Part one of my three-part adventure journal series taking in three countries in a week. This one features the 36 hours I spent in Riga, Latvia.
What began as a plan to squeeze in a bit more winter on a Much Better Adventures Snow and Saunas trip in Estonia, quickly grew into something bigger. Once I realised (with a nudge from a friend who’d done the same trip previously), that the flights didn’t line up neatly, and that Latvia and Finland were temptingly close, the idea took shape. Why visit one country in a week when you can visit three?
So that’s exactly what I did. I flew into Riga for a couple of nights to ease myself into the pace of travel, wandered my way through its elegant streets and pancake‑forward cafés, then hopped on a bus to Tallinn to join the main event: four days of snow, sauna, forest, and cold‑water bravery with Much Better Adventures. When the trip wrapped up, instead of heading straight home, I boarded a ferry across the Baltic Sea and spent two gentle, wintry days in Helsinki, a city I’ve visited before and was more than happy to meet again.
In eight days, I crossed borders, landscapes, and headspaces. Two new‑to‑me countries, one familiar favourite, and a middle chapter full of outdoor adventure and communal warmth. It wasn’t a relaxing holiday by any stretch, but it was exactly the break I needed. A joyful, invigorating loop through the north.
In this first in a short three-part series of adventure journals, I shall concentrate on the 36 hours I spent in Riga, Latvia.
Watch the Video
Alongside this written series, I’m also sharing the trip as a daily video diary, providing short snapshots of each day across Latvia, Estonia and Finland. My travel day is live now, with the rest of the videos following over the coming days and weeks.
If you enjoy travel vlogs, behind‑the‑scenes moments, or simply seeing the landscapes I’m describing come to life, you might like following along there too. And if you want to catch each episode as it lands, do subscribe on YouTube, it’s the easiest way to keep up with the whole three‑countries‑in‑a‑week adventure.
A Little About Riga
Before I dive into what I got up to, it’s worth saying a little about Riga itself, because it’s one of those cities that becomes more interesting the moment you understand where it sits in the world. When I told people I was heading to Riga, most didn’t seem to know anything about it. And that’s a shame – because Riga is full of stories.
Latvia is one of the three Baltic States, tucked between Lithuania and Estonia, and Riga has been shaped by centuries of being wanted, ruled, rebuilt, and reclaimed. Founded in 1201, it has been governed at various points by Germans, Swedes, Poles, and Russians, and you can see all of that history in the architecture: Gothic spires, Baroque facades, medieval warehouses, and one of the highest concentrations of Art Nouveau buildings anywhere in the world.
The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the city’s heart is arguably the Freedom Monument, a tall, elegant column topped with a woman holding three stars, symbolising Latvia’s regions. During Soviet rule it became a quiet place of resistance, and today it stands as a powerful symbol of independence and identity. I passed it more than once during my wanderings, and each time it felt like a reminder of how much this small country has endured and rebuilt. Perhaps something I need to take note of.
Arriving in Riga
My adventure began, as they all do, with a travel day. I’d spent the night at Heathrow, failing to sleep thanks to that familiar mix of anticipation and mild airport‑induced internal chaos. The flight itself was uneventful, save for feeling a bit boxed in by my seat neighbour and the usual dehydration gamble of ‘don’t drink so you don’t need the loo’. But the moment I stepped off the plane in Riga, everything softened. Passport control was slow but painless, my (new) bag appeared almost immediately, and within minutes I was on the number 22 bus heading straight into the city. After the sprawl of Heathrow, the simplicity of it felt like a gift.
Riga made a good first impression. Compact, calm, and quietly elegant with its pastel buildings and cobbled streets. Checking into the Hilton Garden Inn in the Old Town set the tone even further with a warm welcome, a modern room, and a pink tulip handed to me for International Women’s Day. This was a gesture apparently echoed all over the city as I noticed women walking by carrying their own tulips. It felt unexpectedly lovely to be invited into what appeared to be a little piece of Latvian love.
With a limited daylight left, I headed out for a wander. The sun was setting over the Daugava River, casting the Old Town in gold, and I found myself slowing down without meaning to. My early dinner was at a small Latvian restaurant called AKA where I was the first customer of the evening: crisp potato pancakes with soured cream and jam, followed by cod in rhubarb cream sauce and a mountain of steamed vegetables. Simple, comforting, and exactly what I needed after a long day.
