World City Guide

Mini Guide of Riga

City Overview

Just over a decade after Latvia declared independence from the Soviet Union, Riga is a city on the up and up after joining both NATO and the European Union in 2004. This came three years after the city celebrated its 800th anniversary and things have seldom looked so rosy for a cosmopolitan capital that was once revered across Europe as the ‘Paris of the North’. The city is now firmly on the tourist map with an increasing number of both budget carriers and full-fare airlines now connecting the Latvian capital with other European cities. Riga is already the de facto Baltic business capital, leaving Estonia’s Tallinn and Lithuania’s Vilnius in its wake. Increasingly, for tourists, it is becoming the most rewarding city of the three, with visitor attractions spruced up and an ever-burgeoning proliferation of hotels at all levels. Riga, a city older than both Stockholm and St Petersburg, is the only Baltic capital to have a real big-city buzz. Unfortunately it is increasingly suffering from all of the problems that face any large metropolis, with crime (including robbery and mugging of tourists) on the rise. Any lingering images of Communist deprivations, however, are quickly blasted away by a stroll around this city, with its gleaming renovated buildings, its fashion conscious mobile-phone carrying youth and the new bars and cafés that seem to be opening everywhere. On a sunny day, as the smart office workers vie for space in the city’s grand squares with students clad in all the latest designer gear, this could be anywhere in Europe.

Things have not always been so good for the Latvian capital, as throughout its turbulent history it has been routinely sacked, occupied, reoccupied and then sacked again, by everyone from the Teutonic Knights and the Swedes, through to the French and the Polish. In the 20th century came devastating invasions by the Nazis and Stalin. The Soviets left behind the eyesore housing estates on the city’s periphery and some lingering Stalinist era architecture. But their traces gradually are being paved over.

The focus, as it has always been, is firmly on the Old Town, which tumbles towards the banks of the Daugava River in a maze of cobbles, voluminous spires and impressive squares. It is ironic that the city that was once besieged and captured by Germany now has (after Germany’s own World War II obliteration) Europe’s most impressive array of Germanic Art Nouveau architecture. A fact recognised by UNESCO, on their World Heritage List. Across Bastekalns Park lies the New Town, the commercial and business heart of the city, with its broad avenues and grid-like layout, while further down river is the city’s sprawling port.

The Baltic Sea is just over 12km (7 miles) away but Riga’s weather is not as harsh as many people imagine. Winter can indeed be long, dark and bitter but spring and summer days are often blessed with balmy daytime temperatures and long hours of daylight. When the sun shines, the city’s numerous parks fill up, tables spill out of cafés and revellers laze along the city canal in rowing boats, in a scene that is more Mediterranean than Eastern European. At nearby Jurmala, the scene could indeed be somewhere in the Mediterranean with bronzed bodies lying on the sandy beaches soaking up the rays in summer.

Getting There By Air

Riga International Airport (RIX)
Tel: 722 3305 or 720 7009. Fax: 721 1767.
Website: www.riga-airport.com

Riga International Airport (Lidosta Riga), located 13km (8 miles) southwest of the city, handles an increasing number of direct flights to cities all over Europe. The majority of the routes are in Central and Eastern Europe. A major renovation programme has brought the airport up to international standards with further improvements underway to cater for a dramatic increase in flights following EU membership in 2004.

Approximate flight times to Riga: From London is 2 hours 30 minutes; from New York is 9 hours 35 minutes; from Los Angeles is 12 hours 20 minutes; from Toronto is 10 hours 35 minutes and from Sydney is 24 hours.

Airport facilities: These include bureau de change, ATM, lost property bureau, post office, left-luggage, hotel reservations, tourist information, bar, café, duty-free shops, pharmacy, medical service and car hire from Avis, Budget and Hertz among others.

Transport to the city: Riga Taxi Park (tel: 720 7509) operates a 24-hour taxi service to the city centre. Taxis can be ordered at the counter in the arrivals hall or picked up outside, at the taxi stand. Public transport bus no. 22 departs from outside the terminal building for the city centre every 20-30 minutes. There are drop-off points at Riga’s central station and Strelnieku laukums (journey time – 30 minutes).

