Zone: The Old town

Author:

Riga, the Latvian capital, is the largest city in the Baltic states. Yet just a few centuries ago, the whole of Riga fitted within its ancient defensive walls, on the right-hand banks of the Daugava River – as the Western Dvina River is known in Latvian. Today, by contrast, only a small area of this large city could be called its heart – the Old City. Riga was badly damaged during the hostilities of the Second World War – after which there were no available funds to rebuild it, and thus it languished in a broken-down state for many years. In fact it was only relatively recently that Riga finally got the post-war rebuilding work for which it had waited for so long. The Old Town is where almost all of the tourist sites and visitor facilities are located. Frankly, the very best way to see the city is to set off on foot, for an excursion around its medieval streets and lanes. The area of the Old Town district isn't too big to walk – and it's here that you'll find all the most important and interesting historic sites, neatly arranged with a good spattering of friendly cafes and charming shops here too.