Free Walking Tour Riga: Gothic Spires to Zeppelin Halls

From a cathedral founded in 1211 to market halls built from Zeppelin hangars and the Freedom Monument: 6.0 km through Riga with a free GPS route.

11 Stops 6.0 km ~1 h 22 min walking
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Route map for the Riga walking tour
Stop 1 of 11
370 m·5 min
Riga Cathedral
Head south-east toward the House of the Blackheads
Labdien, welcome to Riga. I'm Alex, and eight centuries of city growth have changed even the cathedral's ground level.
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What This Riga Route Covers

Eleven stops lead from Riga Cathedral through the Old Town to Riga Central Market and the Riga Ghetto Museum, then past the Freedom Monument and back to the Art Museum Riga Bourse. The route is 6.0 km with 1 h 22 min of pure walking; with a market lunch and a few interiors, plan around six hours.

The market, the monument, the park and the façades of the Three Brothers houses are free; the churches, museums and opera charge entry. The GPS route in your browser is free, and the optional AI Tour Guide tells the stories as you go.

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View of Riga

The Route

Walking Map of Riga: 11 Stops on 6.0 km

11 stops 6.0 km 1 h 22 min walking
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The 11 stops along this route

  1. Riga Cathedral, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour
    1Riga Cathedral
  2. House of the Blackheads in Riga, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2House of the Blackheads
  3. St. Peter's Church in Riga, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3St. Peter's Church
  4. Riga Central Market, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4Riga Central Market
  5. Riga Ghetto Museum, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Riga Ghetto Museum
  6. National History Museum in Riga, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour
    6National History Museum
  7. Freedom Monument in Riga, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour
    7Freedom Monument
  8. Latvian National Opera in Riga, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour
    8Latvian National Opera
  9. Bastejkalna Park in Riga, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour
    9Bastejkalna Park
  10. Three Brothers houses in Riga, stop 10 on the self-guided walking tour
    10Three Brothers houses
  11. Art Museum Riga Bourse, stop 11 on the self-guided walking tour
    11Art Museum Riga Bourse
  12. That's the full route.

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Your Riga Walking Tour, Stop by Stop, from the Dome to the Bourse

  1. 1

    Riga Cathedral

    Riga Cathedral, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour

    Begin with the building that has stood for Riga longer than almost anything else. Riga Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary, was founded in 1211 near the Daugava by Bishop Albert, a churchman from Lower Saxony. It's considered the largest medieval church in the Baltic states, and it has been altered so many times over the centuries that its walls carry several eras at once. Look up at the tower: like all of Riga's oldest churches, it wears a weathercock. The copper roof over the nave was renewed in 2011, and the tower exterior was re-plated in 2015.

    You'll often hear it called the Dome Cathedral, a doubled word, since the German “Dom” already means cathedral. Its 20th century was anything but quiet. After a 1923 referendum the Lutherans had to share it with the Roman Catholic Church, until a second referendum in 1931 returned it to them. Under Soviet occupation religious services were banned for decades and the building served as a concert hall; worship resumed only in 1991. Today it's the seat of the Lutheran Archbishop of Riga.

    The strongest reason to buy a ticket is the organ. Walcker of Ludwigsburg built it in 1882 and 1883, and it was inaugurated on 31 January 1884: four manuals, 124 stops and 6,718 pipes. During the Second World War, a recording of composer Lūcija Garūta playing it for a cantata even captured the sound of fighting nearby. If you love church music or big medieval spaces, go in; if you're short on time, the exterior gives you the essentials.

    From here it's 370 metres, about 5 minutes, to the House of the Blackheads.

