Rendezvous in Riga π±π»
A Week In The Latvian Capital
After a perfect 4 days exploring Estonia, we packed up for a good old-fashioned bus ride! We had been traveling mostly by plane for a while, but the 12 euro ticket for the Regional Express was too good of a deal to pass up.
Our destination was Riga, the largest city in the Baltics and the capital of Latvia. The bus ride was almost 5 hours, but the scenery was quite pleasant! The route cut through the beautiful countryside of Estonia before making its way along the western coast of Latvia.
We werenβt entirely sure what to expect when we got to Riga, but we were assuming it would be more of the same medieval charm with the sprinkle of modern flare.
While this prediction was somewhat accurate, we were a little taken aback by how diverse the streets of Riga actually were!
It is a very metropolitan setting with a lot of the features you would expect to see in Berlin and Paris. However, there is also an unmistakable Soviet influence when it comes to some of the monuments and larger buildings.
It is easy to forget that Latvia was part of the Soviet Union as recently as 1991.
Latvia had a very difficult 20th century. After winning their independence in the wake of World War I, the Great Depression took its toll on their economy.
Not long after, the country was caught in the crossfire between Nazi and Soviet forces in World War II.
After the Soviets retreated out of Riga, it fell under Nazi occupation and actually became quite important to the Nazis because of its strategic location on the coast.
While the end of World War II freed Latvia from Nazi Occupation, it ended up falling right into the grasp of the Soviets, whom many Latvians had considered rivals for decades.
I always think it is fascinating to take a peak into the history of the places we visit because it provides so much context to the events that shaped their development.
In Latviaβs case, we really gained a strong appreciation of the resilience that is instilled in Latvian culture, as well as the pride of a country they can finally call their own.
Riga is a truly beautiful city. We were so amazed by the abundance of park space, and enjoyed going on long walks through the paths lined with beautiful trees still holding onto the last few weeks of their Fall colors.
We stayed in the more modern area of the city, but we couldnβt help venturing into the old town every day!
The old town is known as the βVecrΔ«gaβ in Latvian, and it is home to all of the most awe-inspiring architecture the city has to offer.
Riga is actually an epicenter of the Art-Nouveau style of architecture. This style can be found all over Europe, and is particularly popular in France and Italy.
However, most architecture buffs consider Riga to be the finest collection of Art-Nouveau buildings in the world!
We are far from experts when it comes to architecture, but we had a lot of fun trying to spot the Art-Nouveau buildings while walking around!
They werenβt quite as exuberant as the Gaudi designs in Barcelona, but we actually managed to identify a handful of them on our own!
The signature details of Art-Nouveau are mainly the use of bold colors in the trim and intricate sculptures on the facade.
Whether they were Art-Nouveau or not, we were really impressed by all of the buildings in the VecrΔ«ga. The attention to detail is just so mesmerizing!
The winding cobblestone streets are well worth a stroll any time of day.
Surprisingly, one of the most famous buildings in Riga is not Art-Nouveau, and is actually drastically different than the charming designs in the old town.
However, it is the largest market hall in all of Europe!
This market occupies what was once 5 German zeppelin hangars during the 1930s.
At the time, it was also the largest concentration of zeppelin hangars in the world.
Each hangar is filled with all sorts of fresh produce, as well as food stands of all types. There were even several bars and restaurants inside!
It is known as the Central Market Hall, and it is worth a visit just to see the spectacle of how large these hangars are!
As for Latvian cuisine, we werenβt too crazy about the signature smoked fish. However, we really enjoyed a traditional soup called βkΔbu kΔpostu zupaβ.
It was a very thick and hearty soup with sauerkraut, bacon, potatoes, and carrots that was a perfect way to warm up after a day of filming!
Like most of the places we have traveled off the beaten path this year, Riga was full of surprises and extremely enjoyable!
It is just as rich in culture and history as the more popular European destinations, but significantly less expensive and less crowded!
Despite being only a 3 hour drive away from the Russian border, we didnβt notice anything out of the ordinary. We can only hope that these countries continue to remain safe during the ongoing conflict.
Our next stop rounded out our tour of the 3 Baltic states, as we made our way to Lithuania. More on that next week!
Looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing.