Riga, founded in 1201, is the geographical center of the Baltic States and arguably one of Northern Europe's best kept secrets ... tourism is just now beginning to boom in what's quickly becoming one of Europe's top cultural capitals.
The city of 800,000 on the Daugava River is the capital of Latvia, a country finding its place in a new world after being occupied for 50 years (1941 to 1991), first by the Nazis and then by the Soviet Union. Today, visitors will see a city in transition: women embracing fashion trends, men following the latest news on American sports teams, and a Caribbean-themed bar serving mean mojitos (while patrons stare at a portrait of Fidel Castro). School kids are learning English as a second language instead of Russian.
Today, Riga is a happening place boasting big-city attractions for visitors. Opera, music and ballet flourish (even during Soviet times, Riga was known for its arts offerings). The city has museums that house displays on everything from art and textiles to fire-fighting and the history of medicine. Old Riga, the historic center of the city, has been recognized by UNESCO, and the city's Art Nouveau architecture is among the finest in Europe.
Nightlife is active, with hopping bars and dance clubs open until 6 a.m. on weekends. A large number of restaurants serve up an impressive diversity of international options (Russian, Armenian, Tibetan, Tex-Mex). There are shopping malls and hotels springing up, and new cars clog the streets.
But perhaps most intriguing is how the city still feels like a bridge between the Old Soviet and modern Europe.
We took a ship's tour today, which was somewhat disappointing to us. The guide did not speak clear English, had a monotone voice, and brought us to area's of the town that were far from interesting. At one point, we had a photo stop so we all went into the Radisson Hotel Blu to use the bathrooms. As we came out, we watched in disbelief as our bus was leaving----10 minutes early! Without us! :) LOL Eventually, it stopped around the corner and our guide frantically waved us back to the bus. We all agreed that we would have been better off if she left us there! LOL :)
The embassy row area had some beautiful architecture, as you can see above.
Later on in our tour, we drove through the area that was very depressing. Apartments built by the Soviets during the occupation. Latvia was not independent until 1991, so there's a lot of work to do to bring the homes and apartments up to date. During the occupation of the Soviet Union, it was up to the government to maintain the homes/roads/etc., which of course the government was not interested in doing.
The apartment buildings pictured above are typical of Soviet era buildings. Square, no architectural style. Depressing.
Location:Riga, Latvia
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