Getting There By Water

Getting There By Road

Road conditions in Latvia are variable and, while most main roads are of a fairly good standard, some minor roads become muddy bogs during heavy rainfall or snowmelt. Main routes in Latvia are designated by a number. Speed limits are 50kph (31mph) in towns, 70kph (43mph) in suburban areas, 90kph (56mph) on open roads and 110kph (68mph) on motorways. Driving in Latvia is on the right and the minimum driving age is 18 years. Foreigners driving their own vehicles are required to carry a national licence, an International Driving Permit, proof of third-party insurance (such as the international Green Card) and registration documents, at all times. It is compulsory to wear seatbelts and fines for minor offences, such as speeding, are given on the spot – a receipt should be issued. Drink driving is illegal and the legal alcohol to blood limit for driving is zero. It is also illegal for drivers to use handheld mobile telephones while driving. It is compulsory to drive with vehicle lights switched on at all times.

The Auto-Moto Society of Latvia – LAMB (tel: 732 5111; website: www.lamb.lv) provides further information.

Emergency breakdown service:
Riga Autostavietas 737 4611

Routes to the city: The main transit corridors to Riga are the north–south Via Baltica, which runs from Tallinn to Warsaw through Riga, Vilnius and Kaunas, and Via Hanseatica, which runs from Berlin to Riga through Gdansk, Kaliningrad and Siauliai. Corridors also run east–west, linking Riga to Moscow, Ventspils, Liepaja, Vitebsc and Pskow. The A2 northeast from Riga leads to Cesis.

Approximate driving times to Riga: From Cesis – 1 hour 45 minutes; Vilnius – 5 hours; Tallinn – 5 hours.

Coach services: Passenger facilities at Riga’s coach station (Autoosta), Pragas 1 (tel: 900 0009 – calls charged at a premium rate; website: www.autoosta.lv), include an ATM, bureau de change, café, left-luggage, pharmacy, shops, taxi park and barber shop. The bus station operates both international and domestic services. Tickets to all international destinations can be purchased at the ticket offices in the bus terminal. Reputable operators include the main state motor firm, Nordeka (tel: 721 1200 or 900 0009 for tickets; website: www.nordeka.lv), which operates regular long-distance and international services, as well as Eurolines (tel: 721 4080; website: www.eurolines.lv), for services to Berlin, Bremen, Kiel, Warsaw, Prague, Vilnius, Tallinn, Munich, Kaliningrad, Cologne and London. Eurolines generally has the most modern and comfortable buses, with luxurious double-deckers often plying the Tallinn route.

Getting There By Rail

Latvia’s national railway company, Latvijas Dzelzcels (tel: 118; website: www.ldz.lv), operates rail services in Riga. Development of the Latvian railways has not been a great priority since independence in 1991. The system has suffered as a result of this, though recently the main station has been revamped. Many trains are poorly maintained and delays are common– the routes to the satellite towns and villages around Riga generally have a better service than intercity and international routes.

Riga’s central station, Centrala Stacija, Stacijas laukums (tel: 583 3095/2134), has separate departure and arrival halls for international and domestic services. Passenger facilities include ATM, bureau de change, train service information, post office, left luggage, cafés and restaurants.

Rail services: Long-distance rail services in Riga can be slow and prone to delays. Tickets for mainline services are sold in the main departure hall and tickets for the electric commuter trains are sold in the smaller departure hall. Long-distance journeys can be booked in advance (tel: 583 3397). Direct trains go to Minsk (journey time – 8 hours), Vilnius (journey time – 4 hours 30 minutes) and Moscow (journey time – 16 hours). Trains no longer run to Tallinn, Berlin and Warsaw.

Getting Around

Public Transport
Riga’s Transport Information Authority (tel: 738 2645; website: www.ttp.lv) provides cheap and plentiful public transport, with buses, trams and trolley buses. In addition, some routes have a night service. Each mode of transport requires a separate ticket, which can only be bought from the on-board conductor (konduktor). Routes are displayed on the Riga City Map available from most city kiosks. Comfortable mikroautobus (small buses on set routes) and taksobus (small buses/vans on varying routes) also operate. Suburban electric commuter trains run to Skulte, Aizkraukle, Jelgava, Dubulti, Kemeri, Lielvarde, Ogre, Salaspils, Saulkrasti, Sloka and Tukums.

