Things To Do

Culture

Photos

• Our Photos of Riga
  Our selection of Riga photos in panoramic and skyscraper format.
• Vecriga.info Virtual Tour of Riga
  Incredible virtual tour of the historical centre of Riga (Old Riga). You will find interactive 360° panoramic photos and 3D models of the most significant architectural monuments with detailed descriptions.
• FotoBanka
  Searchable database with photos of Riga and Latvia to buy.
• JVK Aerial Gallery
  Janis Vitins photographer's gallery of aerial images of Riga.
• Google Maps Satellite Pictures
  Play with the zoom to find even persons.
• Flickr Community Photo Search on Riga
  
  Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. People can share their favourite photos to the world, securely and privately show photos to your friends and family.
• Riga 19th Century Album
  Photographic album that captures the beauty and vitality of Riga a century ago.
• Riga Skyline in the Mid-16th Century
  Riga skyline as it appeared in the mid-16th century, still instantly recognizable today.

Sightsee

• Vecriga.Info Virtual Tour of Riga
  Incredible virtual tour of the historical centre of Riga (Old Riga). You will find interactive 360° panoramic photos and 3D models of the most significant architectural monuments with detailed descriptions.
• Tournet
  Description and images of the more that 30 sights in Riga. You have the opportunity to see (images link) different perspectives, old photos and drawings for every point of interest before you visit it.
• Riga Tourism
  Sightseeing places description and photos of few interesting places by the Riga Tourism Coordination and Information Centre.

Museums

• Latvian National Museum of Art
  The collection of the Latvian National Museum of Art illustrates the nation's history of applied arts from the mid 18th century up to 1945. Works of Latvian artists are exhibited alongside a significant collection of German Balts and also the largest collection of Russian art work in the Baltic States (16th -20th centuries).
• Latvian National Museum of Art
  The collection of the Latvian National Museum of Art illustrates the nation's history of applied arts from the mid 18th century up to 1945. Works of Latvian artists are exhibited alongside a significant collection of German Balts and also the largest collection of Russian art work in the Baltic States (16th -20th centuries).
• Museum of Decorative Applied Arts
  Exhibits works of Latvian professional decorative applied arts dating from the late 19th century. The Latvian national style was developing at this time, using Latvian ethnography as a basis. The museum boasts the richest collection from the porcelain painting studio, "Baltars". This illustrates the first steps of Latvian pioneers in the field of modernism.
• Ethnographic Open Air Museum
  Founded in 1924, the Latvian Ethnographic Museum is one of the oldest open-air museums in Europe. Historical dwellings, peasants', fishermen's and artisans' homesteads, a tavern and windmills have been gathered here from all over Latvia. Masters of 18 different crafts demonstrate their work: spoon-carvers, bee-keepers, potters and others.
• Museum of Foreign Art
  Situated in Riga castle, it is the biggest repository of foreign works of art in Latvia. The particular strengths of the museum are collections devoted to ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, western European and eastern art. The museum houses works of western European art from the 15th century - early 20th century.
• Fire Fighting Museum  (Latvian only)
  The museum illustrates the history of firefighting in Latvia from the second half of the 19th century to the present. Firefighters' equipment, uniforms, awards, photographs and documents are on display.
• Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation
  It was founded on Nikolaus von Himsel's private collection and is one of the oldest museums in Europe. The museum is located in the Dome ensemble, the 13th-20th century architectural monument comprising a church, Gothic Cross Gallery, monastery, courtyard and the Column Hall, built in the classical style. The museum exhibitions reflect the history of Riga from ancient times to the year 1940. The exhibits related to the history of Latvian navigation cover the period from the 10th century to the present day. The collection comprises half a million items and new exhibitions are opened regularly.
• Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
  It exhibits international agreements and documents testifying the impact of two totalitarian regimes on Latvia. Personal keepsakes bear evidence both of oppression and persecution and people's resistance to occupation power, the inhuman conditions in prisons and banishment and the strength of the human spirit in extreme adversity.
• Paul Stradins Museum of the History of Medicine
  It illustrates world history of medicine and pharmacy from the ancient times to the present day. It is one of the largest museums of medicine in the world, containing more than 190 000 items. The core of the collection was accumulated by the surgeon and scientist Professor Pauls Stradins (1896-1958) in the late 1920s.
• Riga Motor Museum
  More than 100 motor vehicles including cars, motorcycles and bicycles are displayed in this museum. Cars and motorcycles from the early 20th century, military and sports vehicles, cars built in Latvia, the best classic limousines, cars from the garages of the Kremlin and an array of sports motorcycles.
• Latvian Museum of Photography
  It was opened in 1993 and in ten years the collection increased by 10 000 items. Its permanent exhibition "The Development of Photography in Latvia 1839-1941" is based on the acquisitions of the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation, other Latvian museums and the collection of the photo historian Peteris Korsaks.
• Latvian Railway History Museum
  Founded in 1994 contains 9 000 items. Some of the star exhibits are steam locomotives of German and Russian provenance, an accumulator locomotive, passenger and armoured carriages. Signalling devices, tools, instruments, uniforms, station fittings, tickets and photographs / postcards of station buildings and railway bridges are all on display.
• Rundale Palace Museum  (Bauskas - Outside Riga)
  Rundale Palace was designed by the famous architect F. B. Rastrelli as a summer residence for the Duke of Courland, Ernst Johann Biron. The palace was built from 1736-1740 and the Rococo interior decorations were added from 1765-1768. The parade rooms, the duke's private apartments and the duchess' boudoir are open to visitors.
• Latvian Sport Museum  (Latvian only)
  The museum houses a rich collection of materials about Latvian sporting activities abroad as well as in Latvia.
• Museum of Telecommunications  (Latvian only)
  Latvian National Telecommunications Company Museums
• Museum of War
  It was founded in 1916 and is located in a 14th century powder tower, formerly one of Riga's 25 fortification towers. It houses the permanent exhibitions "Latvian Soldiers During World War I 1914-1918&, "Proclamation of the Latvian State and Liberation Battles 1918-1920", "The Latvian Army and Navy 1919-1940", "Latvia and World War II" and "The Road towards the Barricades 1945-1991".
• Latvian Museum Association
  Searchable list of more than 40 museums in Riga and hundreds in Latvia with their details and descriptions.

