Riga in Winter – Exploring Latvia’s Capital in the Festive Season

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“Riga in winter? That sounds cold”. My friends were right, the Baltic states might not be the most obvious choice for a winter break.

Harsh winters and bleak weather aren’t too appealing to most, but add in a little festive magic and you might just find your new favorite place to visit.

Where neighboring Tallinn in Estonia might steal a lot of the Christmas market thunder in this neck of the woods with its razzle dazzle winter wonderland show, Riga is the surprising underdog that ended up being my favorite of the two.

Where is Riga?

Riga is the capital city of Latvia, one of the three major Baltic states in Eastern Europe – along with Estonia and Lithuania. The city is on the Baltic Sea, somewhere I’ve only been close to when I visited Copenhagen, another beautiful city to visit in the winter.

Latvia also borders Russia. The whole city has a very Soviet era look to it, and the city (if not the country) has had a tough time in the past. But the one thing I learned quickly was that the Latvian people are tough and resilient, impressively so.

The city itself is not that large, with the majority of what you will want to see and do in the Old Town. The Old Town of Riga is a small labyrinth of cobbled streets and is very walk-able.

Even to leave the Old Town is easy and I was able to walk my whole trip without any problems or needing transport. There are however buses around and trams should you need them. And hop on-hop off buses like most major capitals.

How to get to Riga, Latvia

Riga has an international airport serving lots of places around Europe. There are direct flights from the UK and other western European countries, but you may only find indirect flights from some locations.

From the airport it is a short 15-20 minute taxi ride to the Old Town depending on traffic. A taxi will set you back around 20-35 Euros. When I arrived at 10pm this was the best option, but if you have more time there is also a bus.

Bus #22 takes around 40 minutes from the airport to the city center and costs less than 2 Euros. Or for a slightly faster bus try the Lux Express Shuttle. For 8 Euros you’ll be in Riga in around 20-25 minutes.

When I came to leave Riga to go to Tallinn I took a Lux Express bus from the main coach station. If you’re visiting neighboring countries this is a really great way to get around, and much cheaper than flying (better for the environment too).

The buses leave from the Riga coach station near the Central Market. However you will probably have to navigate an underpass to get there or take a short taxi ride.

Riga in Winter – How many days do you need?

I loved Riga so much that I actually ended up extending my trip. Riga in winter will be cold, and you may not want to spend as long there as you would in summer. But I would suggest at least three full days is a good start.

If you have more time and don’t need to rush off, add an extra day. Many people pair a trip to Riga with either Tallinn (Estonia) or Vilnius (Lithuania). Both are easily connected by buses and deserve a few days each.

In my planning, I found that some people preferred Riga over Tallinn, a place I had heard only good things about. That’s what ended up happening to me too. So don’t rush your visit to this beautiful city.

Where to Stay in Riga in Winter

While researching Riga, I decided I wanted to stay in the Old Town. It looked very tourist friendly, walk-able and frankly it looked adorable. My visit included a stay at Hotel Monte Kristo. The hotel is described as a boutique hotel, and the thing that sold me is the restaurant in the hotel is basically a cave.

The Hotel Monte Kristo had a major red and gold theme going on that made the rooms look a little darker than they were, and some of the furniture was a little dated. But otherwise it was a fabulous hotel with incredible staff. The room was super toasty, which is necessary for a visit to Riga in winter.

I had a separate living area which was nice and breakfast is included in the hotel rate which is around 50 Euros a night. Proof that you can do Riga in winter is a great budget trip. The Hotel Monte Kristo was located only a few minutes walk from some of the most popular places to visit.

A few observations about Riga

Before we get into all the wonderful things to do in Riga in winter, I wanted to take time to share a few things I noticed from my time here.

• Everywhere seems to have a basement or cellar – when entering a building, more often than not you’ll end up immediately following steps down to a lower level.
• Many lower levels are basically just big caves with exposed rock walls (so my hotel restaurant wasn’t as unique as I first thought).
• Doors are not always very well marked and are big and heavy on a lot of buildings to keep the cold out – a couple of the museums I went to I wasn’t sure if they were open because I couldn’t find a way in, or an obvious one at least. Persevere, you will get in.
• Riga has some of the most stunningly beautiful buildings and churches that I’ve ever seen. Everything is ornate, and the architecture is just one on its own. I was happy to walk around and just look at buildings all day.
• Blackcurrant is the flavor of choice, everything seems to be blackcurrant flavored -drinks especially. Top Riga Travel Tip: You can get a blackcurrant version of the famous Black Balsam and it’s a little more palatable in my opinion.

Riga In winter – Top Things To Do

So what is there to do in the small Eastern European city of Riga in winter? There are a ton of incredible things to do, but since the Baltics are cold in the winter, you’ll probably want to keep ducking in out of the cold. Therefore have a game plan on what you want to see since it’ll be hard to keep taking your gloves off to use your phone.

