2 days in Riga

Day by day

1. Day 1: Old Riga walk and House of the Blackheads

   Old Riga walk, House of the Blackheads, St Peter's Church and Riga Cathedral, then Old Riga in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Old Riga walk

      A loop from Town Hall Square takes in Līvu laukums with the Great and Small Guild halls, the Cat House with its arched-back cats on the turrets, the Swedish Gate of 1698 and the long yellow Jacob's Barracks on Torņa iela, ending at the Powder Tower.

   2. Late morning

      House of the Blackheads

      Bombed in 1941 and cleared under Soviet rule, it was rebuilt in its Dutch Renaissance form by 1999 and is again the showpiece of Town Hall Square, beside a statue of Roland.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Dark rye bread

      Bakeries, the gastronomy pavilion at the Central Market and every restaurant bread basket.

   4. Afternoon

      St Peter's Church

      A lift climbs the tower to a viewing platform at about 72 metres, giving the best panorama over the Old Town roofs, the Daugava and the Art Nouveau district.

   5. Late afternoon

      Riga Cathedral

      Its organ, built by E. F. Walcker in 1884 with 6,718 pipes, was once the largest in the world, and short organ concerts are held regularly.

   6. Evening

      Old Riga

      Dense with pubs, cocktail bars, beer halls and clubs around Kaļķu iela and the squares; busiest at weekends.

2. Day 2: Alberta iela and the Art Nouveau district and Riga Central Market

   Alberta iela and the Art Nouveau district, Riga Central Market, Freedom Monument and Three Brothers, then Miera iela and Tallinas kvartāls in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Alberta iela and the Art Nouveau district

      Alberta iela is the showpiece, with Mikhail Eisenstein's facades of screaming masks, sphinxes and peacocks; Elizabetes iela and Strēlnieku iela continue the display. The Riga Art Nouveau Museum at Alberta iela 12 recreates the apartment of architect Konstantīns Pēkšēns with original furniture and a painted spiral staircase.

   2. Late morning

      Riga Central Market

      It is one of the largest markets in Europe and a good place to taste smoked fish and rye bread.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Grey peas with bacon

      Traditional Latvian restaurants and self-service Lido buffets.

   4. Afternoon

      Freedom Monument

      It survived the Soviet era and became a rallying point for the independence movement; an honour guard stands at its base.

   5. Late afternoon

      Three Brothers

      Together they house the Latvian Museum of Architecture.

   6. Evening

      Miera iela and Tallinas kvartāls

      Cafés that turn into bars, craft beer and courtyard events with a local crowd.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Latvian National Museum of Art (City Centre): Go up to the rooftop terrace for a view over the Esplanāde and the Nativity of Christ Cathedral.
• Swap in National Library of Latvia (Pārdaugava): Walk across the Akmens Bridge from Old Riga and back for skyline photos in the late afternoon.
• Swap in Art Museum Riga Bourse (Old Riga): Visit when the Old Town streets are busy; the building's interiors are as much the attraction as the collection.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 9–11 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 6.8 hours in December to 17.8 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Walking is the best way to see Old Riga and the Art Nouveau streets; the Central Market is about 10 minutes from Town Hall Square.

More or fewer days

• One day in Riga
• 3 days in Riga

Questions travellers ask