Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
When you’re at Rīga, Latvia you will experience the Daugava river as a mighty and wide stream located near the city center and dividing the old town from the newer parts of the city. You need to cross it to go to the airport, the botanical garden or – by train – if you want to visit Jūrmala. The river is 1020 kilometers long, begins in Russia and passes through Belorussia and Latvia to the gulf of Rīga where it floats into the Baltic sea.
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The central market (Centrāltirgus) of Rīga, Latvia is located directly next to the bus station and not far away from the railway station. You can’t miss it because it is located within iconic buildings once used to built airships. On 72.000 squaremeters you can buy fruit, cheese, meat, fish, flowers and more. The market plays an important role in everyday life and I’ve never seen so many people accessing a market.
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I really love sky bars as they combine good drinks with good views, give you the chance for a nice picture of the city and you can really enjoy sundown. At Rīga, Latvia you just have to leave the old town in direction of the freedom monument, pass the orthodox church and than you’ll already see the hotel Latvia, belonging to the Radisson hotel chain. The old skyscraper is the highest building in that area and therefore the best spot for a bar like this.
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The nativity of Christ cathedral (Kristus Piedzimšanas pareizticīgo katedrāle) at Rīga, Latvia is a wonderful Russian-orthodox church located in the Esplanāde park. It is the biggest orthodox church in the Baltic states and was created from 1876 on in byzantine revival style. It has five cupolas partially covered with gold and a 43 meters high bell tower.
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The freedom monument (Brīvības piemineklis) of Rīga, Latvia is a town’s landmark of the city and a symbol for the national sovereignity of Latvia. It was created during the first Latvian independence between 1931 and 1935 and was built as a replacement for the statue of Peter the Great once standing there. Even when Latvia lost its independence again the statue could be preserved.
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There are numerous places in Rīga, Latvia where you can enjoy traditional cuisine. Often with wooden outdoor areas in front of the restaurant as it is usual in Eastern Europe. A good one is the Vecmeita ar kaki (which translates to ‘maiden with a cat’) next to the unimposing but important castle of Rīga.
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When a German hears of a statue of St. Roland he will most probably think of the one standing at Bremen, Germany. But you can also find one at Rīga, Latvia between the town hall and the Melngalvju nams. The first version from the 14th century was a wooden one which was replaced in 1894 by a version made of sandstone. The current one is a replica – the original one from 1894 can be found within the St. Peter’s church.
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The most beautiful building of Rīga, Latvia can be found directly opposite to the town hall in the city center – the house of the brotherhood of blackheads or Melngalvju nams. It is a gothic style building first mentioned in 1334 and used by the merchants of the city. The facade has many nice decorations and sculptures and you can stand there for a long time and still discover something new. What is not obvious: the whole building was missing for more than 50 years.
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The tower of the St. Peter’s church (Svētā Pētera baznīca) is the highest church tower in Rīga, Latvia. It is around 120 meters high and you can go the second gallery by elevator to enjoy good views on the city. The church itself was first mentioned in the year 1209 CE and is built in brick gothic style. It was continuously enhanced as it should always be more beautiful than the cathedral of Rīga just some streets away.
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After visiting Tallinn, Estonia it was time to continue my trip to Rīga, Latvia and there are not too many options for that as the railway system is not as good as in other European countries. As often as in eastern Europe long-distance busses replace trains and there is a very good infrastructure for them. You can easily book this trip online with different platforms and operators. And you can choose different quality classes of transit.
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