Best Things to do in Riga 2024 | Best Cities in the World #89: Riga

89. Riga LATVIA 🇱🇻 Score: 179.55

Famous for Its Picturesque Old Town and Stunning Art Nouveau Architecture

Table of Contents

A. About Riga
B. Best Things to Do in Riga in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)
C. Other notable sights and attractions in Riga
D. Best Day Trips and Excursions from Riga
E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in Riga (including close-by excursions)

A. About Riga

Riga, the capital of Latvia, is the largest city in the three Baltic states. This wonderful city is famous for its picturesque Old Town with Medieval churches and guild halls.

Riga experienced its golden age in the early 20th century just as Art Nouveau architecture was coming into fashion.

While you can admire around eight hundred ornamented Art Nouveau buildings in Riga, the most impressive ones are located at Alberta Iela.

The Good:

In Riga, excellent public transport will get you everywhere, provided by buses (51 routes), trams (6 routes), trolleybuses (18 routes), and minibuses.

Furthermore, the city is exceptionally clean and safe with a nice pedestrianized Old Town.

Finally, Riga is very affordable (for a European Capital).

The Not-So-Good:

Illustrated by the score table, the only weak point of Riga is the not very pleasant climate. But if you manage to visit during the summer months, the weather should be fine.

B. Best Things to Do in Riga in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)

In total, we count more than twenty sights in Riga. The following sights and attractions contribute to a score of 5.85/10 in this most important category.

# HISTORIC CENTRE (Vecriga) 7

The charming Old Town of Riga is one of the most impressive in Europe and a well-deserved UNESCO World Heritage Site.

City District World Heritage Site: since 1997

# Church of St Peter with Tower 6

Ride the elevator from the first floor to the top of the church's beautiful 123-meter tower to enjoy stunning 360-degree views over Riga.

Climbable Tower | Viewpoint Total Height: 123 m

# Latvian Open-Air Ethnographic Museum 6

Charmingly located in 87 ha of pine forest on the lightly wooded shores of Jugla Lake, this open-air museum founded in 1924 reconstructs the living conditions of the various populations and ethnicities from all four regions of Latvia.

Open-Air Museum Established: 1924 | Surface: 87 hectares / 214 acres / 0.87 km2 | Buildings: 118 | Visitors (2018): 135,000

# Cathedral of the Nativity 5.5

Constructed in Neo-Byzantine style between 1876 and 1883, when Latvia was still part of the Russian Empire, this striking orthodox cathedral features five gilded domes with florid decorations. The interior is embellished with traditional icons.

Orthodox Cathedral Erected: 1883

# Latvian National Museum of Art 5.5

The best museum in the country displays Latvian art from the late 19th to the mid-20th century.

Museum Gallery Space: ca. 4,000 m2 /43,055 ft2 | Artworks on Display: ca. 1,000 | Established: 1905 | Visitors (2018): 208, 709

# Pilsētas Kanāls (City Canal) 5.5

The city’s old moat has been incorporated into a thin belt of 3.2 kilometers of stunning parkland, splitting Old and Central Riga. Take an enjoyable round trip in a small wooden boat across this beautiful canal, passing sixteen bridges and many historic buildings, and then head out to the river to make a complete circle around.

Canal Total Length: 3.2 km

# Alberta Street (Alberta Iela) 5.5

This street is lined with stunning Art Nouveau buildings, erected from 1901 to 1908 with beautiful sculptures, balconies, columns, and other decorative elements. Highlights include the listed monuments at Alberta Street No. 2, 2a, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, and 13.

Historic Street

# House of the Black Heads (Great Guild Hall and Small Guild Hall) 5

Located at the Town Hall Square this magnificent, adorned brick guild hall comprises three separate buildings. It features a richly decorated façade, a stunning red, green and gold door, and four halls.

Historic Building

# Freedom Monument (Brivibas Piemineklis) 5

Unveiled in 1935, this 42-meter-high sculpture crowned by a copper sculpture of Liberty holding three golden stars is located in Bastion Hill Park.

Monument Erected: 1935 | Total Height: 42 m

# Riga Cathedral 5

This Evangelical Lutheran cathedral is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Latvia. It features one of the biggest organs in the world boasting 6,768 pipes.

Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral Completed: 1211

Scoring and Icons Legend (Click here for detailed information)

10 = top-10 sight in the world

9 = world-class

8 = outstanding

7 = excellent

6 = impressive

5 = interesting

4 = decent

3 = mediocre

2 = bad

1 = abysmal

= World Heritage Site

= Excursion

C. Other notable sights and attractions in Riga

- Central Market (Centraltirgus) 5
- Houses of Three Brothers (Tris Brali) 5
- Latvian Academy of Sciences Observation Deck 5
- Latvian National History Museum 5
- Town Hall Square 5
- Museum of History and Navigation 5
- Riga Motor Museum 5
- Art Nouveau Museum 5
- Museum of Decorative Arts and Design 5
- Museum of the Occupation 5

D. Best Day Trips and Excursions from Riga

Jūrmala (city, 38 km from Riga) 5

Rundale Palace and Museum (80 km from Riga) 5

E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in Riga (including close-by excursions)

To sum things up, these are the ten best sights we recommend to you when visiting Riga for at least three entire days:

HISTORIC CENTRE (Vecriga) 7

Church of St Peter with Tower 6

Latvian Open-Air Museum 6

Cathedral of the Nativity 5.5

Latvian National Museum of Art 5.5

Pilsētas Kanāls (City Canal) 5.5

Alberta Street 5.5

House of the Black Heads 5

Freedom Monument 5

Riga Cathedral 5