Neighbourhood · UNESCO
Riga Old Town
Riga, Latvia
A medieval and Hanseatic old town of narrow lanes, guild halls, church spires and café squares.
City · Latvia · Riga
Riga
The Baltic's largest city, with a medieval old town, Europe-leading Art Nouveau architecture and a vast food market.
about 5 h
For storytellers
Why Riga matters
Riga is a city of two faces. The old town has cobbled lanes, guild halls and church spires that go back centuries to when Riga was a Hanseatic trading port. A short walk north, the Art Nouveau district has streets lined with ornate facades covered in faces, masks and flowing curves, among the best collections anywhere in Europe. Add a big central market, parks, a river and lively nights, and you have a city that deserves at least two full days.
Talking points
- The Art Nouveau district is among the richest in the world.
- The old town grew as a Hanseatic trading port.
- The Central Market is one of the largest markets in Europe.
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What to see in Riga
Neighbourhood · UNESCO
Alberta Street Art Nouveau District
Riga, Latvia
A street of extravagant early 20th-century facades with masks, sphinxes and swirling ornament.
Church, mosque or temple
Riga Cathedral
Riga, Latvia
A huge medieval church, famed for its great organ and mixed architecture.
Market · UNESCO
Riga Central Market
Riga, Latvia
One of Europe's largest markets, housed in five huge hangars originally built for Zeppelins.
Viewpoint
St Peter's Church
Riga, Latvia
A Gothic church with a tall spire and a lift to a tower viewing platform over the old town.
Monument
Freedom Monument
Riga, Latvia
A tall limestone monument topped by a figure holding three stars, a symbol of Latvian independence.
Historic site
House of the Blackheads
Riga, Latvia
An ornate gabled guildhall on the Town Hall Square, rebuilt after wartime destruction.
Viewpoint
Latvian Academy of Sciences Observation Deck
Riga, Latvia
A 1950s skyscraper with an open-air observation deck over the city.
Also nearby
Within about 40 km, closest first.