What to see in Riga in 1 day

The House of the Blackheads launches the day: the richly decorated Renaissance façade, rebuilt after wartime destruction, was the seat of the guild of unmarried merchants and remains one of the city's most photographed buildings.

Nearby stands the Riga Cathedral, the Baltic region's largest medieval church, with an organ among Europe's most impressive when it was built in the 19th century.

Strolling through the cobblestone streets of the Old Town, you reach the Church of Saint Peter, whose tower, accessible by lift, offers a view over the entire historic centre and the river.

For lunch, the Riga Central Market, housed in five former World War One airship hangars, is among Europe's largest covered markets and offers a taste of Latvian cuisine.

The Art Nouveau quarter along Alberta iela displays façades decorated with masks, sphinxes and floral motifs designed by architect Mikhail Eisenstein.

The Television Tower, the Baltic region's tallest structure, offers instead from its observation deck a view sweeping across the entire city and Riga Bay.

In the Old Town, streets around Cathedral Square offer historic venues and breweries for dinner.

The House of the Blackheads, the Dome, and Saint Peter's Church are enough to convey Riga's medieval soul, while the afternoon choice between the Art Nouveau quarter and the Television Tower adds its architectural or panoramic side.

The alternative neighborhood of Miera iela and a trip to the beaches of Jurmala, just outside the city, remain chapters for a second visit. Seeing the decorated facades of Alberta iela is perhaps the sharpest memory of Riga.