    Local name
    Rīgas Doms
    Hours
    Mon–Sat 10:00–17:00, Sun 14:00–17:00
    Price
    5 EUR adults, 3 EUR children 11-18, free under 10
    Website
    doms.lv ↗
  2. 2

    House of the Blackheads

    House of the Blackheads in Riga, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour

    The richly ornamented façade in front of you tells a story of merchants, but it's younger than it looks. The first building here went up in 1334 as a warehouse, meeting hall and venue for merchants' celebrations, and it was then the largest public building in Riga. From the mid-15th century it was also used by the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried merchants, shipowners and foreigners. Most of the Mannerist decoration came with major works in the early 17th century, and some of the sculptures were made in the 19th century in the workshop of August Volz.

    Riga likes to tell visitors that the first decorated Christmas tree was put up here in 1510. The later chapters are harder. On 29 June 1941, fighting between the German and Soviet armies left the house and most of the Old Town in ruins, and on 23 May 1948 the Soviet government demolished the remains despite protests from locals and heritage experts.

    What you see is a reconstruction built between 1996 and 2000, based on research from the 1980s. The city paid most of it, but more than 5,000 people joined a campaign called “I build the House of the Black Heads”: for 5 lats each, they could place a brick in the wall. The house officially opened on 9 December 1999.

    Today it's an event centre and museum, and the ticket is worth it if you enjoy ceremonial interiors. The grand ballrooms on the upper level hosted welcomes for kings, queens and presidents. On the first floor you can see the historic cabinets with a silver collection, which served as the Latvian President's workspace from 2012 to 2016 while Riga Castle was being rebuilt. Don't miss the cellar: it's the only original part that survived the war and the Soviet years, and it lay buried and unseen until 1992.

    St. Peter's Church is just 220 metres away, 3 minutes on foot; on the way you pass the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, worth noting if the 20th century is your interest.

    Local name
    Melngalvju nams
    Hours
    Daily 10:00–17:00
    Price
    10 EUR full, 6 EUR students/pensioners, 4 EUR Ukrainians with ID, free for preschoolers and disabled visitors (groups 1-2) plus one companion
  3. 3

    St. Peter's Church

    St. Peter's Church in Riga, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour

    St. Peter's Church first appears in records in 1209, and because it was built of masonry it came through that year's city fire undamaged. Its history falls into three building periods. From the oldest, the 13th-century church, only traces remain: parts of the outer nave walls and the cores of a few pillars inside the nave, later wrapped in thicker ones.

    The second period began in 1408 and 1409, when master builder Johannes Rumeschottel from Rostock raised the sanctuary, modelled on St. Mary's Church in Rostock. War between the Teutonic Order and Poland-Lithuania delayed its dedication until 1419, and plague stopped work again in 1420. The older church was rebuilt to match, and by the 1470s the two parts were joined into a mighty three-aisled basilica with ornate vaulted ceilings.

    Then comes the tower story. In 1491 an octagonal steeple 136 metres high was added, and together with the front façade it dominated Riga's silhouette. On 11 March 1666 it collapsed, destroying a neighbouring building and burying eight people in the rubble. The cornerstone of a new tower was laid on 29 June 1667, and the west façade and new tower were built between 1671 and 1690 in early Baroque style.

    Entry is charged. You can pay for the church alone or for the church together with the tower, and the church-only ticket is the cheaper one if the view isn't your priority. Go in for the Gothic vaults; if you've just spent time inside the cathedral and are pressed for time, the exterior is enough.

    Next is the longest leg so far: 780 metres, about 11 minutes, to Riga Central Market.

    Local name
    Rīgas Svētā Pētera baznīca
    Hours
    Mon–Thu, Sun 10:00–18:00; Fri–Sat 10:00–22:00
  4. 4

    Riga Central Market

    Riga Central Market, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour

    The five pavilions in front of you have an unusual past: they reuse the metal frameworks of two German Zeppelin hangars from the First World War, Walhalla and Walther, which had stood at Vaiņode Air Base. Riga architect Pāvils Dreijmanis and engineer S. Žitkovs won one of the top prizes in an international competition with that idea. Planned from 1922 and built from 1924 to 1930, the halls mix Neoclassicism and Art Deco and count among the most notable 20th-century structures in Latvia.