A one-month bus pass and a one-month trolley pass are available. Passes are available from post offices and most city kiosks. The Riga Card (see Sightseeing) gives visitors free use of trolley buses, buses and trams.

Taxis
Taxis can be hailed on the street or pre-booked by telephone. Riga Taxi (tel: 800 1313, toll free) and Bona (tel: 800 5050, toll free) are both reputable companies. Whenever possible, visitors should only use the official metered taxis. When taking non-metered taxis, it is essential to agree the fare in advance. A tip of 10% is generally expected and appreciated.

Driving in the City
Riga has a reasonable network of well-maintained roads. However, driving in the city can be a frightening experience, as other road users are generally aggressive and fast, erratic driving is common – or, even worse, some locals choose to flaunt Latvia’s stringent drink-driving laws. Defensive driving, quick reactions and nerves of steel are essential.

Car parks that are open 24 hours are identifiable by the Autostavieta sign. A central car park can be found at Pragas 2, opposite the bus station.

Car Hire
A valid International Driving Permit, national licence and passport are required to hire a car in Riga. There is a minimum age of 21 years. This can be raised to 23 or 25 years, with two years’ minimum driving experience, depending on the hire company and car model. Third-party insurance is compulsory.

Major providers include Avis (tel: 720 7353; website: www.avis.lv), Europcar (tel: 721 2652; website: www.europcar.lv) and Hertz (tel: 720 7980; website: www.hertz.com).

Bicycle Hire
Gandrs, Kalncienna 28 (tel: 761 4775), hires bicycles.

Business

Business Etiquette
In general, Riga is rapidly moving away from how things used to be done in the old Soviet Union days, and firmly embracing the Western European and now European Union example of how business is conducted. Hence, few businesspeople have any major problems in a city where the etiquette is fairly similar to that in London, Paris or Frankfurt. Dress code is relatively formal, with suit and tie expected for business meetings, although new technology-based industries have got behind the trend of dressing down in more casual gear. Handshakes are the normal way to start any meeting and gifts are appreciated, especially luxury items like watches and quality single-malt Scottish whisky. In a nation with a high per capita rate of alcohol consumption, most evening meetings and dinners, and indeed many lunches, are peppered with alcoholic drinks. Business hours are normally Monday to Friday 0900-1700. The old Soviet era tendency to turn public holidays into an excuse for two or three days off work seems to be waning.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
Sightseeing is made easy in Riga by the fact that most of the sights are handily located within a compact area on one bank of the Daugava River. As the number of tourists visiting the city has grown, dedicated signs now point the way to the main attractions. The Old Town overflows with things to see, but one of the real pleasures is just wandering around the cobbled streets, taking an architectural journey through the centuries, in a city where Gothic, Renaissance and Art Nouveau abound, often competing for attention on the same street. Recognised sights include the voluminous religious twins of St Peter’s Church and Dome Cathedral, both worth exploring in detail. Riga also boasts numerous museums, with the Latvian War Museum, the Occupation Museum and Mentzendorff House among many others deserving of attention. Neatly dividing the Old Town and New Town is Bastejkalns Park, with its lazy canal, cafés and walkways. In the middle of the park is the Freedom Monument, one of Riga’s and indeed Latvia’s most poignant sites, a symbol of both the nation’s fight for nationhood and the four decades of resistance to Communist rule.

Further afield there are boat cruises on the Daugava River and excursions to the Baltic Sea resort of Jurmala, with its sweeping pine flanked beaches. Jurmala, with new facilities recently opened up with overseas visitors in mind, provides the perfect escape if all that history and culture get too much.

Tourist Information
Riga Tourism Information Centre (Riga Turisma Informacijas Centrs)
Ratslaukums 6
Tel: 703 7900.
E-mail: tourinfo@rcc.lv
Website: www.rigatourism.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1900.

As well as this main office in the old town, there is also an information bureau at the airport.

Passes
The Riga Card gives visitors free use of buses, trolley buses and trams, free train trips to Vecaki and Jurmala, free or discounted museum admission and discounts in shops, cafés, restaurants and on car hire. The card can be purchased at the Tourist Information Centre, at the airport, at selected hotels and anywhere displaying the RC sign.