BROWSE THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS

The Christmas markets of Europe are some of the best, they are world renowned and they include some amazing Christmas markets in Eastern Europe. Riga Christmas market is equally festive, and more traditional than some. But it is also quite small so could seem disappointing if you’ve been to others in France or Germany.

My favorite thing about the market is the location. The little wooden huts of the Christmas market are arranged in Doma Square outside Riga Cathedral. It’s the perfect backdrop for the market. There’s a huge tree in the center of the market place where singers perform at various times of the day.

There’s less repetition than at other Christmas markets and I discovered some lovely handmade goods that were cheaper than at other European Christmas markets. Smells of traditional Latvian barbecued foods and delicious baked goods fill the air and there’s a good mix of local snacks and hot food as well as more usual gingerbread cookies and such.

I found another Christmas market, albeit smaller still, near the Riga Nativity of Christ Cathedral. The stalls were a little cheaper, and a little more sparse but worth a look if you’re there. Both markets had live animals there that you could pet. Bunnies, sheep and goats in pens with straw, and you can buy food to feed them.

WARM UP WITH SOME HOT DRINKS

You’ll find lots of hot drinks at the Christmas market, the perfect way to warm up when visiting Riga in winter. My favorite thing there was a hot blackcurrant drink – a juice, with pieces of fruit in it. There are coffees and teas, but also hot alcoholic drinks like traditional Glühwein and the famous Latvian Balsam.

You can’t go to Latvia and not get some Riga Balsam, a herbal spirit made with 24 ingredients. I thought it was just a touristy thing, but the Latvians really do drink this stuff.

You can buy it anywhere and while I wouldn’t recommend it as a shot, you can have hot versions, cocktail versions and they even have fruit versions now like blackcurrant and cherry.

Since Riga in winter is cold, make sure to check out some of the city’s local bars or cafés to warm your feet and hands in between your outdoor activities. Rigensis Café has hot drinks and delicious baked goods to fill you up between meals. And Crumble Cake Café serves their specialty crumble cakes alongside hot and cold drinks.

EAT EVERYTHING AT RIGA CENTRAL MARKET

Fancy a visit to a market that isn’t outdoors? Head on over to the Riga Central Market, the perfect indoor activity when visiting Riga in winter.

The market is huge – actually it’s Europe’s largest market and bazaar – and there are a seemingly never-ending supply of stalls. It was once used as military airship hangars, which might give you an idea as to the size.

Later in the day it might be a little quiet, but there are lots of vendors to check out no matter when you visit. Get some fresh produce, local meats, ready to eat food and hot meals, or takeaway deli items.

The pavilions are organized by food category which can’t hurt to save you from getting lost (or overwhelmed). Got some extra time? They do food walking tours at the Central Market where you can try some local Latvian cuisine.

VISIT RIGA DOME CATHEDRAL

If you’re at the Christmas market, don’t miss Riga Cathedral right next to it. The beautiful building has an entrance just around the side from the Christmas market, and after getting through the heaviest door you’ve ever seen you walk down a few steps into the entrance to the cathedral. It’s 5 Euros to go around the cathedral.

The cathedral interior shows off lovely stained glass windows, decorative carvings and rows upon rows of pews. More than I’ve ever seen in a cathedral.

Out a side door (and into the cold) is the cloisters access where you can walk around and look at some of the artifacts that were at one time part of the cathedral and now unfortunately look like a garage sale for broken items.

Still, the history of the cathedral is obvious and it’s worth a visit. Even more so if you manage to get there for one of the regular concerts, especially at Christmas. Tickets are often around 10-15 Euros.

CLIMB TO THE TOP OF ST. PETER’S CHURCH

Nearby to the Christmas market and the cathedral is St. Peter’s. An equally impressive building to the cathedral, the spire can be seen from all around. The church has a history of over 800 years, and for the small fee of 3 Euros you can look around inside.

Pay 9 Euros and you can climb the tower to get views of the town. Save it for a clear day and you can see all around Riga, looking down on the roofs of all the buildings in the Old Town.

The church is really nice although not too big, and perhaps a bit more simplistic than a lot of other big churches. The wooden alter is quite striking though and there are a couple of beautiful stained glass windows.

SEE THE SITE OF THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE

That’s right, the first Christmas tree ever. Decorated Christmas tree that is. Now this is still a bit of a hotly disputed claim as although Riga, Latvia has documented records attesting to a decorated Christmas tree in 1510, Tallinn, Estonia also claims they had the first Christmas tree.

But while Latvia and Estonia battle it out for this claim, it is still something that the city is proud of. And to show their pride they have put up a first Christmas tree marker in the town square to commemorate. This is also where they now put up the main town Christmas tree each year.

