After a leisurely walk through Vilnius’ old town, I had picked the Lithuanian National Museum as my next sight to see for the day. I love to see and hear the history of a country from their own perspective and the museum came recommended by the lady at the tourist office as one of the […]
If you only have one day to explore Riga, the capital of Latvia, you should try to make the most of it and check out my Perfect Day: Riga Itinerary below! You can wander through the old town, pick up lunch at the market and enjoy it in the parks, study Art Noveau and even
For my last dinner in Riga, I picked a restaurant in the Old Town that was highly recommended for its food and service on Tripadvisor. It’s on a quiet street right behind St. Peter’s church. With nice indoor and outdoor seating and the menu on a blackboard on the door, the scene was set for
If you want to learn about Riga’s and Latvia’s modern history (and I did), there are a few museums that will provide you with a lot of information. Latvia’s history since independence after World War I to occupation by the Soviets in 1940, Nazi Germany in 1941 and again by the Soviets in 1944, until
My second hotel in Riga, as part of my Baltic Explorer trip, was the Radisson Blu Daugava hotel. I had picked it based on value alone – at 15,000 points for two nights (a value of $30/night), and I didn’t expect a whole lot. It turned out to be a great bargain upscale hotel in
My Baltic Explorer trip covered 7 cities in the Baltics, Poland and Germany over a period of 4 weeks. Despite staying at mostly mid-scale and upscale hotels, it was an inexpensive trip, compared to other European capitals! The Baltics turned out to be a great value destination, especially for family vacations! Similar to my ASEAN
While the Baltics and Riga are not known as a wine region, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get a good glass of wine or two. In fact, you can even do a wine tasting of sorts or even better do a meal with your own wine pairings! Wine Easy is a type of concept
Visiting Riga without a walk through the old town is like visiting Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower – the old town is the historic heart of the town, inviting visitors and locals alike with its cobblestone streets, churches and beautifully restored buildings. It’s situated between the Daugava river on the one side and a
The Radisson Blu Ridzene was my first hotel in Riga, part of my Baltic Explorer trip. I wanted to stay in the best location in Riga and was looking for a comfortable hotel without paying a fortune. I had picked the Ridzene out of four Radisson Blu hotels in Riga it turned out to deliver:
In my third destination of my Baltic Explorer trip, Riga, you can find history, architecture and fun all in one compact city and at an affordable price, making it a great destination for a short trip. You can wander through the old town, stare up at the magnificent Art Noveau buildings all over town or
Update 2019: When traveling in Europe, I usually prefer trains instead of short flights of under 2 hours – it’s usually quicker and cheaper, I avoid all the hassles involved with airports and, most importantly, I get to see more of the country I’m visiting. On my recent Baltic Explorer trips, I was looking for