Riga Photo Gallery

Riga was an unexpected trip for me. Proposed by a friend as an exotic place to visit and with a Ryanair flight from London, it was my first venture into the former Soviet Union. It ended up to be a wonderful surprise with fall colours as a bonus.

Latvia has become an unfortunate favourite among the Brits for stag parties, so Riga's nightlife is vibrant and rowdy. I didn't come to get drunk, so my sightseeing was restricted to mostly the Old Town and during the daytime. It was a very short 2-day trip, leaving London at sunrise and returning before midnight the next day. I couldn't score as cheap a deal with Ryanair though, with my return journey costing almost 90 pounds.

Riga was founded by Bishop Albert von Buxhoevden in 1201 and was a Hanseatic trading port. It was ruled under different flags over the centuries, from Poland to Sweden and Russia, becoming Russia's 3rd largest city just before World War I. Today, the Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a number of medieval buildings.