga. The centre is compact, walkable and easy on the budget, so a long weekend takes in the Old Town, the world’s finest Art Nouveau, a huge market, the best view in the city and even a day at the sea. This is how I would spend 72 hours, the same route I show my own guests.
Getting to Riga
By plane. Several airlines fly from German cities directly to Riga in under two hours. These days I prefer Lufthansa; with AirBaltic I had repeated, serious delays.
By car. If you have the time and fancy an adventure, drive through Poland into the Baltics, a scenic route.
By ferry. From German ports like Travemünde or Rostock there are ferries across the Baltic Sea. Arriving barely gets more relaxed than this.
Where to stay: from hostel to grand hotel
Coliving Residences in Riga
A little note in my own interest: in Riga I run the Coliving Residences with a partner, 30 rooms in four central apartments that can be booked over Airbnb in summer. You live in shared flats with other international travellers, a great chance to meet new people.
Hostels
Cheap and central:
Apartments
Comfortable without luxury prices:
- Park Residence by Coliving Residences
- Loft-Residence Lāčplēša
- Old Factory Loft Apartment L39: high-end loft with three bedrooms for up to ten people, ideal for groups.
Mid-range hotels
Good value for money:
Top hotels
For a special night:
Day 1: Old Town and Art Nouveau
Start where the city began. The UNESCO-listed Old Town is a compact tangle of cobbled lanes you can loop in a morning: Town Hall Square with the ornate House of the Blackheads, Riga Cathedral and St. Peter’s Church, whose tower has a lift up to the best rooftop panorama in the centre. Look out for the Three Brothers, the oldest houses in the city, and the medieval Swedish Gate. A free walking tour is a great way in, just not the classic Old Town route, which you can do on your own, but rather the Alternative Riga Free Tour or the Soviet Riga Free Tour. If you like Art Nouveau, walk ten minutes into the Quiet Centre, where the facades around Alberta iela burst with masks, faces and mythical creatures.
Eat and drink: start the morning with a coffee at MiiT Coffee (central, vegetarian, part vegan), have a cheap, hearty lunch at the LIDO Vērmanītis canteen by Vērmanes Garden, and book dinner at the Armenian Armenia Restaurant. In the evening, ring the doorbell at the hidden cocktail bar Bar Six, then head to Kaņepes Kultūras centrs (KKC) for late drinks, live music and dancing.
Day 2: the market, the best view and recent history
Start at the Central Market in the five old Zeppelin hangars behind the station, one of the largest markets in Europe and the best place to eat cheaply. Each hall has its theme, from meat and dairy to a fish hall where a tiny counter serves fresh fish and a brilliant solyanka, my best cure for a hangover. From there it is a short walk to the Latvian Academy of Sciences, the Stalinist wedding-cake tower whose observation deck gives, for a couple of euros, the best 360-degree view over Riga, so save it for a clear day.
In the afternoon, the Museum of the Occupation and the Corner House, the former KGB building, tell the hard history of the 20th century. The cellar tours book out fast, so reserve ahead. Let the day wind down on Miera iela, the creative quarter right next to my Coliving Residences: coffee at the Rocket Bean Roastery and dinner with live music at the cellar pub Ala Pagrabs. If the night is still young, the nearby Tallinas kvartāls packs craft-beer bars, cocktail spots and a club into one tight block.
Day 3: to the sea at Jūrmala
Spend the last day by the Baltic. Before the train, treat yourself to cake and coffee at Kūkotava. The train from the central station reaches Jūrmala in about half an hour for a euro or two, and the ride itself is an experience. Walk the long sandy beach past the wooden villas, and stop for lunch, a coffee or a beer at one of the bars dotted along the shore every kilometre or two.
Dinner is the reward at the end of the walk: the Armenian Nojan Tapan, where you can eat your way down the menu, wine included, with a fast, cheap Latvian bite at Delicio as the in-town alternative. For a final drink, the relaxed Čē is a lovely stop, and the cocktails at Bar Six are worth a second visit. With more time, Riga is also the perfect first stop on a wider Baltic loop, with Vilnius, Tallinn and Helsinki all within easy reach.
Getting around Riga
Riga is flat and walkable, and most highlights are less than a 20-minute walk apart. For longer hops, trams and buses run on a rechargeable e-talons card, and Bolt is cheap for late nights. My best budget tip is the weekday set lunch, the biznesa pusdienas, a starter and a main at a low fixed price in many restaurants. You pay in euros and cards work almost everywhere. That leaves more time for what Riga is really about.
If you want to dig deeper into Riga’s sights or stay in the city longer, there are detailed Riga guides at the Coliving Residences.
