Finding my way through Riga
Day 1
I arrived in Riga at night, so my first real encounter with the city came the following morning. I set off on foot towards the Old Town and gradually let myself get carried away by its atmosphere.
Right in front of the House of the Blackheads, I started talking to a girl from Switzerland. We chatted about why she had come to Riga, what she wanted to see, and what she thought of the city so far. These kinds of spontaneous encounters are one of my favorite parts of traveling – you set out on your own and suddenly, you are not really alone anymore.
I continued exploring the city and even went to a concert at the Anglican Church. Music quickly became something I associated with the atmosphere of Latvia as a whole. I had heard that Latvians have a particularly close relationship with music – from choral singing to major cultural events such as the Latvian Song and Dance Festival.
After that, I stopped for lunch, where I met a lovely Latvian woman and ended up having a really nice conversation with her. I never really know where these conversations will take me, which is probably half the fun. Somehow, lunch turned into another little window into everyday life in Latvia.
After that, I headed to the Art Nouveau district and visited the museum Aigars had recommended to me. I then spent some time wandering through the city’s parks. Riga is surprisingly green for a capital city, and I loved how easily the greenery blends into the city itself. The city canal, winding through the centre and surrounded by trees, paths and little bridges, makes it especially pleasant to walk around. It almost feels like nature is constantly sneaking its way into the city.
Later, I headed back into the centre and explored Riga again in the evening.
The second day started with a meeting with Aigars Kušķis, an urban architect who knows Riga incredibly well. And I quickly realized that spending the day with him was going to be very different from simply walking around the city with a guidebook.
We started walking towards through the historic centre towards St. Stephen´s Church and went up the tower. As we walked, Aigars would point things out and explain the buildings we passed — why they looked the way they did, what they had been used for in the past, and how different parts of the city had developed over time.
Then, we continued walking through the historic centre. As we went, he told me about the old warehouses, what used to be stored there, how the area had functioned in the past, and why certain buildings and spaces are where they are today. I loved that he didn’t just tell me what I was looking at, but also why it was there.
We then headed to the Central Market, which was another completely different side of Riga. Aigars told me all sorts of things about the food, local products and everyday life there. I learned about some of the local fish and traditional foods, and of course we had to stop for lunch.
After lunch, we continued towards the Daugava River. We spent some more time there before slowly making our way back.
We finished in the afternoon, and I went back to rest and work on my blog for a while.
Then, at 7 p.m., I met Aigars again, this time with three young people he had arranged for me to meet. We talked about how they see and experience Riga, and the meeting had such a nice, relaxed atmosphere. I also learned lots of little things about Latvian culture and everyday life. It was a really valuable way to end the day.
It was the perfect way to end the day. I went back feeling like I hadn’t just visited Riga – I had actually started to understand it.
Day 3
On my third day in Riga, I wanted to explore a slightly different side of the city. I started with the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, which gave me a deeper look into the country’s complicated and painful history. After the previous days filled with architecture and conversations, it was a much heavier part of the trip, but an important one.
After the museum, I decided to explore the other side of the river, based on a recommendation I had received. I crossed the Daugava and started wandering around without much of a plan. I discovered a lovely park and a beautiful library, and then, while walking around, I ended up talking to some locals there.
They recommended that I visit Kalnciema Quarter Market to find more locals, so I followed their advice. And I found not only locals but also an amazing market in big wooden building with small stalls, local food and handmade products. It felt like a place where locals actually come to spend their time, rather than somewhere designed just for tourists. And of course, I found there some.
I also tried Vecrīga there, a traditional Latvian dessert made from choux pastry filled with sweet cream. Definitely worth trying.
In the evening, I found a place with live music and discovered an Amy Winehouse tribute concert, which was part of the celebrations marking Riga’s anniversary. After three days of exploring, talking to people and constantly following one recommendation after another, sitting down with live music felt like the perfect way to end my time in Riga.
