Blogs from Riga, Riga Region, Latvia, Europe - page 27

Perhaps the greatest disappointment in the trip to the other Baltic states was the amount of time spent in Riga. Our semester took us to Riga 4 times, but we ended up spending more time in one restaurant than in all other parts of the city combined. We didn’t get around to sightseeing until arriving in the city for the 4th time. What I did see was very cool. Looked liked a fun city. One of our Student tour guides (Liga) was from Riga, and wished she could show us more of it. All in all, we only spent 3 hours going through the city, but found out some cool things. Back in the middle ages, the Riga government used to levy taxes based on how wide the home fronts were, and how large the windows ... read more

Riga is the capital of Latvai, and the biggest city in the Baltic countries. Around 1.7 million people live in and around Riga, compared with Tallinn at 400,000. The difference in size is obvious when arriving in on the coach. I'm staying in a backpackers (POSH), just near the bus station and outside the old town. The old town is a beautiful area of restored buildings, it doesn't have the same numbers of tourists that Tallinn had. Though there are still plenty of bars, restaurants and cafes here. Latvia is cheap - compared to the UK, and much of the rest of Europe. Prices - a pint in the bars about £1.20 - a pint of Hoegarden £1.60 - I love Hoegarden but at the £3.50 that is usually charged in English pubs I rarely drink ... read more