Riga Travel Guide 2024 – Complete City Tour and Guide to Latvia’s Capital City

Riga Travel Guide 2024 – Complete City Tour and Guide to Latvia’s Capital City

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Riga, the  captivating capital city of Latvia. In this   comprehensive travel guide, I’ll take you on a  journey through the best attractions. How to get   in from the airport, how to get around the city,  where to eat, and how to ensure you make the most  

Of your visit to this charming Baltic city. Riga is a city that’s full of medieval   charm and rich history. But it definitely  helps to know your way around the place,   so let’s take a look at a map. You’ll notice that most of the  

Attractions you’ll be interested in  are located right here in the Old Town,   and if you’re staying around here, all the major  attractions are within a short walking distance.  So how do you get to and from the airport? Most likely, you’ll arrive here at  

Riga International Airport. You can take a taxi if you want to,   but the easiest and cheapest way is to actually  use the bus. Specifically bus number 22, which   you can catch from just outside the airport  terminal. To buy tickets, find this machine  

Located outside and select your language. My advice to you is to buy an all-inclusive   travel pass for the number of days  that you’re planning to be here.  Once you pay for it, it’ll spit you out this  orange ticket. When you board any mode of  

Transport, all you need to do; is simply  validate it with one of the validators and   away you go. It’s literally that simple. And  the same method can be used for the trams.  So now that you’re here, let’s visit  the most visited and iconic attraction  

Here in the city of Riga. The House of the Blackheads.  This absolutely stunning building, complete  with an ornate anatomical clock at the front,   is Riga’s most iconic landmark and  possibly the symbol of the city itself.   It’s definitely an attraction where you can take  lots of iconic photos and videos. It’s called ‘The  

House of the Blackheads’ due to the Brotherhood  of followers of St. Maurice, who happens to be   a black Egyptian. Hence the name ‘Blackheads’. Once you’ve bought your ticket, you’ll notice   that it’s an equally grand building inside as  it is outside. The most notable feature is this  

Lovely ballroom, complete with ornate decorations,  the blackhead coat of arms, and these crystal   chandeliers. It’s also a lovely place to practice  your ballroom dancing if you so feel like it. It’s   very, very beautiful inside, and it banks onto a  balcony that overlooks the Old Town and City Hall. 

You’ll encounter other quaint little rooms that  are very very nicely decorated, and you can learn   all about the history of the blackhead order and  the timeline of construction of this building.  There’s definitely lots of cool things to see  and do in the House of the Blackheads and it’s  

Definitely worth the price of admission. Even if  you don’t want to go inside, that’s okay, it still   looks pretty awesome from out here at Town Square. Across from Town Square you’ll find Riga Town   Hall. Beautiful building, but you can’t go inside  and urgh … what an appalling conveyance that is! 

Around the corner you’ll find St Peter’s Church,  one of the more important churches here in the   city of Riga. It’s beautifully decorated inside,  very much clad with brick, and is a lovely serene  

Church to walk around. The best part of St Peters’  is if you go up the bell tower to take in these   lovely views across the entire city of Riga. You  can see all the medieval streets from up high,   beautiful views of the river, and it’s  a 360° view across the entire town,  

Especially if it’s a nice day. Around the corner from that,   you’ll find St John’s Church. With its beautiful ceiling detail,   cool looking mirror. Hello there!  And overall, it is free to go inside – but if  you are taking photos and videos they highly  

Recommend that you make a donation, which I gladly  did. There are many other churches around the Old   Town of Riga that you can visit, and yes,  you can go inside them if you want to. Most   of them are indeed free. But possibly the most  important one that charges an entry fee is this: 

Riga Cathedral. One of the main   buildings that you can see on the Riga skyline. Outside, you’ll find this cool Riga sign, which   makes for some nice photo and video opportunities.  There’s some interesting looking statues out here.   Armadillos! And on the inside, it’s a very Grand  Cathedral indeed. As always with any Cathedral  

There’s a lot of very interesting Church stuff on  display. But the most surprising thing about Riga   Cathedral is going around the cloisters AKA where  the monks kind of hang out. These cloisters are   incredibly ancient, but they’re really cool to  explore. Some parts of it are very beautifully  

Decorated. Some parts of it are incredibly  creepy. But overall, you’ll have a good time here.  But if churches isn’t your thing, you’ll have a  whale of a time just walking the streets. You’ll   marvel at the architecture, it’s very medieval and  it feels like you step back into the Middle Ages. 

On a nice day like today, you’ll enjoy the  atmosphere, walking around medieval buildings,   that happen to have modern shops inside of  them. And there are plenty of places to eat   particularly the eateries around Riga Cathedral. And as we’re talking about food; Latvian Cuisine  

Can be found virtually anywhere. And there’s  no corner of the city where you can’t find   traditional food, in medieval style restaurants.  The prices are actually quite reasonable,   beer is cheap, but the most famous alcoholic drink  that Riga is known for is this; Black Balsam. 

