Stroll Around the Cobbled Streets of Riga’s Fairytale Old Town

The first stop on our recent Baltic adventure saw Mr Fletche and I take in beautiful Riga, the capital of Latvia. Having arrived in the city mid-afternoon, we decided to dedicate our first evening and morning to exploring Vecrīga, Riga’s Old Town.

Strolling around is the best way to get to know Vecrīga. We took this Old Riga free walking tour which started at 6pm. Our tour guide Rita (yes, Rita from Riga!) gave us a perfect introduction to the city on our first evening. Naturally we ended up retracing our steps A LOT over our two and a half days in this compact city, and got to know Vecrīga very well. After all, sights such as the House of the Blackheads, Riga Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church and the Three Brothers were practically on our hotel doorstep.

We stayed in the heart of the Old Town at the Art Nouveau Neiburgs Hotel. You can check out the best Riga hotel deals here!

Here are some of our favourite sights from Vecrīga, Riga’s Fairytale Old Town.

Rātslaukums (Town Hall Square)

We started our first full day in Riga retracing some of the steps from our tour the previous evening. Our first stop is the historic Town Hall Square (Rātslaukums) It’s a pivotal spot in Riga’s history, and was once the site of markets, tournaments and executions. Many of the medieval buildings were destroyed during World War II, but reconstruction (mostly) in the original style means that today it’s one of the beautiful squares of Europe. In the centre is the Statue of St Roland, a legendary hero and the city’s patron. And also the Riga sign – a morning stroll is the perfect opportunity for an uninterrupted and unhurried pic.

The colourful House of the Blackheads is impossible to miss. The bright orange bricks contrast vividly against an ornate white and blue trim. It was built in 1344 for merchant bachelors to hold business meetings and entertain. The building was destroyed during the war but has been reconstructed with help from original blueprints, and donations from the locals. It was completed in 2001 to celebrate Riga’s 800th birthday.

Legend has it that in 1510, the men at the House of the Blackheads created the decorated Christmas Tree tradition. A stone marker and a metal tree commemorate the spot. If you visit Tallinn, you’ll find that they make the exact same claim, but 60 years earlier. I’ll leave them to battle that one out.

Book your entrance ticket for the House of the Blackheads here

St Peter’s Church

Our next stop is St Peter’s Church. Originally built in 1209, the church has been reconstructed many times – the original wooden construction burnt down twice, and then it was destroyed during World War II in 1941. The new steeple was added in 1967.

St Peter’s is the tallest church in Riga with a 124m spire, and whilst the interior is pleasant enough, it’s the panoramic views from the tower that make the €9 entrance fee worth it. We purchased our tickets from the small ticket office and then headed to the second floor for the elevator. Yes, it has a lift so no need to climb up a load of stairs! The views are spectacular; red rooftops top pastel buildings, church spires pierce the sky and the TV tower stands proud across the Daugava River

The Cat House

The cats that sit perched on the roof of the Cat House have become the unofficial mascots of Riga. You can find cats on all the souvenirs: fridge magnets, brooches, snow globes – you name it, it has a cat on it.

Legend has it that the wealthy tradesman who commissioned the building was denied membership in the Riga Tradesman’s Guild which was right across the street. This was a prestigious association and to be denied membership was a humiliating snub. In response, he added statues of hissing cats to the turret rooftops of his building, with their tail end facing the offending guild across the street. A fight ensued and he was forced to turn the cats in a less offensive direction.

The Three Brothers

The Three Brothers form the oldest complex of dwelling houses in the city. Located on Maza Pils Street, Building 17 is the oldest of the three, built during the late 15th century, the yellow middle house, number 19, dates to 1646. The last building, number 21, is the narrowest of the three, and was built near the end of the 17th century. It now houses the Latvian Museum of Architecture.

It’s very difficult to get a decent straight-on photo of The Three Brothers as the streets are so narrow! We also had to deal with a reversing and beeping truck laden with scaffolding equipment 🤦🏻‍♀️

“That view”

We didn’t have to go far to find the street which features on all the Instagram shots and postcards of Riga. Our hotel was actually located in the creamy yellow building on the left at the end of this road. This is Krāmu iela, and that’s the tower of Riga Cathedral peering over the blue facade of the Dom Restaurant.

Livu Square

The colourful Līvu Square is Vecrīga’s heart, lined with bars and restaurants and dotted with flowerbeds, still offered up a splendid display in October. With all these cute animals and colourful buildings, I want to dance around as if I’m in a Disney movie. The wavy patterns and markers on the ground are more than just aesthetically pleasing though; they indicate the route of the old Riga River. In fact look carefully and the design is reflected in the flowerbeds and street furniture.

Quirky Statues

Riga loves a quirky statue, and you’ll stumble over them all over Vecrīga – literally in some cases! Rita explained that many of these had no meaning or context at all, they’re just a bit of fun for the kids. Big and small 😉 A little bit spookier is Ieva Rubeze’s “The Ghost” near the city wall on Trokšņu Street near the Swedish Gate.

If you’re visiting St Peter’s Church make sure you seek out the “Bremen Town Musicians” monument outside. Inspired by a Brothers Grimm fairytale, the statue was gifted by sister city Bremen. There’s a political subtext to this sweet statue; the animals are said to be peeping through a symbolic Iron Curtain, and indeed this monument was gifted to Riga in 1990 as the Soviet stronghold on Latvia was beginning to slip. Tourists rub the noses for good luck – and you’ll be extra lucky if you can reach the rooster’s beak!

Riga Cathedral (Doma Laukums)

Riga’s Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the largest medieval church in the Baltic region. and is the seat of the Archbishop of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Today church services take place alongside concerts and other cultural events. A gold cockerel sits atop the spire, one of three topping the churches of Riga’s Old Town. It is the spire of the cathedral that we can see from our hotel room window.

if you happen to be in Riga over the festive season, Dome Square is where you can find the main Christmas markets. My blogger friend Clazz visited the Riga Christmas Markets last year – you can read more here!

It’s easy to see why Riga’s Old Town has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Pastel coloured buildings line winding cobbled streets, and unusual architecture draws the eye. Parliament buildings sit alongside cosy cafes and souvenir stores. There are rumours that cheap food and drink have started to draw hen and stag parties to the city, but apart from the odd beer bar bike we saw little evidence of this in Riga’s Old Town on this sleepy October weekend. Maybe we were outside of party season. But Riga’s Old Town captured my heart.

Want to know how we spent the rest of our time in Riga? Check out our 48 hour Riga itinerary here!