Back in January 2016, exactly two years ago, I travelled with my best friend to Riga, the capital of Latvia and my God, it was amazing. I remember walking the streets in the centre during the freezing temperatures, the snow, the winter wonderland, the churches, the everything. It really had me and my friend mesmerised. So here are our top experiences from that trip:
Walking through downtown was a beautiful experience, you would see beautiful buildings like these at almost any street corner. It was really cute and quite impressive. It's also a very interesting mix of Baltic, European and Russian architecture style. Part of what gives the city its charm.
My best friend in a winter wonderland. The snow made the city so much more beautiful. It was January, thus it was appropriately cold, but at the same time, it had a certain ring to it.
This is me walking over what I thought was the most impressive square. It reminded me that Riga is, in fact, a real city and not just a cute tiny town.
Being Serbian-Orthodox, I had to visit the Russian-Orthodox church in the city and it didn't disappoint. Almost everyone in Riga spoke Russian, which was nice because if English wasn't enough, I could help myself with my broken Russian by a great deal.
In conclusion: The city is beautiful, it's fairly cheap for someone who lives in Western Europe and it's easy to get there, most major airports in Europe have a flight to Riga, many of those at a low cost. And what I can especially recommend: There are not many tourists who visit Riga, so it's easier to get in touch with the local flair and is a very refreshing experience compared to what you might get in touristy cities. Or have you ever met a real Parisian by the Eiffel Tower? Yeah, me neither. Riga doesn't have that, it's usually locals you'll see walking around and the whole city is much more peaceful and easy going, so it's also a city trip that will challenge and relax you at the same time. It's beautiful!
So if you're looking for a different approach to Europe, try Riga. You will be surprised.