Key Attractions

Brivibas Piemineklis (Freedom Monument)
The voluminous Freedom Monument has a sacred place in the hearts and minds of every Latvian. This potent symbol of the nation was paid for and erected by the citizens of Riga in 1935 and somehow survived four decades of Soviet rule. A popular local joke during the Communist era was that the monument was really a travel agent, since laying flowers at it guaranteed a one-way ticket to Siberia. Today, the monument, the tallest of its kind in Europe, is back to its best after a major renovation, and still retains its poignancy, as well as doubling up as a favourite meeting point for the city’s youth.

Brivibas iela and Raina bulvaris

Jugendstil (Art Nouveau)
Ironically, the best place to see Jugendstil (the German-style Art Nouveau architecture) is in Riga, seeing as it did not suffer the same World War II devastation as many German cities. Riga quite simply has the finest and most comprehensive range of this style of architecture in Europe. The style is unmistakable, with ornate stucco swirls adorning doorways, human faces embellishing façades and outlandish towers growing from the tops of buildings. The best way for visitors to appreciate this architectural treasure-trove is just to wander through the New Town, staring upwards. One of the best examples of Jugendstil is on and around Elizabetes iela, where many of the buildings are laden with all the telltale flourishes of this ornate architectural style. New Town, Elizabetes

Riga Doms (Riga Cathedral)
Riga Cathedral is the most photographed religious building in Riga. Its foundations were laid on St Jacob’s Day in 1211, by Albert von Buxhoeveden, who became its first bishop. The cathedral is an intoxicating collage of Gothic and Romanesque styles. In the interior museum there are displays portraying Riga between the World Wars, as well as maps and postcards of Old Riga. One of the highlights is the world-famous organ crafted in 1883-1884, by the German company Waclker & Co and decorated with wooden carvings from as early as the 17th and 18th centuries.

Doma laukums 1
Tel: 721 3498.
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1300-1800, Sat 1000-1400.
Free admission.

Petera Baznica (St Peter’s Church)
Another of Riga’s most striking edifices is St Peter’s Church, which is dedicated to the city’s patron saint. This unmistakable redbrick style is common throughout countries that border the Baltic, from Germany through to Estonia. The sturdy church dates back to 1408, when it was built to replace a wooden church on the same site. The wooden spire, the highest in Europe, was obliterated by German shelling in 1941. The 122m (403ft) steel replica, completed in 1973, has a lift that shuttles tourists to an observation gallery offering sweeping views of the city.

Skarnu 19
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1715.
Free admission to the church, admission charge for the tower.

Latvijas Okupacijas Muzeja (Occupation Museum of Latvia)
The Occupation Museum is an essential stop that many tourists tragically miss out on. Housed in a remarkably ugly Communist-era building, the museum takes visitors on a journey through Latvia’s turbulent, recent history – from the Soviet and Nazi occupations during World War II, right up to the tumultuous events that led to Latvian independence in 1991. Outside, the statue of the Latvian riflemen remains the subject of much local controversy.

Strelnieku laukums 1
Tel: 721 2715.
Website: www.occupationmuseum.lv
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 1100-1700 (Apr-Dec); closed (Jan-Mar).

Centraltirgus (Central Market)
Visitors wanting to leave the 21st century behind them should head for the five old hulking 1930s zeppelin hangars that are now home to Riga’s Central Market. A world away from glossy shopping malls, it is still possible to rub shoulders with Riga's locals, who come to snap up cheap fruit and vegetables. There is also a rabble of stalls outside the main hangars. This is a great place for photography but visitors should watch their camera and other valuables.

Negu 7 (next to the central station)
Tel: 722 9981.
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 0800-1800, Sun and Mon 0800-1600.

Mencendorfa Nams (Mentzendorff House)
Mentzendorff House is an impeccably restored late 17th-century merchant’s house. Ornately decorated, it still boasts the original period furniture and various historical artefacts.

Grecinieku 18
Tel: 721 2951.
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.

Latvijas Kara Muzejs (Latvian War Museum)
The Latvian War Museum is simultaneously one of the most interesting museums in the city and also the most controversial. Within the redbrick of the 14th-century Powder Tower, there are displays illuminating the various wars that have ravaged the country. There are good sections not only on the War of Liberation (1918-20), when the Latvians fought off the Soviets and the Germans, but also on the Latvian volunteers who served with the German Waffen SS during World War II. There has been much historical debate on their role in atrocities and the surviving veterans who triumphantly parade through Riga every year are often a source of embarrassment to the government.