    Trading here has deep roots. Produce was sold on the banks of the Daugava from 1571, and rows of stands went up in 1863. By 1922 the old Daugavmala Market was so crowded and unsanitary that on 18 December the city council decided to move it to a new, enclosed site. The result is billed as Europe's largest market: 72,300 square metres with more than 3,000 stands. Since 1998 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing together with Old Riga.

    Entry is free, and this is the obvious lunch stop on the walk. Grandmothers haggle over produce, families stock up for the week and chefs choose their ingredients, so wander through more than one pavilion. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds. The city owns the market today and wants to protect its role as a place for Latvian produce rather than just another shopping spot.

    From the market it's 500 metres, about 7 minutes, to the Riga Ghetto Museum, and the mood changes completely.

    Hours
    Pavilions ~7:30–18:00, outdoor area ~7:00–18:00
    Price
    Free (entry)
  5. 5

    Riga Ghetto Museum

    Riga Ghetto Museum, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Riga Ghetto Museum stands on the edge of the Latgale quarter and tells the story of Latvia's Jews during the Second World War and in the years before it. Its exhibitions also cover Jewish religious traditions in Latvia, the community's part in the fight for Latvian independence and its role in education and culture.

    Take your time outside first. Memorial plaques carry the names of more than 70,000 Latvian Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust, and of about 25,000 Jews deported to the Riga ghetto from other European countries to be killed. The grounds are paved with cobblestones taken from the streets of the former ghetto and enclosed by a barbed-wire fence. Beyond the main building with its exhibition rooms, there's a small house showing Jewish everyday life and a railway exhibit.

    The museum was founded by the Shamir religious community with support from the city of Riga. It runs educational programmes for schools, universities and the public, holds commemorations and works with historians and survivors on research. It sees itself as a place for tolerance and human rights and against antisemitism.

    Entry is charged. Allow at least 45 minutes; this isn't a stop to rush. If you have time for only one museum on this walk and want to understand what Riga lost in the war, make it this one.

    Next: 1,080 metres, about 15 minutes, to the National History Museum.

    Local name
    Rīgas geto muzejs
    Hours
    Sun–Fri 10:00–18:00; closed Saturdays
    Price
    5 EUR adults; pupils, students and pensioners 3 EUR
    Website
    rgm.lv ↗
  6. 6

    National History Museum

    National History Museum in Riga, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour

    The National History Museum of Latvia holds the country's largest collection of Latvian material culture. It began in 1869 as the museum of the Riga Latvian Society's Knowledge Commission, which started collecting objects for a Latvian museum without even having rooms of its own. Its first exhibition with museum objects took place in Moscow in 1872, and a new display opened to the public in 1895.

    For the archaeological congress held in Riga in 1896, ten scientific expeditions went out across the Latvian regions and brought back more than 6,000 objects. In 1914 work began on a purpose-built museum paid for by donations from Latvians, only to be halted by the First World War. After Latvia declared independence in 1918, the collection passed to the state.

    In 1920 the museum moved into Riga Castle, where its permanent exhibition stayed until the castle fire of 2013. During the restoration it worked from other premises; it returned to the castle in autumn 2024, and since spring 2026 its exhibitions are open there again. The collection spans departments of history, ethnography, numismatics and archaeology, and the permanent exhibition runs from the earliest times to the present. Its staff still carry out excavations in Riga and across Latvia.

    Entry is charged. It's worth it if you want the long arc of Latvian history before the independence story at the Freedom Monument; if you're museum-weary after the Ghetto Museum, keep walking.

    The longest leg of the route follows: 1,680 metres, about 23 minutes, to the Freedom Monument.

