Erasmus Experience in Riga, Latvia, by Laurie

Why did you choose to go to Riga, Latvia?

Because this country and this city are not so famous and i wanted to discover it. Also because of the interesting history and culture here, between Russia and Europe.

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How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

One year and I recieve 150 euros per month from the Erasmus program.

What is the student lifestyle like in Riga?

The university does not require much work, so there is a lot of free time. The ESN association is really active and organising a lot of events which are really fun.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Riga to other students?

I warmly recommend the city of Riga, which is not so big but with a lot of various things to do. Yet, the courses at university are not so interesting.

What is the food like?

The food is good!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Riga?

Not, it is quite easy to find an accomodation there.

How much does it cost to live in Riga?

With 500 euros you can live a really good life there.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

The language courses are really good at the latvian university (I took latvian and russian). Moreover, it is easy to get use to latvian.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Riga from your city?

By plane, with low-cost company.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Riga?

There are plenty of places to go at night. Ala Bar is really nice to get to know a traditional latvian place. Aussie Bar, Tims Mints or Follow the Rabbit are nice places to drink a beer.

Puce, Rock Cafe, Piens or One One, are nice places to go dancing.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Riga?

There are also a lot of nice and cheap restaurants in Riga: Ala Bar is a good one. The Garlic restaurant is also nice and original (everything is with garlic).

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The Latvian Art museum, the Museum of Occupation, the Museum of Barricades, the KGB museum (with guided tour for this one) are really interesting museums. The freedom monuments, the national library, the central market and the biggest orthodox church are also amazing to visit.

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Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Riga in the future?

The students dormitory (Prima or Resnas) are really not good, in a quite dangerous neighborhood and far away from the city center. I was living there a while but I do not recommend them.

It is really easy to get out of the city, by train (to Jurmala, Kemeri) or by renting a car. I warmly recommend it, to visit the latvian countryside, which is really really nice.