A Slow Start and Permission to Rest
I only had one full day in Riga, which is exactly the kind of fact my brain loves to weaponise against me. I woke to my alarm at 7am, fully intending to leap out of bed and ‘make the most of it’… and then promptly snoozed it. More than once. By the time I finally got up, showered, and stepped outside, it was 9.45am, and I was caught in that familiar tug‑of‑war between wanting to do everything and knowing I simply didn’t have the energy.
Finding myself travelling alone recently has taught me many things, but one lesson keeps circling back – I am very all‑or‑nothing. If I’m not out the door at dawn with a plan and a purpose, part of me feels like I’m doing it wrong. And yet, every trip also reminds me that rest is part of the experience too. That slow starts don’t ruin a day; they sometimes save it.
By the end of the afternoon, I’d walked more than 20,000 steps, explored for over seven hours, and realised (once again), that I don’t have to be perfect to have a good day. It seemed Riga didn’t mind that I began it late.
And with that lesson, let me tell you how I spent those steps.
Old Town Legends and Architecture
I began my day with a VoiceMap tour, one of my favourite ways to explore a new city (you know this by now). There’s something about wandering at my own pace, headphones in, learning the stories beneath the streets. Riga is perfect for this kind of exploring, being so full of tales that reveal themselves one corner at a time. Well, one audio clip at a time!
The tour wound me through the Old Town, and I learnt about Latvia’s deep pagan roots, its centuries of occupation, and the quiet resilience of its people, who have rebuilt and reclaimed their identity time and again.
I was also guided past medieval warehouses, ornate guildhalls, and the Three Brothers – the oldest residential buildings in Riga, each representing a different architectural era. As mentioned above, the city really is a patchwork of styles; Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau, and everything in between.
I have to mention the story of the famous Cat House with its arched‑back feline statues perched defiantly on the roof. Legend says the cat was originally positioned with its backside pointed toward the Great Guild as a protest, a petty architectural insult that still makes locals – and visitors – smile. I do like it when architecture has a sense of humour.
Views from Above
With my history lesson complete, I set about finding a way to see the city from up high. And I found two places from which I could feel like king of the castle.
St Peter’s Church, whose spire dominates the skyline, has been rebuilt more times than seems reasonable for a single building. First mentioned in the 13th century, it has survived fires, lightning strikes, and wartime destruction. The current tower dates from the 1970s, reconstructed after the original collapsed during World War II.
A €9 lift takes you up to the viewing platform, where the wind is fierce, but the panorama is extraordinary. From here you see terracotta rooftops, church spires, the Daugava River, and the medieval street plan of the Old Town laid out like a map someone sketched centuries ago and never bothered to change. I stayed up there for quite some time admiring the view in the early afternoon sunshine, and would say that the ticket price is well worth it.
Later, I crossed the river to the National Library of Latvia, nicknamed the ‘Castle of Light’. Designed by architect Gunnar Birkerts, its angular silhouette is inspired by Latvian folklore, echoing the mythical Glass Mountain that heroes must climb to gain wisdom. Inside, visitors must leave bags in lockers before wandering the upper floors, which makes the whole building feel calm and uncluttered.
I headed to the top floor, from which the view back across the river to the Old Town was incredible. But the highlight is the People’s Bookshelf, a soaring tower filled with books donated by Latvians who believe each one holds cultural or personal significance. It’s part library, part monument, part collective memory, and another beautiful reminder of how stories shape a nation.
Central Market Wander
Every guide I read before going to Riga told me to visit the Central Market. It’s impossible to miss – five enormous arched pavilions that were once German Zeppelin hangars, repurposed in the 1920s into one of Europe’s largest markets. Today they’re filled with everything from fresh fish and meat to fruit, pastries, textiles, and flowers. Outside, stalls spill into the open air, creating a lively maze of colour and scent.
I nearly joined a guided food tour I spotted on Get Your Guide, but in the end couldn’t make the timings work given my short visit. Instead, I wandered through all five hangars on my own, doing well to resist cherry pies and other pastries (mostly because I was still full of curd pancakes, read on…). The market is wonderfully local; people doing their weekly shop, vendors chatting, no sense of tourist performance.
When it was time to leave Riga the next day, I made time to walk back to the Central Market for lunch supplies before catching the bus to Tallinn from the main station opposite. I’ll share more on the bus ride itself in part two, but for now I will simply say it was cheap, comfortable, and far easier than flying.