Smilsu 20
Tel: 722 8147.
Website: www.karamuzejs.lv
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.

House of the Blackheads
This stunningly renovated gothic building on the revamped Ratslaukams dates back to the 14th century and later became the headquarters of a group of local unmarried merchants: the Blackheads. In Soviet times, it fell into decline but now it gleams by day and shines at night when it is floodlit. The Blackheads mighty gable rises dramatically 28m (92ft) above the square. The interior is suitably impressive with a rebuilt hall where the Blackheads would once have met.

Ratslaukums 7
Tel: 704 4300.
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge.

Further Distractions

Bastekalns Park
Two sides of modern Riga are on display in Bastekalns Park. On warm days, the park fills with gossiping workers, 20-somethings stuck to their mobile phones and couples taking lazy strolls along the city canal that runs through the park. In the darker background, however, stand the memorials to the five Latvians who were shot dead near here, when the Soviets tried to crush the independence movement, on 20 January 1991. The victims included two cameramen and a student.

Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Free admission.

Riga Churches
Just outside the Old Town walls, the Roman Catholic cathedral of Riga has been reincarnated many times. Jekaba Baznica (St Jacob’s Church) was once a Lutheran parish church, a Jesuit church and even a Swedish garrison church. But now, revelling in layers of history, it is an atmospheric place of Catholic worship. Jezus Baznica (Jesus Church), Riga’s oldest wooden church, has fought an epic battle with fire for centuries and its survival is reason alone to visit. Grebenscikova Baznica (Grebenscikova Church) is another wooden church, this time a gold-domed affair that dates back to the early 19th century. Aleksandra Nevska Baznica (Alexander Nevsky Church), named after the 13th-century Russian prince, who is a folk hero with the Russian population in Riga, is a Russian Orthodox church dating back to the 1820s.

St Jacob’s Church
Klostera 2

Jesus Church
Elijas iela

Grebenscikova Church
Krasta 73

Alexander Nevsky Church
Brivibas 56

Tours of the City

Walking Tours
A number of companies offer walking tours of Riga, which can be booked at the main tourist office in the old town. However, a self-guided walking tour is probably the best bet. A good place to start a walk is at the Occupation Museum on Kalku iela, before heading into the old town. The majority of the sights in Old Riga are located on or near Skanu iela (the second right turn after the Occupation Museum), including St John’s Church and St Peter’s Church. Almost all of the main sights are located within a compact area in the old town.

Bus Tours
Latvia Tours (tel: 708 5001; website: www.latviatours.lv) operate the three-hour Riga City Tour. Pick-up by bus is from outside Hotel de Rome, on the edge of the Old Town. This tour incorporates the 13th-century churches and the UNESCO-protected Art Nouveau masterpieces in the Old Town. A number of companies offer competing bus tours, including Via Riga Travel Agency (tel: 728 5901/2624; website: www.viariga.lv) and Riga Travel Agency (tel: 722 0368; website: www.rta.lv).

Other Tours
Jelgava (tel: 955 4405) is a small ship that takes tourists on one and two hour trips on the Daugava river.

Excursions

For a Half Day

Salaspils: About 18km (11 miles) southeast of Riga, lies the site of Latvia’s Nazi tragedy. Between 1941 and 1944, an estimated 100,000 innocents (including 55,000 Jews from Riga) were murdered at the concentration camp at Salaspils. Today, the camp is preserved as a reminder to those dark days and there is also a museum. The poignant inscription at the entrance reads ‘Behind this gate the earth groans’. Salaspils is easily accessible by electric commuter train and by car and is open daily, 24 hours. Free admission.

Riga Motormuzejus (Riga Motor Museum): This truly bizarre museum (tel: 709 7170), located 8km (5 miles) east of Riga’s Old Town, at first glance looks just like a car showroom. Closer scrutiny reveals a collection of over 100 vehicles, which includes the former wheels of such renowned car buffs as Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev and East German dictator Erich Honecker. A nice touch are the wax figures, which create the surreal sight of the late Brezhnev sitting proudly in his Rolls Royce or Stalin in his specially modified armoured car. The museum can be reached by bus 15 or 21, or trolley bus 14 or 18 and is open Monday 1000-1500, Wednesday to Sunday 1000-1800. Admission charge.

