Riga finished third in the European Best Christmas Markets 2025 to 2026 vote, ahead of Vienna, Paris, Madrid and Edinburgh. It was the first time the Latvian capital had reached the European top three and it surprised plenty of people here, because the Riga market is small. It fits on one square. A full circuit takes about 15 minutes.
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Best Day Trips from Riga (A Local Guide for Summer 2026)
Riga is an easy city to leave for a day and an easy to come back to. Half an hour by train puts you on a white sand beach. An hour puts you within walking distance of a raised bog.
Riga’s Hidden Gems for Beer, Vinyl and Fine Dining Enthusiasts
Explore Riga beyond the usual sights and discover where locals enjoy craft beer, vinyl records and Michelin-recognized dining. This guide reveals the city’s most authentic evening experiences.
Is there a city named after yourself?
Our todays hero achieved so much in his life that his birth place was renamed after himself. I doubt it would happen if he cared only about his personal gain in this journey we call life. He put interests of society as such before his own.
Who is this great man?
If you ask a person from Latvia which is our most sports related city – most common answer will be the city of Valmiera. Why? Many reasons but arguably main started on the 5th of November in 1904 when Jānis Daliņš was born.
Who would change roosters on churches of Riga?
Latvia does not really have high mountains or steep hills. Our highest peek is 311 meters above the sea level – a hill called Gaiziņš.
Ojārs Vācietis brilliant and contradictory Latvian poet
Today is the birthday of prominent Latvian poet Ojārs Vācietis so we would like to tell some interesting things to you about him. “A great gift for a small nation”, this is how he was often regarded.
Mikhail Tal – World Chess Champion from Riga
They say that Mikhail Tal lived for chess. One can only presume that to be great in something you have to be that way… He devoted his life to this game and was called genius of attacks and combinations.
Creator of Freedom Monument – Kārlis Zāle
Traditionally we write about people who have their birthdays this month and now it is turn for Kārlis Zāle – celebrating his birthday on the 28th of October…
Poet of Riga – Aleksandrs Čaks
Aleksandrs Čaks was a legend and first man of letters whose creativity bore a distinctly urban mark. His poetry was devoted to Riga`s restless, throbbing life, including topics and characters…
