Riga the capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Riga is the largest city in the Baltic states. The Historic Centre (Old Town) of Riga has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is particularly notable for its extensive Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) architecture.
Riga also has a lively art scene, spacious gardens and parks, museums, art galleries and world-class opera. The enormous colorful central market is a must or going to a cosy café, club or pub.
Things to See and Do
* Old Town
* Doma Cathedral
* Art Nouveau Architecture
* Occupation Museum
* Central Market
Cruise Season – March - Nov
Currency – Lats (Ls) (LVL)
Language – Latvian
Land Area – 303 km²
Population – 717,000 approx
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time – GMT plus two hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 371
Port Location – The Freeport of Riga lies on both banks of the River Daugava covering 15 kilometres in length. The passenger port is situated at the heart of the city of Riga.
Travel Links - Riga has one airport, Riga International Airport, that serves commercial airlines. There are arrivals from and departures to various European (London, Munich, Oslo, etc) and Middle Eastern (Tel Aviv) cities as well as New York City.
Baltic sea ferries connect Riga to Stockholm, Kiel and Lübeck. Riga as a city-port is a major transportation hub and is the center of the local road and railway system.
Riga is connected to the rest of Latvia by trains operated by the national railway company Pasažieru Vilciens, whose headquarters are in Riga. There are also international rail links to Russia and Estonia (Valga).