Hello everyone, my name is Roger Rojas, and today we will cover the top 5 questions I kept getting asked during my campaign in Latvia. So let's get into it.
Question #1: Where Is Riga, Latvia?
Latvia is located in Eastern Europe, is part of the European Union, NATO, and is one of three Baltic countries. The other two are Estonia and Lithuania. Latvia is sandwiched between multiple countries, so it shares its borders with the two other Baltic states and Russia and Belarus. The capital city of Riga is located on the Gulf Of Riga and was founded in 1201. The Daugava River runs through it and gives it a very picturesque touch.
The leading airline in Latvia is AirBaltic. As the name implies, their primary operation lies within the Baltic countries and surrounding areas. And is an excellent option if you want to bounce around Eastern Europe quickly and without breaking the bank. In my experience, they are the best overall option compared to other budget airlines such as RyanAir.
However, a project in development called Rail Baltica will facilitate travel within the Baltic region and make backpacking that area of Europe a much more seamless process. Rail Baltica will be completed in 2026, and as soon as it is, a backpacking trip will be in order.
Question #2: What is Riga, Latvia known For?
When I started researching Riga and planning my trip, what stood out to me was their Old Town and the Art Nouveau architecture. Old Town Riga is fantastic and delivers 100%. Its area is small enough to make your way through it if time is limited. However, if you dig a bit deeper and take your time, it has so much going on that you can spend hours visiting cafes, bars, restaurants, or walking down various cobblestone streets. Old Town, just like Riga as a whole, is a perfect size. Not too big, but not too small.
Regarding architecture–and if you are a fan–it’s an attraction worth seeing. I’m not the biggest architecture enthusiast, but I am a fan of scenic parks. And Riga’s parks are the top reasons Riga is one of my favorite cities in all of Europe. I love spending time at parks when traveling, and Riga has many of them. However, there is one, in particular, that is simply on another level. Therefore, I must mention Bastejkalna Parks to everyone I talk to about Riga.
It's beautiful and if you want to see one of the most picturesque parks in all of Europe, visit Riga in the Summertime.
Traveler Tip #1: Grab some food for takeaway–I recommend an Asian restaurant called Wok-to-Walk–find a nice bench in the park, and enjoy the afternoon and beauty around you.
Question #3: Is Riga, Latvia Expensive?
Based on the statistical office of the European Union, known as Eurostat, the following resource can help us get a better understanding of where Latvia lands on the spectrum of cost.
"In 2020, price levels for consumer goods and services differed widely across Europe. The highest price level among EU Member States was observed in Denmark, 40% above the EU average, while in Bulgaria the price level was 45% below the EU average. "
I will leave a link to this article below if you want to dive deeper into these numbers. But, ultimately, this article presents the most recent analysis of price levels relative to the European Average. And if you notice in the graph provided, Latvia lands in the bottom half of the spectrum.
But with stats out of the way, let me quickly touch on a few observations and things you should know regarding costs in Latvia based on my experiences. First, as with any destination, there is a good amount of savings when you stick to grocery shopping and cooking at home. However, in Latvia, I’ve noticed a much wider margin than any other place I’ve visited when comparing the cost of going out to restaurants and bars versus shopping at grocery stores and cooking in your apartment.
If you stick to cooking at home, you will save a large amount of money which will help you prolong your stay. Once you start engaging in restaurants and bars every day, you will quickly notice that it isn’t cheap. Again, it’s not as expensive as London or Los Angeles, but if you are a budget traveler like I am, it can get up there.
Regarding lodging, primarily Airbnbs, I feel it is on par with cities and countries that are much more popular and have many more things to see and do. However, the main issue is that they do not come with an air-conditioner for this type of apartment and often are in old buildings with no lift or elevator. That might not sound like a big deal; it’s cold, snowy Latvia. But if visiting in the Summer, which is the best time to visit Latvia, temperatures can get extremely hot. Like Los Angeles levels of hot. And nothing is worse than spending the day outdoors only to come home to a building where you have to walk up to six flights of stairs and into an apartment that feels like a sauna. I’ve experienced it, and trust me when I tell you; it’s not fun.