    Local name
    Latvijas Nacionālais vēstures muzejs
    Hours
    Mon closed, Tue–Thu 10:00–18:00, Fri 10:00–20:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00
    Price
    8 EUR adults, 3 EUR students
  7. 7

    Freedom Monument

    Freedom Monument in Riga, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour

    Look up: on top of a 19-metre travertine column, the copper figure of Liberty lifts three gilded stars. The whole Freedom Monument rises 42 metres in granite, travertine and copper. It was unveiled in 1935 to honour the soldiers killed in the Latvian War of Independence from 1918 to 1920. Walk around the base, where sculptures and bas-reliefs in thirteen groups depict Latvian culture and history.

    The idea goes back to the early 1920s, when Prime Minister Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics had rules drawn up for a design contest for a “memorial column”. After several contests, the monument was built in the early 1930s to the design “Mirdzi kā zvaigzne!” (“Shine like a star!”) by sculptor Kārlis Zāle, financed by private donations.

    After the Soviet occupation of 1940, demolition was considered but never carried out. The Soviet sculptor Vera Mukhina is sometimes credited with saving it because she valued it as art. When the question came up again in 1963, the authorities dropped it, fearing deep public anger. Throughout the Soviet era it stayed a symbol of independence, and on 14 June 1987 about 5,000 people gathered here to lay flowers. That rally revived the independence movement, which three years later led to the restoration of Latvian sovereignty.

    The monument is free and still the focal point of public gatherings and official ceremonies. The Latvian National Opera is 330 metres away, about 4 minutes on foot.

    Local name
    Brīvības piemineklis
    Hours
    Open 24/7
    Price
    Free
  8. 8

    Latvian National Opera

    Latvian National Opera in Riga, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour

    This neo-classical opera house opened in 1863 and has staged performances for more than 160 years, surviving both World Wars. A meticulous seven-year restoration was completed in 2001, and the building looks the part of a national stage.

    Inside, the 900-seat auditorium is counted among the finest acoustic spaces in the Baltics. To experience it you need a performance ticket; the box office can tell you what's on. If you have an evening free in Riga, this is the stop to come back to.

    From the opera it's 420 metres, about 6 minutes, to Bastejkalna Park.

    Hours
    Box office: Tue–Sat 11:00–19:00, Sun 11:00–18:00, closed Mon and closed 22 June-3 Aug
    Website
    opera.lv ↗
  9. 9

    Bastejkalna Park

    Bastejkalna Park in Riga, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour

    This green hill on the northern edge of the Old Town was once part of the city's eastern fortifications: earthen ramparts, covered trenches, bastions and moats, a section under the command of the Powder Tower. When the ramparts of the Riga Fortress were demolished in 1856, the old Sand Bastion became Basteiberg, Bastion Hill. Planting it out took from 1859 to 1887. In 1879 the 27-year-old Georg Kuphaldt was appointed director of the Riga Gardens, and the greenery here was his first project.

    Look for the waterfall cascade of Saulkalne dolomite, built into the hill in 1898. It still runs, though without the underwater lighting it had in the early 20th century. On the canal, a swan house designed by architect Heinrich Scheel has floated on pontoons since around 1893 and is pulled ashore in winter; the first swans were a gift from the Riga Bird Breeding Society. A wooden pavilion of 1860 gave way in 1887 to the first Bastion Hill café.

    In 1883 a 23-metre wooden bridge crossed the canal at the foot of the hill, so steeply curved that people slid off it in winter; it was replaced in masonry in 1893. The retaining walls date from 1951, built to a design by Jānis Ginters with pieces of Riga buildings destroyed in the Second World War, and the sculptures were added in 1968.

    The park is free and a good place to sit for ten minutes before the last stretch. From here, 420 metres and about 6 minutes bring you to the Three Brothers houses.