Cinemas

• Forum Cinemas
  Opened on 2003, it is one of the largest multiplex film theatres in Northern Europe. It has 14 screens, two storeys, 3016 seats and several cafes. Movies are in original version with subtitles in Latvian and Russian.
• Kino Galerija K. Suns  (Latvian only)
  Old style cinema that offers the opportunity to see some classic or good films dropped off from Forum's cinemas showing list.

Events

Classical

• Riga Dome Church Concerts  (Latvian only)
  The Riga Dome Cathedral, for its excellent acoustics is a good venue for classical music concerts. Well worth also to attend to any of its frequent organ concerts, one of the biggest in Europe with 6,768 pipes!
• Latvian National Opera
  Opera traditions in Latvia date back to the 18th century but the actual opera building opened doors in 1863. At the present it houses the opera and ballet companies. Their outstanding performances and the very affordable prices makes Latvian National Opera a must go.
• Latvian National Symphony Orchestra
  Concerts in one of the oldest and most interesting buildings in Riga, the Great Guild.

Theatre

• Dailes Teatris  (Latvian only)
• Latvian National Theatre
• New Riga Theatre
• Theatre TT
• Theatre Club Hamlets  (Latvian only)
• Latvian Puppet Theatre  (Latvian only)
• Riga Russian Drama Theatre
• Riga Pantomime

Other

• EventGuide.Lv: The Calendar of Events in Latvia
  The list of almost all the public events in Latvia. You can search events by keyword, by city, by date and by category. Categories include: Culture, Entertainment, Sport, For Kids, Business, Education, Politics and Society.
• Arena Events
  It was build for the 2006 World Ice-Hockey Championship but with the idea that once the event was over, the city had a modern location for concerts, performances, shows and major sports events. With up to 12,000 seats, the multifunctional Arena Riga hosts highly demanded shows throughout the year.
• Inspiration Riga
  List of event provided by the Riga Convention Bureau. You can search for events in different months and categories (Exhibitions, Congresses, Festivals, Music, Opera,...)
• Ministry of Culture
  List of culture events in Latvia from the Ministry of Culture.
• Riga Congress Centre
  Place for concerts, international and local conferences, seminars, exhibitions, performances and other events.
• Riga Circus
  Performances in Riga Circus are being arranged throughout the year since it was built in 1888. Traditionally the most important are in winter season (October to March). The building was declared "Architectural Memorials of National Importance" by the Latvian Ministry of Culture.
• TicketService.lv
  Information on events and how to buy tickets when in Latvia.

