What to visit in RIGA

WHAT TO VISIT IN RIGA

If you have decided that your next destination isLatviaand in particular the city ofRiga, here I can give you some pieces of advice about how to spend a weekend inRiga, what to visit and where to go in order to enjoy every single part of this city.

           Rigais a small city that can be visited in just a few days. When you arrive at the airport you can easily reach the city center by bus, number 22, or by marshrutka, a small typical Russian bus, whose number is 222. You won’t believe that the price for one ride is just 1.15 euro! Something incredibly cheap for an Italian!    In theOldTown, you will find the main attractions, as for example the main cathedral, which dominates the city, and it is the biggest cathedral among theBalticRepublics. Another important monument is The House of the Blackheads, a very particular house, which was time ago a poet guild; you will be surprised by the beauty of this architecture just in the center of the city, because it is a unique architecture you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

            Museums inRigaare a lot, perfect if it is a rainy day, among all of them I can recommend visiting: the occupationmuseumofLatvia, a free museum about the history ofLatvia, and how this country reached the independence in 1991. Not far from the city center there is also the KGB museum, I really liked this museum because you have the chance to visit the prisons, where until the end of theSoviet Unionpeople were forced to live in inhuman conditions. It is a really strong visit but very important to understand the history of this country.

           Latviais also famous for chocolate: Laima is the best chocolate factory in this country and to chocolate lovers, like me, I strongly suggest to visit the chocolate museum, there you have the opportunity to taste different kinds of chocolate and to create your own personalized chocolate bar! If you want to buy a souvenir I think chocolate is perfect and I highly recommend the ones with black balsam of Riga, a typical herbal liqueur, are in my opinion the most tasteful and typical!!!

            Walking trough the small streets of Riga you will notice that different styles and architectures characterize this city: from the soviet style of some monuments, the modern architecture of the National Library, the typical architecture of Orthodox churches, to the art Nouveau style of some houses in the Old Town, reason why Riga is known as the little Paris of the northern countries. These different styles are what makeRigaa unique place, which is worth visiting and the reason why I really like this particular city.

            Of course when you are in another country you have to lunch in one of the typical restaurants of the city and try the local cuisine, to enjoy also the gastronomical part of the tour; the Old Town is full of restaurants and cafes but my favorite is «Ala Folksbar», because you can eat surrounded by typical Latvian music and atmosphere. This is the perfect place where to taste the typical beer “Medalus” with honey, my favourite one because it is sweet and not so strong together with the Latvian garlic bread.

            During a sunny and warm afternoon, you should really go to Mezapark, in my opinion the most beautiful park in Riga, there you can ride a bike, visit the local zoo, with a wide range of beautiful animal species or just walk surrounded by nature: it is indeed my favourite spot in Riga where I can go and enjoy the good weather in tranquillity.

            For those who prefer the seaside you can catch the train to Majori from the central station, for a really cheap price and you will reach this small town in Jurmala, the most famous resort city where in summer you can sunbathing and relax with your friends. As you may noticeRigais crossed by a river, River Daugava which then ends inside theBaltic Sea. It is also possible to book a guided tour on a boat through the river, to admire the city just from another point of view.

            However things to see and to do inRigacan be countless because each month festivals, events and exhibitions are organized all over the city, now it is up to you! Come to Riga, you will not regret it!!