    Local name
    Bastejkalns
    Hours
    Open 24/7
    Price
    Free
  10. 10

    Three Brothers houses

    Three Brothers houses in Riga, stop 10 on the self-guided walking tour

    Three houses side by side at Mazā Pils iela 17, 19 and 21, each from a different era, all with their gable ends facing the street in the style of Hanseatic towns along the Baltic coast. Number 17 is the oldest, from the late 15th or early 16th century, which makes it the oldest surviving stone dwelling in Riga; a baker may have built it around 1490. Notice that it stands back from the street: a sign that the street was once wider.

    Inside number 17, the ground floor was one large living and working room with a hearth under a mantel chimney in the corner, and the attic levels stored goods. In 1697 it still housed a bakery. Number 19 was built in 1646, and its Dutch Mannerist façade was restored after a drawing by Brotze from 1785. Number 21 dates from the early 18th century and was rebuilt in the 19th.

    The look you see today comes from the restoration of 1953 to 1957, led by Pēteris Saulītis, which worked details from other war-destroyed buildings into the courtyard. Look there for the coat of arms of Johann Sārnavs, an elder of the Small Guild who lived here in the 18th century. The portal and gable dated 1746 from his time were moved to the neighbouring house during the restoration. Curiously, the name “Three Brothers” originally belonged to a different building in Riga, a brick warehouse at Arsenāla iela 5 with a relief of three men.

    The façades are free to look at. Inside are the National Heritage Board and the Latvian Museum of Architecture, and in 2020 the group received the European Heritage Label. The last stop, the Art Museum Riga Bourse, is 220 metres away, about 3 minutes.

    Local name
    Trīs brāļi
    Hours
    Museum: Mon 9:00–18:00, Tue 9:00–17:00, Wed 9:00–19:00, Thu 9:00–17:00, Fri 9:00–16:00, Sat–Sun closed
    Price
    Free (exterior)
  11. 11

    Art Museum Riga Bourse

    Art Museum Riga Bourse, stop 11 on the self-guided walking tour

    By the mid-19th century Riga's trade was flourishing, yet merchants still struck their deals in the City Hall. In 1847 the Great Guild decided to move out and build a house for itself, the Stock Exchange Committee and a city theatre; the theatre was later dropped because of the fire risk. The architect, Harald Julius von Bosse, a Baltic German noble working in Saint Petersburg, wanted the building to fit the Old Town's irregular blocks, narrow streets and dense buildings.

    After a first site was rejected, construction began on 25 March 1852 on the corner of Pils iela, Šķūņu iela and Jēkaba iela. The result is a Venetian Renaissance palazzo meant as a symbol of wealth, its façade decorated in terracotta with allegorical sculptures under the direction of the Danish sculptor David Jensen. Tsar Alexander II attended the ceremonial opening on 26 May 1856.

    In 1937 several buildings nearby were demolished to create Dome Square. After the Second World War the Bourse became the House of Science and Technology Propaganda, and its façade was repainted in pale pink and brown.

    The museum, established in 1920, holds the most extensive collection of world art in Latvia, from Ancient Egyptian art thousands of years old to Asian art up to the 21st century. Entry is charged; it's worth it if you have an unhurried hour left and enjoy art beyond Latvia's own.

    This is where the route ends. If you want to close the loop, the GPS navigation in your browser leads you back to Riga Cathedral.

    Local name
    Mākslas muzejs "Rīgas Birža"
    Hours
    Mon closed, Tue–Thu 10:00–18:00, Fri 10:00–20:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00
    Price
    15 EUR full combined ticket, 7.50 EUR reduced (students/seniors)
    Website
    lnmm.lv ↗
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11stops 6.0km 1 h 22 minwalking 13languages
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Shorter Ways to Walk Riga

Not every day has room for the whole route. These three cuts keep the walking short and still tell a complete story.

Old Town trio

Stops: 1, 2, 3

For a first morning or a short stopover: Riga Cathedral, the House of the Blackheads and St. Peter's Church lie just 590 metres apart, 8 minutes of walking in total. All three charge entry, so pick the interiors that interest you most.