And so if you are visiting in Summer, I highly recommend you rent a place with an air conditioner. But unfortunately, if you do, you start to see the price for those apartments rise because it is only the newer, more trendy-looking apartments with those amenities built into them. Also, because there aren’t many people with these apartments renting them out, there is a limited selection, which causes the price to go higher.
So in closing, your main expenditure when staying in Riga, Latvia, will be your lodging. If you look hard enough and are lucky enough, you will find a perfect spot at an ideal rate. Still, you will be paying a premium when renting an apartment more often than not, which could still be worth it, depending on where in the city you stay.
I've made a video promo for one of the Airbnbs in Riga. It's on my YouTube channel if you want to give it a look. Click HERE!
Questions #4: Is Riga, Latvia worth visiting?
As anyone who has been following my YouTube channel (Roger Rojas) knows, the answer is a solid hell yes! I love the place, and I’ve explored Latvia more than any other country during my career. I’ve spent about a year in Latvia, and I plan on going back. The bars, cafes, restaurants, parks, and craft-beer scene are all top-notch. And the element that unites it all is the Latvian people and their culture. But, for me, the best experience had to be when I was helping to harvest potatoes out in the countryside, and it started to rain. I was all dirty, and we were trying to hurry up because the rain was coming, and it was coming fast, so there I am, in Latvia, throwing bags of potatoes onto the back of a tractor and laughing my ass off. Such a simple moment that makes me say, yup, Latvia is awesome! And afterward, I had a cold beer and a sauna session. It simply doesn’t get any better than that!
But back in Riga, I already mention the Daugava River that cuts through the city. And if you are on a budget but still want to have a stimulating experience, a simple walk or bike ride down the river is incredible because it is so easy to get there. You’re in Old Town or the City Center one moment, and the next, you are watching the sunset on the Daugava. To me, and this is a bold statement, Riga has similar vibes to that of Paris on a much smaller scale. And what I mean by that is that I love Paris, and every time I visit, I’m inspired to read, write, engage in photography, and the arts on a higher level. However, the downside is that Paris is so damn big, almost too big for my liking, and expensive. And so Riga, Latvia hits the sweet spot for me and may do the same for you.
Traveler Tip #2: For all my English speakers out there, if you are looking for a spot to call your own or want to feel a bit more at ease when you first arrive, make sure to visit an English-used bookstore called Robert's Books. Again, I'm not saying it's like the bookstore Shakespeare and Company that you will find in Paris. In the 1920's you had Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Ezra Pound hanging about, but there is a unique charm to be found at Robert's Books that you might really vibe with. Especially when they have live events such as concerts and author interviews.
Now where to stay in the city is very important. Although it is a small city, you can quickly find yourself exhausted from all the walking you will be doing. So, my recommendation is to stay somewhere in the City center (red outline), but as close as possible to Old Town (purple outline) and the Central Train Station (blue outline), but not too close. Like every city’s main train station area, it becomes very active, loud, and chaotic. But you still want to be close enough to it because this is the area where the Central Market is located, and there are a plethora of retail stores that will make your stay that much better. Additionally, you’ll have the ability to quickly hop on a train or bus to Sigulda, Cesis, and Jurmala–which are the top 3 other cities I recommend you visit when in Latvia.
In regards to how many days should you stay? I’ve answered this many times on this channel, and it fluctuates based on the topic I’m discussing. But if you have plenty of time and enjoy Eastern Europe more than Western Europe, I would say a minimum of 1 week. I stayed for four days on my first visit and instantly vowed to return for an extended stay. I was hooked.
Question #5: Is Riga, Latvia Safe?
Yes. I didn’t have a single moment where I didn’t feel safe during my time there. But, of course, you always have to be alert no matter where you are. Still, I have nothing negative to say about Riga in that regard. On the contrary, after being in Riga for six months, I got so used to public transportation that I was shocked when I got on the metro in Los Angeles. Do you want to talk about feeling unsafe? Just ride the Los Angeles metro system. Holy shit.
So there it is, ladies and gentlemen, the top 5 questions I kept getting asked about Latvia during my time there. If you have any further questions or comments, please feel free to type them below. If you enjoyed this article, learned something, or found it entertaining, do me a favor and head over to the YouTube channel by clicking the video version of this article down below and hitting that like and subscribe button. Any show of support is greatly appreciated.