For a Whole Day

Jurmala: Once a favourite holiday destination of Communist Party members, this string of small seaside towns and resorts stretches 30km (19 miles) west along the coast from Riga. The attractions are sweeping sandy beaches, sand dunes, pine trees and old wooden houses. The only drawback is the incessant forest ticks. Jurmala is now being developed with foreign tourists in mind with new hotels and spa complexes being opened. Jurmala is served by regular trains on the Kemeri–Tukumus train line from Riga’s central station. All trains stop at Majori. The Jurmala Information Centre, Jomas 42 (tel: 772 4276/2167) is open daily 0900-2100 and provide further information.

Sport

Shopping

Riga has come a long way since the days of food queues and the Soviet-era craving for all things Western, at any price. The city is not that far behind most Western European cities and there is a wide range of shopping opportunities on offer, from large malls through to local markets. The main shopping heart of town is in and around the Old Town, with many of the larger stores out in the suburbs, along major roads. Audeju is the main shopping street, with a number of designer shops and home to Centrs, Audeju 15, the city’s oldest shopping mall.

Other big name shops include Hugo Boss, Terbatas 53, and Benetton, Brivibas 47. A number of Latvian products are of interest to overseas visitors. Antiques are the main one but they require a licence from the Inspection Board for History and Culture and the Protection of Monuments, Pils 22, before any valuables can be exported. The best place to look for antiques is at specialist shops like Antiqua, Kr Valdemara 20; Tango, Dzirnavu 66, and Volmar, Brivibas 39. Among the best souvenir shops are Ezerciems, Kalku 7-9, Mara, Kaleju 9-11 and Souvenir, Aspazijas 30. The main market in town is the Central Market, Negu 7 (see Key Attractions), open Tuesday-Saturday 0800-1800, Monday and Sunday 0800-1600.

Standard shopping hours of 0900-1700 are the norm, with reduced opening hours on weekends. Shops are no longer closed for lunch, as they were in the Soviet times, and most of the supermarkets are open until 2200. Sales tax is currently 18% but 12-15% of this can be claimed back for non-EU citizens with Tax Free shopping (tel: 720 7606; website: www.taxfree.lv).

Culture

‘Every Latvian is a born poet, everyone makes up verse and songs and can sing,’ Johann Kohl wrote about Latvia, in 1841. He had a point as, despite its years spent suppressed under Soviet rule, Latvian culture is alive and well. The years since 1991 have seen a renaissance of interest in, and expression of, Latvian cultural identity and this has been mirrored with new developments, such as the reopening of Riga’s Opera House. For most of the 20th century, Latvia was renowned as a centre of ballet excellence and the 1970s saw Riga revered for its avant-garde experimentalist theatre and cinema. Dainas is the traditional Latvian folk song that will occasionally be performed in Riga. The mournful ballad-type songs deal with universal themes of love, marriage and death.

There is currently no central bureau or half-price ticket booths, although, for some events, tickets can be bought from tourist information offices. The better hotels are also usually able to organise tickets. Most cultural events sell tickets at the door, although, depending on the event, they can also be secured in advance from the venue.

The fortnightly Riga In Your Pocket and the monthly City Paper both have information in English as do newer arrivals such as Riga This Week, Gateway Riga and the Baltic Guide. These are available from newsagents, tourist offices and many hotels.

Music: The acoustics at Riga Cathedral, Doma laukums 1, along with its famous organ, make this venue an obvious choice for big recitals, although the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra is housed in the Great Guild Hall, Amatu 6 (tel: 721 3798). Tickets for performances at Riga’s rebuilt Opera House, Aspazijas 3 (tel: 707 3777; website: www.opera.lv) are available in advance. The Latvian National Opera are rapidly establishing a name for themselves on the world stage.