Old Town, market and memory

Stops: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

For a half day with lunch: the Old Town trio, then on to Riga Central Market and the Riga Ghetto Museum. That's 1,870 metres and 26 minutes of walking. The market is free; the churches and the Ghetto Museum charge entry.

Boulevards back into the Old Town

Stops: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

For an afternoon or a second day: from the Freedom Monument past the Latvian National Opera and Bastejkalna Park to the Three Brothers houses and the Art Museum Riga Bourse. 1,390 metres, 19 minutes of walking. The monument, park and Three Brothers façades are free; the Bourse charges entry, and the opera needs a performance ticket.

How Long Does This Riga Tour Take, Walking and Inside?

Pure walking time is 1 h 22 min over 6.0 km. Most legs are short; the two long ones come in the middle, from the Riga Ghetto Museum to the National History Museum (15 minutes) and on to the Freedom Monument (23 minutes).

Realistically, plan around six hours: about an hour for lunch at the market, roughly 45 minutes each for three interiors such as Riga Cathedral, the House of the Blackheads and the Ghetto Museum, and short pauses at the free stops. Going inside every paid stop turns the walk into a full day.

The Old Town trio takes under two hours with two interiors. Old Town plus market and Ghetto Museum needs about four and a half hours including lunch. The stretch from the Freedom Monument to the Bourse fills about two hours if you visit the museum.

Before You Set Off in Riga

  • Start: Riga Cathedral is the recommended start. You can join at any stop; the sequence of this walk is simply the one that flows best.
  • Finish: The walk ends at the Art Museum Riga Bourse. If you want to close the loop, the GPS navigation leads you back to Riga Cathedral.
  • Time of day: Start in the morning. That leaves time for a few interiors before lunch at the market and for the museums in the afternoon.
  • Entry: Riga Cathedral, the House of the Blackheads, St. Peter's Church, the Riga Ghetto Museum, the National History Museum and the Art Museum Riga Bourse charge entry, and the Latvian National Opera is visited with a performance ticket. Riga Central Market, the Freedom Monument, Bastejkalna Park and the Three Brothers façades cost nothing.

Food and Breaks Along the Route: Market Stalls and Old Town Cafés

The natural lunch stop on this walk is Riga Central Market, where you can put together a full meal for a few euros. In the Old Town, a handful of cafés and bistros close to the stops make good breaks.

Rupņicas VeikalsA kiosk with local beers, kvass and wine, plus maizītes: open rye sandwiches with pickled herring, egg with anchovies or smoked salmon, a couple of euros each. (At the back of Riga Central Market)
Market stalls and RegistanTry smoked fish, piragi (bacon buns), rye bread, pickled vegetables, fresh cheese with herbs and birch sap soda. For something hot, the Uzbek café Registan serves goat curry samsa and tandoor flatbread. Stocking up on rye bread, tomatoes, dill and smoked fish also makes a cheap breakfast for the next day. (Inside Riga Central Market)
Kuuka KafeA local favourite for coffee in Old Riga, handy before the walk to the market. (Around the corner from St. Peter's Church)
MUUSUA more refined option with a good-value three-course lunch menu. (Near St. Peter's Church)
B BarPotato pancakes, cold beetroot soup and a Riga Black Balsam cocktail if you want to try the city's herbal liqueur. (Behind Riga Cathedral)
Black Magic CaféBalsam-infused coffee, handmade chocolates and balsam chocolate cake with hot chocolate. (Kaļķu iela 10)
Lido Alus sētaA buffet priced by weight where Latvians eat traditional food: cabbage rolls, potato pancakes, karbonāde. (Tirgoņu iela, in the Old Town)