It’s kind of an aniseed liquer,  and to be honest it’s really not   my thing. But try it you might like it?! and there’s that damn appalling conveyance   again! Who invented that? Whilst wandering around,   you’ll eventually come across the north  part of the city, and specifically to  

This building right here: Riga Castle. Currently a government building, whilst   there is a museum inside that you can access –  you can’t actually access where the government   does its business. This part is heavily guarded  and I wouldn’t mess with these guys if I were you. 

Let’s venture now to the south side of the city,  where you’ll find the main train station. So   if you are arriving via train, this is where  you’ll come into the city, and you can get to   pretty much anywhere else in Latvia from here. But it’s also right next to a giant shopping  

Centre. So if you do want to go shopping  in more modern shops, this is the place   to go. And it’s not much different to any other  western shopping centre that you’ll come across.  But for a more authentic shopping experience  around the corner you’ll find Riga Central Market. 

It’s a big giant marketplace that’s all the locals  seem to shop at. If I’m being brutally honest (and   in my opinion) it’s no place for a tourist. As  quite a lot of these things you really can’t take  

Home with you. If you’re looking for something a  little bit quieter, Riga has several park spaces   just outside the Old Town. So if you want to  take it easy in the sunshine, surrounded by trees   and grass, ride a boat along the river whilst  enjoying the fountains and some lovely scenery,  

This is the part of the city for you. While you’re enjoying sauntering through   the parks, you’ll eventually come  across the National Opera House,   which is the opera venue here in the city of Riga. If you wanted to catch a ballet or an opera show,  

This is the venue for you. Not too far away, you’ll find   the Freedom Monument, which is the National  Monument here in Latvia. You’ll find this   slap bank in the middle of the road, and it  separates the Old Town from the New Town. 

One of the cool things about these park spaces  in the new town is that not only does everyone   enjoy them, but everyone has access to this  rather cool Outdoor Art Gallery. I think this   is an incredibly good idea because it introduces  people who otherwise wouldn’t be interested, in  

Art. These are some of the most famous paintings  in the Prado Museum; absolutely anybody can enjoy   them. And it’s completely free to explore! It’s  definitely a nice relaxing atmosphere in the park   spaces of Riga, especially if it’s a nice day. You’ll eventually come across the Powder Tower,  

Which is currently home to the Latvian  War Museum. It’s free to go inside,   and believe it or not, it’s an interesting look  at Latvia’s military history, from the ancient,   to the modern, and that guy, oh dear. When you climb the Round Tower, it has all of  

These exhibits, so it’s definitely worth about 30  minutes of your time to explore. Then you’ll come   across the most iconic museum in the entire city: The Latvian National Museum of Art.  When you go inside you’ll be met with this grand  staircase, and lovely views from the top floor.  

Some of the art in here is incredibly modern, it’s  definitely a more modern museum with incredibly   cooky floors. But the paintings are hmmm  interesting?! Overall it’s an excellent museum   and if you wanted something a little bit more  substantial than a free Outdoor Art Gallery in a  

Park, this is definitely the art gallery for you. On this side of the new town. you’ll also find the   ex KGB headquarters, which is now home to a KGB  Museum. You’ll come across many other churches,  

But the two most notable ones is this yellow one  which is the Alexander Nevsky Church – not to be   confused with the Alexander Nevski Cathedral  in Tallinn, those are two different places.   And the other main Church down the  street, the one with the gold domes,  

Is the Riga Nativity of Christ Cathedral. Both of  these are Russian Orthodox Church, that’s that’s   completely decked out in gold on the inside,  and they’re both definitely worth a look even if   you’re not religious, mainly because it’s free. Other attractions which are outside of the city  

Limits, includes visiting the football stadium:  home to Riga Football Club. Across the river   you’ll find the National Library, just in case  you want to read some books in Latvian. On the   south side right here is the Latvian Academy of  Sciences. A very very impressive Stalin-esque  

Building, where you can take the elevator  to the 17th floor to its observation deck,   for some lovely views around the city. For some absolutely stunning views;   I recommend visiting the Riga TV and radio tower.  But only on a clear day, because otherwise you’ll  

Be able to see nothing – like this. Overall, if you want something a little   bit different and you’re trying to visit all the  Baltic countries, Riga is certainly worth a day or   two to explore. Due to its mediaeval charm,  quirky streets and historical attractions. 

Okay Ninh, I’m sold. What do I need to do? Well, you need to come here to Riga.  As mentioned earlier in the video, to get to  and from the airport, you can take a taxi.   But the easiest way is to take bus number 22  from the airport, and it will drop you off  

Just outside the House of the Blackheads.  Buy yourself an all-inclusive travel pass,   and you’ll be absolutely fine. This allows  you access to the buses and the trams, and   you literally just tap your ticket to a validator  in order to use it. It’s literally that simple.  

