Riga – an Art Nouveau Dream
My last visit to Riga was quite a while ago. It was in November 2017. Late autumn is not necessarily the best time of year to visit the Latvian capital. Still, when I look at the pictures from back then, the weather wasn’t actually that bad. This time, however, I chose what is considered the best time of year—the summer with its long days. Well, the sunshine didn’t come every day, but that didn’t really spoil the atmosphere in the city. During two trips—one to the castle and museum in Rundale and another to Jurmala, the well-known seaside resort—the weather finally showed its best side. The boat trip on Riga’s city canal also took place in beautiful sunshine.
I think my heart almost belongs to Riga’s daily open market halls. It’s just fun to shop there. The delicious goods are housed in four large former Zeppelin hangars. The fish hall is my absolute favorite spot. The selection is simply fantastic, and the prices are mostly reasonable. In the other halls, you can buy bread, cakes, meat, and other delicacies. But even the area outside the halls is worth a visit. Numerous stalls with fresh fruit and vegetables line up, and it makes sense to compare prices. The variety is huge: peaches, melons, cherries, and raspberries are offered. The hearts of mushroom lovers will also beat faster here: large quantities of chanterelles are available. If you look around a bit, you can get a good price.
Living on Alberta Street
Alberta Street (Albertstraße) is definitely a “must see” in Riga. If you’re lucky, like I am, that your own brother lives just around the corner, then a visit to probably the most beautiful Art Nouveau street in Riga is just a short walk away. You should take the time to appreciate both the impressive facades and the size of the houses. These striking buildings can also be found in the surrounding streets, such as Elizabetes Street, Strelnieku Street, and Vilandes Street. In the evening, some of the houses are illuminated, making them appear even more majestic. I especially liked the creative shops on Alberta Street. I found the floating iron, which was visible outside a shop, particularly interesting.
Of course, no visit to Riga’s historic sites would be complete without a walk through the picturesque Old Town. The Blackheads House is certainly one of Riga’s landmarks. It is frequently photographed and often associated with the former Hanseatic city. The Cathedral and Market Square are also visual highlights. In these districts, you’re not alone—especially at these spots, many tourists gather during the summer to visit the Latvian capital. Besides the “usual” sights, I am also interested in the things that not every visitor gets to see.
When the zipper breaks
One day, for example, I realize that the zipper on my pants has given up the ghost. Hmm, I could of course have it repaired in Germany. But why not support the Latvian economy and find a sewing shop here instead? My brother’s circle of acquaintances is large, so I also get a tip for a seamstress. The location should be in Neustadt, not far from our apartment. We enter a shop that sells electronic goods, and at first I think we’re in the wrong place. But on the right side, there’s a small, windowless cubicle. That’s probably the atelier. The lady doesn’t speak Latvian; she speaks Russian. Well, I probably wouldn’t be able to communicate at all, so I leave the details to my brother. She agrees to fix the pants for 15 euros, and says they’ll be ready in 2 hours. Great. We leave my pants to their fate and take a little look around the area. Indeed, the piece is ready for pickup after the mentioned two hours and is good as new. Who would have thought!
Mezaparks, Riga’s Green Excursion Destination
The next day, we go on an outing with Barkley. Barkley is a very lively and energetic four-year-old Boston Terrier. And yes, I can’t say it any other way—Barkley definitely has his own ideas about how walks with him should look. The fact is, you can do anything with Barkley, except bore him 🙂 To give him some exercise, we take him to Kaiserwald (in Latvian: Mezaparks). It’s basically the city’s “green lung” and a very large forest area where, among other things, concerts also take place. Unfortunately, it starts to rain after a short while. This park is also the site of the Latvian Song Festival every five years. And by coincidence, this year the children’s choirs are there. They probably won’t be too happy about the rain either. We also repeatedly encounter young people in their beautiful national costumes here and in the city center.
After the afternoon was washed out, I have a highlight awaiting me in the evening. We go to “2eat Falafel and Hummus Restaurant.” Here, Israeli-Arab cuisine is served in the best sense. My brother orders delicacies for three people, and the owner, a friend of my brother’s, is really excited about it. On a rotating platter, there are falafel, hummus, baba ghanoush, various salads, and dips. A very tasty flatbread is served alongside. Everything is so rich that we can’t finish all the bowls. A wonderful moment—almost like during my student days abroad.
Boat Tour in the Sunshine
The next day, the weather treats us to bright sunshine. What a difference! For me, it’s clear that today we must take the canal tour on the Daugava. I love boat trips. The friendly ticket seller at the pier also gives us a good price. Instead of 20 euros, we only pay 15 euros per person. A nice gesture, in my opinion. The tour lasts about an hour and is really beautiful. The boat slowly and thoughtfully passes by the city’s main sights: Riga Castle, the Market Halls, the Freedom Monument, and the Academy of Sciences, among others.
Outside Riga: Rundale Palace and Museum
Even on the penultimate day of my visit, the weather is on our side. We take the opportunity and set off for Rundale. And here, I am greeted by a real highlight: a palace with 45 rooms that can be visited, surrounded by a fantastic Baroque garden. The complex is huge. Each room of the Duke or Duchess is more beautiful than the previous one. Everything is wonderfully restored, and you don’t know where to look first. The halls are vast and richly decorated. The private chambers of the ducal couple are just as impressive as the other rooms. Additionally, almost every room has digital information about the history of the rooms. After about two hours of touring, we are literally exhausted, overwhelmed by the splendor of the rooms and the many exhibits. Finally, we want to relax a bit in the (French) rose garden. Here, preparations are already underway for this year’s music festival. We enjoy the sun behind us, delight in the sight of the garden, and listen to the music rehearsal. A wonderful moment. Unfortunately, we have to leave soon. It’s about an hour back to Riga, and dinner (potato rösti with chanterelles!!!) still needs to be cooked. On our way out, we pass by the roses and discover that they have names. Among others, we find Louis de Funès and Heidi Klum 🙂
The Baltic Sea Resort of Jurmala
As you can already tell: In the past three days, the highlights have been coming one after the other. On Sunday, my last day in Riga, we drive about 30 kilometers from the capital to Jurmala, THE Baltic Sea resort just outside the city. On this beautiful day, it’s really crowded here. Both in the pedestrian zone and on the beach, people are enjoying themselves. It’s truly a very lovely place with a very relaxed atmosphere. Here, too, we encounter beautiful Art Nouveau villas and tasteful wooden houses. For a chat, we settle into one of the beach cafés. Here, you can really unwind from everyday life and let “the good Lord be a good man.” To end this wonderful day, we head a little further up the coast to Ragaciems. We have a table reserved at the RIBAS Grillbar for 7 p.m. Here, I round off this fantastic week in the Latvian capital and its surroundings with a very delicious fish dish. I don’t think it will be my last visit to Riga.