VISIT ONE OF THE MANY MUSEUMS

There are so many museums in Riga. They are everywhere, and a number of them are free. Another reason why Riga is a great budget destination.

Some museums, like the Latvian War Museum are really large and have more information than you’ll end up wanting to read despite how interesting it all is. But others are simply called a museum and are really just a room with not much in it (Latvian Museum of Architecture).

Wherever you go though you’ll find museums all around Riga and since a lot of them are free it’s not too much of a pain to find it’s not as good as you thought it might be.

ADMIRE THE HOUSE OF THE BLACKHEADS

While I did feel like the House of the Blackheads was a little overhyped, it is still worth a visit. So what was my problem with it? Well, everywhere you go the House of the Blackheads is featured, with a history dating back to the 15th Century. Except it was only built in 1999 after being leveled in WWII.

It’s a striking building though, and has been expertly restored. Absolutely beautiful, ornate and colorful. Plus you can go inside for a look around the original foundations. If you do want to go in for a look, it’s not going to break the bank at only 7 Euros.

The museum in the basement offers an up close peek at some of the original foundations and tunnels and is well worth a visit. But the only other things to see in the building are a couple of cabinet rooms telling you all the famous heads of state that have visited, and a big ballroom on the second floor.

Riga In Winter – Where To Eat

There are dozens of really good restaurants offering local Latvian cuisine as well as other food. There are a number of burger bars and pubs, and most of what you will find is more on the casual side in Riga which I actually quite liked.

Food in Riga is generally reasonably priced and you get a good amount of it. There’s a no nonsense meat and potatoes feel to a lot of the menus, with a bit of a Russian influence here and there.

If you have some time and want to get a little more of taste of Riga, check out this food tour. But here are a couple of restaurants I went to that I would recommend.

HOTEL MONTE KRISTO RESTAURANT

The hotel I stayed at has it’s own restaurant and unlike most hotel restaurants it is not overpriced but rather reasonable.

The menu is diverse with plenty of options and the beer is cheap (starting at EUR 1.80). Also, I mentioned before that the restaurant is basically a cave. It gives it a cozy feeling, and how often can you say you’ve eaten in a cave? Well it’s Riga, so actually pretty often now…

ROZENGRALS MEDIEVAL RESTAURANT

It’s medieval. It’s underground. And you can drink mead while eating roast pig. The restaurant lies behind a old wooden door to a building that looks like it’s stepped back in time (and surrounded by medieval gear to make the streets look old too).

Upon entering I was greeted by a drummer in medieval costume who asked where I was from then proceeded to announce my arrival. Descend the steps and enter a giant cave.

The staff are dressed in medieval attire and equally medieval music plays around you. None of this feels too gimmicky though. The drinks are good, the food is amazing, and the service was on point.

I had a honey beer and ordered the maize grits pie with tomatoes and cheese with a side of roasted hazelnuts. The food is rustic, well presented and tastes even better. And if you order select meat dishes, they are served on a mini sword like skewer over a plate.

FOLKKLUBS ALA PAGRABS

Another underground pub, but a little more modern this time. The food here is pretty cheap compared to a lot of places, although the service was slow during my visit. That said the staff were very apologetic, and the food was good enough to make up for it.

The restaurant has an extensive menu for both food and drinks. I had the filo pastry tart with mushrooms and goat cheese on a bed of salad. I also had the potato and carrot pancakes with sour cream and house jam. Both were really flavorful. There were so many things on the menu I wanted to try but I couldn’t pick them all.

RIGA CHRISTMAS MARKET STALLS

You made it all the way to Riga in winter, what better way to join in the festive fun than to enjoy some traditional food at the Christmas market. The baked treats are worth trying, and there are pastries and breads you should also try.

Meat lovers will enjoy the market’s opulent choices including sausages, skewered meats and even pork nose if you’re brave enough. My vegetarian friends can try hot soup, baked potatoes and many other veggie-based dishes.

Riga In Winter – Is It Worth It?

I truly can’t say enough nice things about Riga. I absolutely adored the city, the people and everything I saw and did. In fact I was devastated to have to leave and only wished I’d been able to spend longer.

The city was quiet and really had a lovely small town feel. It felt like home even after a few days. If I did go back I would stay in the same hotel again, the Hotel Monte Kristo. I loved it there.

If you’re looking for somewhere with a lively atmosphere, Riga might not be the place for you. But I found it a refreshing change from busy and overly popular Tallinn. I’m sure I will be back to Riga as it has been catapulted to the top of my list of favorite places to visit.

I’ve heard that Riga is a beautiful place to visit in summer, but Riga in winter is a wonderful experience and well worth a long weekend getaway around the festive period.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you been to Riga, Latvia? What did you think of it? Where would you recommend someone visit in the city?