Riga, Latvia: the return of solo travel
The underrated capital of Latvia
Visiting Riga, Latvia was my first solo trip in quite some time, and I will admit I was just a tad bit hesitant when I first set out for the airport.
In terms of travel style, I definitely fall more into the go-with-the-flow category, so naturally, I didn’t have much planned.
I had also just finished my first week of being a freelancer full-time and didn’t have the time to research much about the city. And that is the perfect recipe for an adventure.
When I had a spare minute before boarding, I typed ‘Riga, Latvia’ into Google and started reading. How is ‘Latvia’ pronounced? Are Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in Nato? Is Riga the capital of Latvia? 10 must-see attractions in Riga! Is Riga worth visiting? My brain started splintering off in 100 different directions. Maybe I should have researched a bit more before rushing pell-mell into things…
After landing in the small but efficient airport, I found a Bolt to get into the city since I’d missed the last bus. I located my Airbnb in the depths of a seemingly abandoned residential building and had a brief fight with the touchscreen lock before making it inside.
Took a quick shower, called my mom to let her know yes, I was indeed alive, and then knocked out on a mattress that had probably welcomed one too many travelers judging from the way it dipped in the center.
Bouncing around the cafes of Riga
After taking care of a few work emails the next day, I began exploring. Here are some of my caffeine pit-stops:
Crumble Cake: Jāņa iela 14, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia
Moltto Coffee: Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela 43, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvia (super friendly barista!)
Ezīša Kofīšops: Krišjāņa Barona iela 3, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia
It started drizzling, and I tried to tough it out until I felt water seep through all three layers. I bought an overpriced umbrella and continued my aimless meandering. On the way into the city center, I walked past the Freedom Monument which honors the soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence. Then, I accidentally stumbled upon the House of the Blackheads, which was built in 1334 and features a lovely brick facade with a ton of detail.
After admiring several Art Nouveau buildings and an orthodox cathedral, I decided relying on Google Maps and researching things on the fly wouldn’t cut it. After signing up for a free tour for the following day, I headed to Riga’s Central Market.
It’s one of the largest covered markets in Europe, has been operating for almost 100 years, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I enjoyed half a mushroom pastry while watching the mingle of locals and tourists spilling in to avoid the rain.
After walking for most of the day, I returned to my accommodation for a couple of work meetings before my tummy made a sound unlike that of a large cow.
Maybe it’s because I’m half Taiwanese, or because I was spoiled by my mom’s amazing cooking growing up, but Asian food has always meant comfort to me. So, I gravitate toward it when I’m in a foreign place as if using chopsticks or enjoying a bowl of rice will help settle the anxious quibbles in my stomach.
Chinese food = comfort food
Luckily for me, just a few short block away was, 东亚长城饭店 Lielais Ķīnas mūris, a Chinese restaurant that looked relatively promising. When I arrived, I realized it was conveniently located right in front of Riga’s Lutheran Church, St. Gertrude. At first, the waitress acted as if I had shown up to personally ruin her day. When I was finally given a menu and ordered in Mandarin, she began grinning from ear to ear, going on to suggest another dish and offering jasmine tea along with it. There’s something exceedingly powerful about hearing your native language in a foreign place.
Hidden gin gem: cozy cocktail bar
After dinner, I decided it was too early to throw in the towel on a Friday night, so I walked around a bit before venturing into a small cocktail bar nearby. Gimlet is a very quaint, very classy cocktail bar that focuses on the Nordic taste and infusing local flavors into their creations.
My positive impression of the place might have something to do with the fact that upon entering, a bartender offered to take my coat and hang it up for me. Since I was alone, I enjoyed a delicious drink and chatted with the bartenders who all had very cool tattoos. They were super friendly and I learned a bit about how they decide their menu and where they source their ingredients from.
When I got home, I had a few images dancing in my head, so I pulled out my trusty iPad and began sketching a design with elements of what I’d seen at Gimlet. The next day, after drawing at a cafe until my coffee was cold, I walked back to the Riflemen statue I’d seen the previous day for the Soviet Riga Free Tour.
Our tour guide was upbeat and energetic despite the wet, greasy weather. In the end, we were a group of about 25 people. He explained a lot as we moved throughout the city, detailing historical and personal accounts of Latvia throughout the 20th century and its recent independence in the 90s. Soviet influence could be seen in the stark contrast of the more imposing, harsh architecture versus the detailed, intricate feel of the Art Nouveau buildings.
I had promised myself to try and meet one new stranger per trip, so after half an hour of walking and listening, I finally approached a gentleman on the tour who was also seemingly alone. We made small talk, I shared my umbrella, and we talked a bit about remote working, and some of the similarities between Latvia nad Estonia, where he had just come from.
After the tour ended, we decided to grab dinner together and continue the conversation. We ended up really getting along and chatting about previous places we’d visited and even a bit about politics and recent history.
I mentioned I’d be traveling off and on for the foreseeable future and surprisingly, he agreed to meet up again. We met up in Budapest a couple of months later!
That evening, I returned to Gimlet for some more delicious drinks and finished up my design. Got a decent night’s sleep before heading out for a final coffee and walk in the rain before going home.
All in all, I am very happy solo trips are back on the itinerary, and Riga definitely has its share of sips and sights worth visiting!