Restaurants

Latvian

• Alus Arsenals ≈ Beer Arsenal
• Alus Ordenis  (Latvian only)
• Eko Virtuve ≈ Organic Kitchen
  Organic food shop
• Lido Atputas Centrs ≈ Lido Recreation Centre
  It is one of the biggest and most beautiful log buildings in Europe, with 3 floors and capacity for 1000 guests. One of the favourite places of family recreation in Riga; where they can eat, enjoy typical Latvian music and let children play in its amusement park. The Centre is characterized by a Latvian environment and food with a big variety of dishes, brewery, live music every evening and celebration of national festivities with gorgeous decorations and concerts.
  
  The territory of the Centre with the large restaurant & catering complex, parking lot for visitors and the attraction park equipped with many attractions is carefully greened and decorated and occupies almost 5 hectares. It worth to go if you visit Riga!
• Lido Restaurants  (Latvian only)
  Belonging to Lido Group, the same group that owns Lido Atputas Centrs, are the smaller brothers but with the same philosophy and variety of food.
  
  Lido restaurants in town: Alus Seta (6 Tirgonu iela - Old Riga), Vermanitis (65 Elizabetes iela - Riga Centre), Dzirnavas (76 Dzirnavu iela - Riga Center), Staburags (55 Caka iela - Riga Center), Krievu Seta (Kengaraga iela), in Airport, in Spice Shopping centre.
• Mazie Balti Krekli  (Latvian only)

Shopping

Markets

• Riga Central Market
• Vidzemes Market  (Latvian only)

Shopping Centres

• Alfa

  Address: 372 Brivibas Blvd (Riga Outskirts)

  Description: Biggest shopping center in Riga for its variety of shops.

• Barona Centrs  (Latvian only)

  Address: 46 K.Barona Street (Riga Centre)

  Description:

• Galerija Centrs
• Debesmanna  (Latvian only)
• Dole

  Address: 357 Maskavas Street

  Description:

• Domina  (Latvian only)
• MC2
• Mols

  Address: 46 Krasta Street (Riga Centre)

  Description:

• Olimpia  (Latvian only)
• Origo

  Address: 2 Stacijas Square (Riga Centre)

  Description:

• Spice  (Latvian only)
• Stockmann

Souvenirs

• Galerija Tornis
• Ambersea
  On-line Latvian art gallery.

Sports

• Aquatic Park - Akvaparks

  Email:
  Phone: +371 775 56 36
  Address: 24 Viestura Street, Jurmala (Outside Riga)

  Description: The biggest water park in Northern Europe, 40 attractions, 4 different areas, 3 floors, up to 3500 visitors daily, 11.000 square meters, 12 pools, sliding tubes up to 210meters long or up to 60 km/h speed, tornado, river, artificial tides... But if this is to much after your party night just go and relax sitting at the bar inside the Bahamas water pool with an exotic cocktail and let the waves massage... Finnish, Turkish and Russian sauna, Jacuzzi, bubble pool or a warm pool under blue sky will help too.

• Carting - 333  (Latvian only)
• Carting - M-Co
• Golf - Ozo Golf Club

  Email:
  Phone: +371 739 43 99, Fax: +371 739 40 34
  Address: 16 Milgravja Street

  Description: First 18-hole golf course in Latvia and one of the most technologically advanced courses in Northern Europe. In 2002, it received an award as the Best Natural Architecture Project in Latvia and in 2004 it was selected by New York Times among 365 courses around the world which suggests visiting.
  
  Other facilities include a driving range, chipping and putting greens, restaurant and for members special dressing and locker room, sauna, pool, bag storage.

• Golf - Viesturi
• Horse-Riding - Tiraine  (Latvian only)
• Paintball - Latvian Paintball Club
• Skating - Riga Sports Castle
• Skating - Siemens Ice- Hall  (Latvian only)
• Swimming - Atlantis
• Swimming - Joker Klubs
• Swimming - Keizarmezs
  Hotel and sports complex.
• Swimming - Kipsala  (Latvian only)

  Address: Kipsala (South bank Daugava river)

  Description: 50 meters swimming pool.

Relax

• Aqua Villa
• Baltic Beach Hotel
  Resort & Spa in Jurmala.
• Lilami
  Professional massage.
• Shakti
  Ayurveda, a wholistic system of medicine from India that uses a constitutional model.

Nightlife

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