{"id":4030,"date":"2015-06-23T09:39:44","date_gmt":"2015-06-23T08:39:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eurotalk.com\/blog\/?p=4030"},"modified":"2026-08-25T13:16:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T12:16:59","slug":"a-trip-to-riga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/en\/news\/a-trip-to-riga","title":{"rendered":"A trip to Riga"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the risk of sounding like a Eurovision host\u2026 greetings from Latvia!<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t have the sparkly outfit or the slightly dodgy English accent (although some may disagree with that), nor am I looking for my five minutes of fame. So perhaps less Eurovision host, more lazy wanderer.<\/p>\n

\"2015-06-15<\/a>I find myself in the beautiful city of Riga for a few weeks, and after only a few days, I can say it is a good choice with lots to explore.<\/p>\n

Riga has become a \u2018must see\u2019 for many a traveller, a mid-point on the popular route between Tallinn and Vilnius.<\/p>\n

The time difference is +2 GMT and it\u2019s a little surprising to find the sun rising at 3 in the morning when the evenings draw in much the same time as they do in the UK.<\/p>\n

The temperature is actually like the best bits of the UK summer and sometimes hotter, but that can be significantly reduced by the wind.<\/p>\n

The currency is the euro, the prices are relatively cheap, the local supermarket is Rimi.<\/p>\n

Everything is pretty central and the airport is accessible by little more than half an hour by bus for around 2 euros.<\/p>\n

So, that\u2019s the stats and stuff.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s Riga really like?<\/p>\n

Well, if you\u2019ve been to Budapest, it\u2019s quite similar. A lot of the cities over this way are like that: where communism still flavours the architecture yet the need for growth and change is evident in the modern buildings that have sprung up amongst them.<\/p>\n

The main thing you\u2019ll realise about Riga on arrival is the parks. Everywhere you look there are beautiful parks, with statues, floral sculptures, sailing boats, cafes, and sometimes a \u2018summer stage\u2019 where I\u2019m told there are free performances. If you\u2019re a park-bencher – book, beer, cake, coffee – this place is beyond perfect. You could probably do a full tour of all the benches and be here for months!\"Riga,<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a \u2018shoes off\u2019 culture so be prepared to bare feet the moment you arrive in a hostel or home. Also be prepared for the supermarkets to stop selling alcohol around 7:30. Stock up, early!<\/p>\n

The traffic lights can be very quick changing so do not dawdle. You\u2019ll be alerted by a series of beeps. When the beeper beeps, get going!<\/p>\n

There is a great central market and if you go inside there are a lot of stalls selling local fare. Prepare to put on weight. It is pastry-central here. I haven\u2019t tried savoury Latvian food yet, but that day will come.<\/p>\n

\"Food<\/a><\/p>\n

Whilst English is not spoken everywhere, the locals are used to the poorly multi-tongued English speaker, and are patient and on the whole very kind.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s too soon to tell but I imagine a week would be an adequate length of time to see everything there is to see of Riga. But, since I\u2019ll be here for a while yet, perhaps I can provide a little more detail on that in the near future.<\/p>\n

But until then, and until I sample the local beer\u2026 Priek\u0101!<\/i> (cheers)<\/p>\n

Kelly<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At the risk of sounding like a Eurovision host\u2026 greetings from Latvia! 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