Please note that your ticket starts from the day  of validation, not the time, so if you activate   your ticket at 11:55 p.m., you have effectively  wasted an entire day’s worth of travel. Ticket   machines can be found at most major stops. The attractions are cheap enough, and most  

Of the attractions you see in this video are  actually free. But the cost of food and drink   can quickly add up, so consider mixing  eating out with trips to the supermarket.  If you’re looking for a place to stay, please stay  inside the Old Town, as most of the things you  

Want to see are within walking distance from here.  I made the mistake of staying across the river   from the Old Town. And whilst the hotel was very  nice, it was a waste of time to commute by bus or  

Tram to the Old Town of Riga every single day. Is there anything else I need to know? Yes,   Riga’s traffic is notoriously bad. Especially the  roads that go into and from the Old Town. Also  

Watch out for the cars on crossings as they don’t  exactly slow down or stop. Quite a lot of the city   seems to be under construction and it can be a  bit of a mess to walk around, so please bear that  

In mind. Free public toilets are rare, and with  most of the public facilities here in Riga – you   have to pay money to enter, so please carry some  pocket change with you. If you do happen to find a  

Free of charge toilet to use, it won’t be in the  nicest condition. Latvian people in general are   all right, but some of them can be quite abrupt  and impatient towards tourists. Don’t take it   personally, that’s just how it is over here. If you have enjoyed this episode, please  

Be sure to like, share and subscribe.  Comment on that comment section below,   and if you’ve got any other suggestions  for bucket list ideas, you know what to do.  If I get enough suggestions I’ll make a video  about it. But guys thanks very much for watching,  

And we’ll see you in the next episode. Ninh Ly – www.ninh.co.uk – @NinhLyUK

Everything you need to know about going to Riga, how to get in from the airport, what attractions to see, what to do, where to avoid and this is the only video you’ll need to plan your trip to Latvia’s Capital Riga. I’ll show you around The House of the Blackheads, Riga Cathedral, St Peter’s Church, the KGB, the old town, Riga Castle, The Freedom Monument, the medieval shops, restaurants, old streets and much more.

Embark on a captivating journey through the enchanting city of Riga with our ultimate travel guide for 2024! From historic landmarks to charming cobblestone streets, join us as we uncover the best attractions, dining spots, and attractions that make Riga a must-visit destination. Discover the vibrant culture, rich history, and warm hospitality of Latvia’s capital city. Your adventure in Riga begins here!

00:00 Riga Travel Guide
00:26 Riga City Guide Introduction
00:35 Map of Riga
00:52 How to get here from Airport or Train Station
01:13 Using Public Transport in Riga
01:50 The House of the Blackheads
03:21 Riga Town Hall and Old Town Square
03:36 St Peter’s Church
04:14 St John’s Church & other churches
04:44 Riga Cathedral
05:39 Walking the Medieval Streets
06:07 Food & Drink in Riga
06:43 Riga Castle
07:09 Riga Train Station & Origo Shopping Centre
07:35 Riga Central Market
07:56 Parks in Riga
08:19 Latvian National Opera
08:34 Freedom Monument
08:54 Outdoor Art Gallery
09:22 Powder Tower – Latvia War Museum
09:50 Latvian National Museum of Art
10:28 KGB Headquarters
10:37 Alexander Nesky Church / Riga Nativity of Christ Cathedral
11:09 Other Attractions – Riga Football Club, National Library, Academy of Sciences Building
11:37 Riga TV & Radio Tower
12:07 Advice for your trip to Riga
12:59 Cost of Riga, Food & Drink
13:16 Where to stay in Riga
13:42 Top Tips for Riga, Latvia

Ninh Ly presents ‘Ultimate Bucket List’ – a brand new YouTube channel to explore cool things to do before you die. From swimming with dolphins, to jumping off cranes, to gambling in Vegas. Follow me on my journey to tick off things on my bucket list and give you travel tips and advice so that you
can start your own. Come on guys, live a little!

Life is too short. Do you feel that your life is slipping away?
Have you fulfilled your life’s wishes? Or travelled the world?
This channel is to provide you with ideas to tick off your bucket list.

COMMENT, LIKE, RATE & SUBSCRIBE!!!
Also discuss on Reddit!

Video: Copyright Ninh Ly 2023, Envato
Images: Ninh Ly
Music: ‘Various’ by Envato.
Narrated, Directed and Produced by Ninh Ly

Ultimate Bucket List Website – http://www.ultimatebucketlist.co.uk
Main Website – http://www.ninh.co.uk
Find Ultimate Bucket List on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ultimatebucketlist.co.uk/
Find Ninh Ly on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ninh.ly.31/
Follow me on Twitter – http://twitter.com/NinhLyUK
Google+ – https://plus.google.com/+NinhLyUK
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ninhlyuk
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninh-ly-0623218b/

#Riga #Latvia #RigaTravel #travel #bucketlist #top10 #traveladvice #travelling #CityGuide