Art Nouveau District
Riga has the highest concentration of art nouveau architecture in Europe, with over 800 buildings in the style. The densest cluster is on Alberta iela and Elizabetes iela in the Centrs district.
City in Latvia
Riga
12 things to see
Riga packs most of its best sights into a compact, walkable core where the headline experiences cost nothing. The UNESCO-listed Old Town and the Art Nouveau “Quiet Centre” district are free to wander, and the Central Market, housed in former Zeppelin hangars, ranks among Europe’s largest covered markets and is the cheapest place in town to assemble a picnic of local bread, smoked fish, and cheese. Add the Freedom Monument, the riverside Bastejkalns park with its canal and waterfall, and the photogenic House of the Blackheads square for a full day of free sightseeing. For a cheap escape, the regional train to the Baltic beach town of Jurmala runs frequently and costs only a couple of euros each way, with the long sandy shore free to use. Riga’s bars are famously affordable, especially at earlier happy hours away from the main tourist squares, which is why it draws weekend visitors from across the region. Pair it on a Baltic loop with Tallinn and Vilnius, and aim for late spring or early autumn to dodge both peak prices and the long northern winter.
What to see
Things to do in Riga
What each one costs, where the cost is known.
Freedom Monument
The Freedom Monument is a 42-meter granite and copper column in the center of Riga, erected in 1935 and dedicated to Latvian independence. Free.
House of the Blackheads Riga
A meticulously reconstructed medieval guild house on Town Hall Square, originally built for the Brotherhood of Blackheads. The ornate facade is free to admire and is one of the most photographed buildings in the Baltics.
Latvian War Museum
The Latvian War Museum is housed inside the medieval Powder Tower at the edge of the Old Town, covering Latvia's military and political history from the medieval period through both World Wars and the Soviet occupation to independence. Free.
Riga Cathedral
The largest medieval church in the Baltics, blending Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque architecture accumulated over eight centuries. Entry costs a small fee.
Riga Central Market
The Riga Central Market is housed in five massive former Zeppelin hangars near the old town, making it one of the largest and most unusual market buildings in Europe. Free to enter.
Riga Old Town
Riga's Old Town (Vecriga) is a UNESCO-listed medieval center of cobblestone streets, church spires, and guild houses. Free to walk.
Riga Old Town Squares
Riga's Old Town has three linked squares: Town Hall Square (Ratslaukums) with the reconstructed House of the Blackheads, Dome Square (Doma laukums) with the massive Riga Cathedral (free to enter, organ concerts paid), and Livu Square with the Great and Small Guild buildings. Free to walk all three.
St Peter's Church Tower
St Peter's Church is a 13th-century Gothic church in the Old Town with a tower that offers the best panoramic view in Riga. The church interior is free.
Swedish Gate Riga
The only surviving gate from Riga's medieval city wall, built in 1698 during the Swedish period. Free to walk through, the gate and the adjacent stretch of preserved city wall form one of the most atmospheric corners of the old town.
Three Brothers Riga
Three adjacent medieval dwelling houses representing different centuries of Riga's architectural history, from the 15th to the 17th century. Free to view from the street, the oldest stone residential building in Riga is the white one on the right.
Vermanes Garden
Vermanes Garden is a small park in the center of Riga between the Old Town and the Art Nouveau district. Free.
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