Erasmus Experience in Riga, Latvia by Lynda

Why did you choose to go to Riga, Latvia?

I had to choose between Germany, Spain and Latvia, I preferred to choose a city that is uncommon!

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

Around 470 Euros per month during 6 months.

What is the student lifestyle like in Riga?

A lot of party, and trips to many cities such as Stockholm, Oslo, St Petersburg... And sometimes courses...

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

Of course, I come from Paris so it's totally different from what I expected.

What is the food like?

They have a lot of specialities with fish and potatoes. Their food is really tasty.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Riga?

No, I found it before coming to Riga, I joined a lot of Erasmus Group in Riga through Facebook and other social network.

How much does it cost to live in Riga?

It depends, if you go to students parties everyday it costs money. But if you don't party everyday you can live with 400 € (including some trips).

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

Yes, it's easy. I already know a lot of words in Latvian and Russian. My University offers language courses in Russian, Latvian and German for beginners. The teachers are really good!

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

The bus! It's 16 euros per month for all buses and 10 euros per month for one bus.

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

Old Town, and there are discotheques not in Old Town like La Rocca where it's bigger than the bars in Old town. There is also a bar, the Nabaklab, which organize events every two weeks and some funny shows, there are a lot of Latvian and Russian people here.

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

Ala bar, you can eat and listen latvian musics, the Austrumu Vurtuve, which is out from the center (around Melnsila iela).

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Many churches, the Art Nouveau street, and the museums, which are really good and cheap. There are many types of museums: art, war, etc. (my favorites were the museum of war and art).

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

It's better to live in the center, and I recommend to travel around Riga. It's really cheap. The countryside is really beautiful. And don't think that Latvian people are not sociable. At the beginning, they look so cold with foreign people, but now I know that their culture is really different than ours (the French one) but eventually they are very kind.