Riga in 3 Nights | Food, Markets, and the Old Town

Three Nights in Riga

Riga has long been a city we were curious about. The city is just a short flight from Torp, making it a great option for a long weekend or a short city break.

We spent three nights in the city, giving us two full days, along with some time on the first evening and before our return home.

The goal was not to create a complete guide to everything one can do in Riga. We wanted to experience the city at our own pace, enjoy good food, and visit places that matched our interests.

First Encounter with the Old Town

We stayed at the Gutenberg Hotel, which is centrally located in the Old Town. The location made it easy to walk to many of the places we wanted to visit.

The Old Town is compact, with cobblestone streets, churches, old buildings, and small passages. There are many details to observe, and for us who work with images and video, there were subjects almost everywhere.

At the same time, we quickly noticed that Riga is more than just the restored Old Town. When you move a little outside the most visited streets, the character of the city changes. It is this contrast that makes it interesting to wander around without a too strict plan.

Chocolate and Local Food

One of the places we decided to visit was the Laima Chocolate Museum. Laima is a well-known Latvian chocolate brand, and the museum tells part of the story behind the production and the company.

For Hege, who works a lot with baking and food content, this was a natural stop. It also provided us with a different type of experience than the usual churches and historical buildings.

We also dined at Lido, which serves a wide variety of Latvian and Eastern European dishes. Here, you choose your food from the counter, making it easy to try several different dishes.

Lido may not be the place you choose for a quiet gourmet dinner, but it offers a good insight into the food that is actually eaten in the region. It is casual, accessible, and relatively easy to understand, even if you are not familiar with the dishes beforehand.

A Restaurant Underground

One of the most unique dining experiences was Rozengrāls in the Old Town.

The restaurant is located underground in old cellar premises. You descend narrow stairs and enter rooms with brick walls, candlelight, and an atmosphere that is markedly different from a typical modern restaurant.

The place is clearly built around a historical experience, but the premises ensure that it does not just feel like decoration. The cellar rooms and architecture are a significant part of the experience.

This was one of the places that worked particularly well visually in the video. The transition from the regular street down into the dark rooms provides a clear shift and a natural little story.

Riga Central Market

Riga Central Market was one of our main goals for the trip.

The market is housed in large halls near the center. Here, you can find meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, baked goods, and other local products.

For us, the market was interesting because it showcased a more everyday side of Riga. The Old Town is beautiful, but it is also tailored for visitors. At the market, you encounter the city more as it is used by those who live there.

We took time to walk between the halls, look at the produce, and observe the activity. This is a place where you don’t necessarily need a detailed plan. It’s enough to wander around and see what you find.

Were Three Nights Enough?

Three nights are enough to get a first impression of Riga, especially if you stay centrally. Most things in and around the Old Town can be reached on foot, while trams and Bolt make it easy to venture a bit further out.

At the same time, you can’t do everything. We had to skip places and activities because time was limited. This is a natural part of a short trip, and perhaps also an advantage. You are forced to prioritize what you are actually most interested in.

For us, the trip was primarily about food, markets, history, and experiencing the city together. We saw a lot, but we also left with the feeling that there is more to discover.

Riga worked well as a destination for a short trip. The city is manageable, has a lot of history, and offers great contrasts within a relatively small area.

We would definitely consider returning. Next time, we would spend more time outside the Old Town and explore even more of the city’s food culture.