Tourist Traps to Avoid in Riga's Old Town

  • The bar scout scam: Riga's most specific trap: friendly women or promoters approach men, often travelling alone, and suggest a particular bar. The bill turns out many times the normal price, and people who object have been threatened and forced to pay. Don't follow strangers into bars; for beer, pick a normal pub or a craft beer bar yourself. (Kaļķu iela and near the Freedom Monument)
  • Terraces on Town Hall Square and Līvu laukums: Old Town terrace restaurants have a reputation as tourist traps; compare portion and price before you order. The daily lunch menu (dienas piedāvājums) in bistros is the bigger and cheaper meal.
  • Pickpockets at the market: The market is worth every minute, but it's crowded and known for pickpockets. Keep your bag closed and your phone in a front pocket. (Riga Central Market)
Walking tour route map of Riga
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11stops 6.0km 1 h 22 minwalking 13languages
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What the AI Tour Guide Adds in Riga

This route jumps from medieval merchants to wartime ruins, Soviet decisions and the flower rally of 1987, and the AI Tour Guide keeps those threads together. It greets you at Riga Cathedral, tells each place's story as you walk, asks what caught your eye and comes back to it later, so a question about what the Blackheads' brotherhood actually did all year can lead into the merchants of the Bourse. You can interrupt it any time. You start with 100 free credits; after that, this tour is €19.99 all-inclusive with no time limit, or €5 per hour.

A Real Conversation A voice AI Tour Guide greets you, leads the whole route, and tells the stories and facts as you walk, asking what you want to see and keeping a real conversation going. Not a recording you press play on.
Map Navigation Follow the route on the map and walk at your own pace. You choose where to start and when to move to the next stop.
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Common Questions Before You Walk Riga

Is there a cheaper viewpoint over Riga than St. Peter's tower?

Yes: the viewing terrace of the Academy of Sciences, nicknamed “Stalin's birthday cake”, has a lift and a 360° view at 65 metres. You see the Old Town skyline with the spires of St. Peter's and the cathedral, plus the Zeppelin halls of the market and the Daugava. The saving is small, but the view includes St. Peter's itself.

Where can I buy Riga Black Balsam to take home?

Supermarkets such as Rimi sell it, usually for less than you'd pay in Old Town souvenir shops. Try it first in a cocktail or in coffee at one of the Old Town cafés.

Where can I get a good beer in Riga?

Craft beer bars such as Alus Arsenāls, Labietis and Valmiermuiža Beer Embassy are a better beer experience than random bars, and you choose them yourself. Milda on Peldu iela serves honey beer with its Latvian food.

What Latvian dish should I try?

Grey peas with bacon, the national dish, at Milda (Peldu iela 24), served with Latvian rye bread. In summer heat or not, try cold beet soup (Aukstā zupa), bright pink with kefir, cucumber and dill, for example at Lauvas Nams on Brīvības iela.

Can I combine Riga with a day trip?

Easily. Jūrmala is 19 km from Riga and Sigulda 51 km, and both have their own walking tours. With more time, Cēsis is 81 km away.

Is the tour really free?

Yes. The whole tour is free: the route, the interactive map and the navigation cost you nothing. Only the voice AI Tour Guide is optional and paid: you test it with 100 free credits, then you pay either €5 per hour or €19.99 for this whole tour, with no time limit. Admission to 7 of the 11 stops is not included: Riga Cathedral, House of the Blackheads, St. Peter's Church, Riga Ghetto Museum, National History Museum, Latvian National Opera and Art Museum Riga Bourse charge their own entry fees.

Do I need to download an app?

No. Everything runs in your phone browser. Open the route and start walking, no download and no sign-up required.

Do I need to book the walking tour in advance?

No booking needed. This self-guided tour is available anytime. Open the route in your browser and start walking. The AI Tour Guide works instantly, no app, no reservation required.

What languages is the AI Tour Guide available in?

The AI Tour Guide speaks 13 languages, so you take the tour in your own language and can switch at any time.

Can I skip stops or change the route?

Yes. Skip any stop, spend extra time at places you like, or start the route from any point. It is your walk, you set the pace.
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