Theatre: Theatre in Riga dates back as far as the 13th century. During the 1970s, Riga was regarded as a centre of avant-garde exploration and some of this spirit still remains today. The main theatres include the Dailes Theatre, Brivibas 75 (tel: 727 0463 or 9566 for box office; website: www.dailesteatris.lv), National Theatre (Nacionalais Teatris), Kronvalda 2 (tel: 700 6300; website: www.teatris.lv), New Riga Theatre (Rigas Jaunais Teatris), Lacplesa 25 (tel: 728 0765; website: www.jrt.lv), and the Russian Drama Theatre (Krievu Dramas Teatris), Kalku 16 (tel: 722 4660; website: www.trd.lv).

Dance: The quality of the Riga Ballet (tel: 722 5803) is a legacy of the Soviet Union, when Riga’s ballet school was third in importance, after the Kirov and Bolshoi. The company has produced many major stars, including Mihail Baryshnikov, now a famous modern ballet star living in America, as well as Maris Liepa, who went on to star for the Bolshoi Ballet, and his son, Andris Liepa, who found his own slice of fame with the American Ballet Theater in 1989/90. The company performs at various venues around the city.

Film: Latvian cinema has grown in strength over the last few decades, with a series of award-wining documentaries. The 1990 European cinema prize, the Felix, was awarded to Jaunie laiki skérsielá or New Times at Crossroad Street (1988), the work of local filmmaker, I Seleckis. The Daile Cinema, Barona 31 (tel: 728 3843), and Kino Riga, Elizabetes 61 (tel: 728 1105; website: www.cinema-riga.lv), both show films in English with Latvian or Russian subtitles. Palladium, Marijas 21 (tel: 728 1610) is the largest cinema in Riga.

Literary Notes: Graham Greene’s Journey Without Maps (1936) delves deep into pre-war Riga. Letters from Latvia (1986), by Lucy Addison, is an illuminating diary of a 79 year old who refused the easy option of leaving Latvia at the outbreak of World War II and had to endure both the German and Soviet occupations as a result. Colin Thubron’s Among the Russians (1983) recounts his memorable drive through the pre-glasnost Soviet Union, including an adventure in Riga. Thubron’s style is at its best as he captures the nervy edge of the time. The Singing Revolution (1992), by Clare Thomson, refers in its title to one of the most remarkable events in modern European history, when citizens of all three Baltic States linked their three capitals together with their hands, in a massive show of solidarity against Soviet rule. The book is an account of her travels in the region in 1989 and 1990. The most comprehensive historical look at the events surrounding the revolutions of 1991 is by Anatol Lieven, in The Baltic Revolution (1994). This weighty tome cuts deeply into Latvian history, culture and modern politics. Other scholarly studies include The Baltic States: The Years of Independence 1917-40 (1995), by Georg von Rauch and The Baltic States: The Years of Dependence 1940-80 (1993), by Romualdas Misiunas and Rein Taagepera. One of the most controversial books around is The Holocaust in Latvia 1941-1944: The Missing Center (1997), by Andrew Ezergailis, which provides an insightful and balanced account of this provocative subject and addresses the ultra-sensitive issue of Latvian participation in the Holocaust. New Latvian Fiction (1998), is a patchy collection of contemporary Latvian writing, which provides an insight into today’s Latvian literary scene. The Dogs of War (2001), by Henning Mankell, is a gripping crime thriller that explores the dirty underbelly of Riga and its underworld machinations.

Nightlife

Teetotallers should think seriously before planning a trip to Riga, as this is a city that likes to drink and it often seems the locals never stop partying. The Old Town is awash with bars – everything from lounge style hangouts with DJs, comfy couches and funky visuals, right through to spit and sawdust drinking dens. One thing to look out for is that some bars are unofficially the sole preserve of Riga’s Russian community and your presence will be, at best, tolerated. Also, some ex-pats report an increase in foreigners being followed and robbed, particularly after leaving bars that are known to be popular with the ex-pat community. Most bars and clubs in Riga are late opening, with many staying open until 0300, seven days a week. The minimum legal drinking age is 18.

Riga in Your Pocket, Riga This Week and The Baltic Guide, widely available in Riga, are all invaluable guides to what’s on in the city, boasting extensive bar, restaurant and club reviews.

