When you step off your cruise ship in the Latvian capital of Riga, you are on the verge of discovering what has become one of Northern Europe’s booming tourist destinations. Besides being the largest city in the Baltic States and its geographical centre, it is also arguably the unrivalled cultural capital of the area. This is where everything is happening and there is something for everyone, whether you are looking for fashionable cafés, modern cuisine, a lively club scene, or the best in opera and ballet. Cultural festivals such as the summer solstice celebrations or the annual Riga City Festival occupy a large part of the city’s tourist calendar, and there is a feast of museums, historical sites and architectural treasures, including some of the finest art nouveau this side of Paris.
Riga has excellent public transport, including the highly visible yellow hop-on-hop off sightseeing buses that allow you to explore at your leisure. It is also a great city for discovering on foot. There are several large gardens and parks, which give it a pleasantly green and open air, blending into the surrounding countryside. Here the locals love to jog or go on Sunday walks. In the spring, the trees are in blossom throughout the city. Later, the lilacs of Pardaugava on the west bank of the Daugava river come into their own, and the boulevards are honey-scented by the blossom of the linden trees.
If you want to take to the water, there are river cruises operating from the Akmens Bridge that give you a wonderful view of the city, its architecture and the river islands. Alternatively, you can travel beyond the city and enjoy some of the loveliest beaches on the Baltic coast. These range from the wild Kurzeme Beach in the far west, around 200 kilometres from Riga, to the popular beach resort of Jurmala just a half hour’s drive along the coast.
When you step off your cruise ship in the Latvian capital of Riga, you are on the verge of discovering what has become one of Northern Europe’s booming tourist destinations. Besides being the largest city in the Baltic States and its geographical centre, it is also arguably the unrivalled cultural capital of the area. This is where everything is happening and there is something for everyone, whether you are looking for fashionable cafés, modern cuisine, a lively club scene, or the best in opera and ballet. Cultural festivals such as the summer solstice celebrations or the annual Riga City Festival occupy a large part of the city’s tourist calendar, and there is a feast of museums, historical sites and architectural treasures, including some of the finest art nouveau this side of Paris.
Riga has excellent public transport, including the highly visible yellow hop-on-hop off sightseeing buses that allow you to explore at your leisure. It is also a great city for discovering on foot. There are several large gardens and parks, which give it a pleasantly green and open air, blending into the surrounding countryside. Here the locals love to jog or go on Sunday walks. In the spring, the trees are in blossom throughout the city. Later, the lilacs of Pardaugava on the west bank of the Daugava river come into their own, and the boulevards are honey-scented by the blossom of the linden trees.
If you want to take to the water, there are river cruises operating from the Akmens Bridge that give you a wonderful view of the city, its architecture and the river islands. Alternatively, you can travel beyond the city and enjoy some of the loveliest beaches on the Baltic coast. These range from the wild Kurzeme Beach in the far west, around 200 kilometres from Riga, to the popular beach resort of Jurmala just a half hour’s drive along the coast.
