Riga has sat front and centre of my future trip plans for a long time, it was even supposed to be the destination of our honeymoon until circumstances pushed us elsewhere. Additionally my trips to the other Baltic capitals had been wonderful for various reasons, so how did Riga stack up against these high expectations?

Well, we really enjoyed our weekend in the Latvian capital, it was a case of meeting rather than exceeding expectations. As other reviewers have said the old town was rather pleasant though not as impressive or immaculate as that of Tallinn but certainly a lovely place to be. In addition to the normal winding cobbled streets of European old towns there is the impressive collection of art nouveau edifices, including the highly recommended Hotel Neiburgs.

However the main Art Nouveau treats are in the new town and we had a great morning exploring the remarkable array of buildings, especially those along Alberta iela, culminating in the small and pleasant Art Nouveau museum and the gift shop on the opposite side of the road. We had a lovely stroll around the new town, stopping to peak into the Orthodox churches then for some coffee and cake, before heading to the massive central market on the other side of town.

The evenings allowed us to do a bit of restaurant and bar hopping, with Folkklubs ALA pagrabs being a real highlight. It was a great place to sample local food (grey peas) and drink (a huge array of unpasteurised beers and Riga Black Balsaam).

It was all very enjoyable and as with the other Baltic capitals really friendly and welcoming. Well worth a slow weekend, and if you have an interest in Art Nouveau this should certainly top your list of must visit destinations.

Site 7: Experience 6