Riga

The charming center of Old Town Riga.

On my way to my next teaching adventure in Russia, I decided that I should take the opportunity to see something else. After looking over the possibilities, Latvia sounded like an interesting and inexpensive option. My lovely friend Paulina decided to join me on the adventure and we had a ball. We only knew that Latvia was a Baltic state famous for architecture, saunas, and woolen mittens, but we were in for a treat. It turns out that Latvia is charming and easy to get around. The people are quite friendly and we felt safe and relaxed the whole time.

St. Peter's Church (1209)

The capital, Riga, has a population of just under 700,000 and is famous for it's many styles of art nouveau architecture. The old city center was founded in 1201 and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are a number of gorgeous brick cathedrals with copper steeples that have aged green. Riga has been conquered by a number of wars so many of its older buildings were burned down or destroyed, but those that remain are quite striking.

  

Old German Zepplin hangars were used to
build the 5 pavilions of the central market (1930).

The central market is an impressive site just outside the walls of old town. After WWI the city decided to recycle old German Zepplin hangars and create 5 pavilions for local farmers to sell their wares. Most of the fresh produce is sold outside in stalls, but the main pavilions have meat, fish, sweets, pickled goods, bread, and even a few cafes preparing food from market ingredients. Since we were visiting during the height of fall harvest, the market was full of apples, cranberries, blueberries,
cabbage, potatoes, and beets.



Riga is a great city for long walks. There are plenty of parks around, long avenues of architecture to gawk at, and the promenade along the Daugava river. Many people rent bikes and brave the old cobblestone streets to see more of the city. Overall, it's a lovely city that I would recommend for a quiet and relaxing vacation.

Dried fish are a popular choice.

Stalin's Birthday Cake is a lovely reminder
of the Soviet occupation (1956).

Great view from the top of Stalin's Birthday Cake.