Food Moments
Riga seems to take comfort food seriously. After my VoiceMap tour, I headed to Little Lane Café that I’d spotted along the route so that I could try Latvian curd pancakes. I know I’d had pancakes the previous evening but once I discovered that Latvians had several kinds of traditional pancakes, I made it my mission to try them all!
Curd pancakes are a traditional dish made from tvorogs, a soft curd cheese that’s been a staple of Baltic cooking for centuries. Latvians have long relied on dairy as a core part of their cuisine, and curd pancakes (biezpiena pankūkas) are one of those nostalgic, homely foods that my research tells me everyone grows up eating. They’re somewhere between a pancake and a cheesecake; crisp at the edges, soft in the middle, and usually served with jam or fruit. Mine were so good I ordered a second coffee just to prolong the moment. I should really try making them at home.
That evening I dined simply at Lido, a cheap and cheerful canteen‑style restaurant full of locals. I decided to try grey peas with speck, a hearty, smoky dish that’s been part of Latvian cooking since long before refrigeration. It was both nothing special and incredibly delicious all in one. Basic perhaps, but an excellent comfort from the cold.
Between those two meals, there was Black Magic. My friend Jenny had all but insisted I go, and she was right. The chocolate shop feels like stepping into an apothecary from another era, all dark wood and velvet. I ordered four truffles – passion fruit, blackcurrant, pistachio, and a lemon‑cream ‘Scorpio’ – plus a hot chocolate served as warm milk with a spoonful of melting chocolate. Indulgent, theatrical, and absolutely worth it.
Practical Notes
Riga was an excellent city for solo travel – easy to navigate, friendly, and low‑stress in all the ways that matter. The airport transfer alone sets the tone: you walk out of arrivals, hop straight onto the number 22 bus, and twenty minutes later you’re in the Old Town. No complicated systems, no guesswork, and just €1.81. Taxis and Bolt are also inexpensive if you prefer door‑to‑door ease.
I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Riga Old Town, which was an excellent base thanks to it being central, comfortable, and great value at €69 per night. The welcome was warm, the room was quiet, and being right on the edge of the Old Town made it easy to wander without overthinking logistics.
Once you’re in the city, it’s very walkable. The Old Town is compact and well‑signed, and even when you drift further out, the pavements are wide and the atmosphere calm. I always felt safe, even in quieter corners, and English was widely spoken. Riga uses the Euro, and card payments were accepted almost everywhere, the only exception for me was the slice of pizza I bought from a market stall.
I arrived by plane but left by bus, and the main bus station couldn’t have been easier to find. It sits right beside the Central Market, a short walk from the Old Town. If you’re travelling onwards to Tallinn or Vilnius, it’s a very straightforward option.
March was cold, properly cold, so I was glad of my coat, hat, and gloves. But the bright skies and crisp air made wandering a pleasure, and the city never felt harsh or unwelcoming. For a short city break, Riga is an easy recommendation. It’s manageable, interesting, and full of small surprises that make even a brief visit feel worthwhile.
Reflections on Riga
Riga turned out to be far more fascinating than I’d expected from such a short stop. I arrived thinking of it as the prologue to the ‘real’ adventure, and I suppose it was in some ways – but it also became its own small story, one of varied architecture, cobbled streets, long history, and curd pancakes. Thirty‑six hours was enough to get a feel for the city, even with my slow start on my one full day. Between the walking tour, the rooftop views, and the food I managed to squeeze in, I left feeling like I’d genuinely begun to understand Riga’s character.
But I also realised how much more there was to see. Another day, maybe two, would have opened things up beautifully. I could have wandered further along the river, joined that food tour I spotted, dipped into a museum or two, and eaten significantly more pancakes. I know I only scratched the surface.
I’m very glad I took my friend’s advice and tagged Riga onto the start of this trip. It gave me space to arrive, to shake off the travel day, to remember what I enjoy about exploring somewhere new. And it taught me, again, that slow starts don’t ruin a day. Sometimes they make it better. Sometimes they’re exactly what you need.
Riga was the perfect beginning: gentle enough to ease me in, interesting enough to keep me curious, and compact enough that even one full day felt full – but not quite enough to stop me wanting to return.
Feel free to add your Riga, Latvia tips and must-sees in the comments below.
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