The Baltic countries has long been a place I've wanted to visit, and when I found out that an new airline offered really cheap tickets available from Bergen to Lativa I decided to go for it and spend some days there with friends and family. I teamed up with my old travel buddy Adaora, my cousin and my grandmother, and left a rainy Bergen hoping for some sun in the Latvian capital Riga.
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| The House of Blackheads |
Riga is the largest capital of the Baltic countries, not to mention that it is an old Hanseatic city dating back to1225. It has a rich history which has left the city with marvelous architecture and an increadible atmosphere. The old part of town offers the best sights for tourists interested in Riga's rich history, all within walking distance.
We spent 5 days in Latvia, and during those days we also went for daytrips to Sigulda and Jurmala. For Riga you can actually see most of the city in just a day or two, and if you are short on time there are the usual tourist busses driving nonstop around the city. For us, doing Riga on foot was a good alternative, and it is especially rewarding if you have a stepcounter with you so you can see how much walking you have done once it's all over.. Haha..
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| Delicious dinner at the Key to Riga restaurant |
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| The Key to Riga restaurant with St. Peter's Church in the background |
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By the Piletas canal there is a bridge where couples can attach keychains to the fence for good luck at their wedding day. The key is then thrown into the rivier, and it is believed that as long as the keychain remains unlocked the wedding will last too.
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The old power tower in Riga
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| Cute cat scarves made of wool |
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| An interesting store that sells products made from wool and yarn |
If you are interested in doing some shopping while in Riga then I guess products made of wool is one of the typical things that you can find anyware at both good quality and prize. There are decent number of small streeetvenders who sell products made of 100% wool, and a lot of the products are handmade as well.
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| You can find handmade products made of wool almost anywhere in Riga. (Babyshoes 6 L, pulsewarmers 15 L) |
If you run out of things to do in the city, don't worry. There are a lot of things you can do if you travel out of the city to the rural areas of Latvia. We spent a day in the small town Sigulda and a day at the beach in Jurmala, and both were easily accessible by train from Riga, which I will write more about in my next post.
About Anette
Anette came to Japan as an exchange student in 2010, met the love of her life and got stuck. From her base in Tokyo she writes about her experiences as a full-time worker in Tokyo and about her travels in Japan and abroad. She's a free-spirited adventurer who enjoys both the great outdoors and her urban lifestyle.
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