Bars: Paddy Whelans, Grecinieku 4, was the city’s first Irish bar and it is still filled with ex-pats and locals wanting to meet English speakers, while its newer rival across the road, Dickens, Grecinieku 9/1, gives Whelans a run for its money, as does brand new De Lacy’s, 4 Skunu Iela. Nobody Writes to the Colonel, 26/28 Peldu, is a industrial MTV-style bar with frequent live music and club nights, which is a favourite with the local grunge set. A world away is Rigas Balzams, Toma 4, a raucous, unpretentious place that specialises in the lethal local Black Balsam concoction, a strange brew of herbs and alcohol and a real Riga institution. The same owners have recently opened a funkier new place, Jaunais Rigas Balzams, 2 Doma Laukams. The Skyline Bar, Elizabetes 55, in the Reval Hotel Latvija, may be a touch lacking in real atmosphere but the views from the 26th floor are superb.

Casinos: Riga has a wide range of gambling opportunities but many of the ‘casinos’ turn out to be low-quality dives or informal Mafia-run ventures, so it is best to stick to the established names. The age restriction for gambling is 21 years and passports are required. Smart dress is advisable. The Admiralu Klub, Audeju 12, is geared towards local and foreign businesspeople and is as above board as Riga gets. Similarly, Mirage, 22 Aspazijas bulvaris, is reliable as part of the busy Hotel Riga. The Royal Casino, Elizabetes 55, has blackjack, poker and roulette with a free bar. Tornis, Milsu 75, also has a free bar for players, as well as blackjack, roulette, poker and billiards.

Clubs: Over the last few years, Riga’s club scene has gone through the roof and there are now over a dozen regular clubs in the city. Nautilus, King 8, is the most bizarre club in Riga, with a décor that is based on a submarine and bar staff dressed in sailor suits, which make it well worth the visit for the novelty value alone. La Rocca, Brivibas 96 (website: www.larocca.lv) claims to be the biggest club in the Baltics and the dancefloor certainly is huge. The drinks are reasonably priced and there are some very good club nights at weekends. One hot newer place is Depo, Valnu 32, an underground hangout with muted lighting, a fashionably grungy clientele and regular guest DJs. Come during the day and you may just be served lunch by one of the city’s most renowned DJs. Purvs, Matisa 60/62, is a reasonably good gay club with some dubious live shows.

Live Music: Bites Blues Club, Dzirnavu 34a (website: www.bluesclub.lv) is a fair stab at a genuine Blues club. It may not quite be New Orleans but there is regular live music and when no one is on, they beam classic jazz artists on to a big screen. Hamlet Club, Jana Seta 5, has suitably arty pretensions with improvised performances, modern jazz and cultural events. Kalku Varti, Kalku 11a (website: www.kalkuvarti.lv) boasts professional artists and an appreciative crowd who don't tend to spoil performances by singing along – a danger in many other music venues in Riga.

City Statistics

Location: Daugava River, southeast corner of Gulf of Riga.
Country dialling code: 371.
Population: 852,000 (city).
Time zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin plugs are standard.
Average January temp: - 3°C (26.5°F).
Average July temp: 18°C (64.5°F).
Annual rainfall: 580mm (22.8 inches).

Special Events

Gadatirgus, Jun, popular annual festival of arts and craft, various venues
Folklore Festival, early Jun, Open-air Ethnographic Museum
Latvian Singing and Dancing Festival, Jun-Aug, over 30,000 singers and 15,000 dancers all dressed in national costume descend upon the city, various venues
Riga Opera Festival, Jun-Aug, Opera House (website: www.opera.lv/rof/rof_E.htm)
Ligo Diena (Grass Day), late Jun, Jani grasses are strewn about the home in preparation for the Jani, throughout Riga
Jani (Midsummer Festival), late Jun, traditional Pagan celebration of summer solstice, throughout Riga
Riga Summer Festival, Jul, festival of chamber and symphony music, various venues
International Folk Dance Festival, Jul, various venues
Days of Chamber Music, first week in Sep, various venues
Arena New Music Festival, Oct-Nov (website: www.arenafest.lv)
Riga Christmas Festival, mid-late Dec, Riga Exhibition Centre
New Year in Riga, street party, 31 Dec, Old Town’s main squares

Cost of Living

1 Latvian Lats (Ls1) = £0.97; US$1.70; C$1.98; A$2.23; ¬1.42
Currency conversion rates as of October 2005