The 12 Trips of Christmas - Riga

Riga hit the headlines recently after tourist bosses said British stag parties should stay away from the city.

The Latvian capital was fed up of having to pick up the pieces after rowdy groups had swept through town leaving a trail of destruction.

But if you are not a rowdy type, and want to head to somewhere a little different, let’s take a tour around Riga as the next instalment in our 12 Trips of Christmas.

Latvia is sat on the Baltic Sea, is set between Estonia and Lithuania and is today shaking off the influence that the former Soviet Union had on the country.

Its economy is expanding fast and Riga has developed a reputation as a city strong in culture, but with a relaxed, easy-going nature where people can let their hair down.

But if you are walking around the streets you should keep you head up as the buildings in Riga are recognised as having some of the world’s finest examples of Art Nouveau architecture.

The best place to head to is Alberta Street where you will find the Riga Law School and the Swedish School of Economics, fine examples of the Art Nouveau movement.

In the early 20th Century Riga was a major port and trading city, with much of its wealth spent on these grand buildings, but the German occupation and the re-writing of history by the Russians saw many buildings destroyed.

However, there is a growing appreciation of the city’s architecture and unsurprisingly UNESCO has declared the area a World Heritage Site.

With Christmas just around the corner did you know that Riga lays claim to being the first place where trees were decorated, and then burnt, to mark the passage of winter and hopefully ensure the return of the sun?

There is even a stone set into the town hall square marking the position of where local traders placed an evergreen in 1510 to mark the New Year celebrations, and is the first recorded evidence of a tree being used to mark Christmas.

One thing that Latvians will never forget are the decades they spent under both Russian and German dictatorship between 1940 and 1991.

The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia was built to ensure that the memory of those who were killed, suffered or fled in terror lives on.

It is home to a chilling collection of items including the boots of prisoners, weapons from the partisan wars of the 40s and 50s and even a KGB listening device found in the walls of the Hotel Riga.

For those who would like to explore the city further Ryanair now fly to Riga from both Liverpool and Stansted, whilst Air Baltic operate from Heathrow and Manchester.

January and February might not be the best time of year to visit as day time temperatures are on average below freezing, but come the spring, with a blue Baltic sky above you, Riga could be one to tick off your list.

© Cheapflights Ltd Craig McGinty

Comments

[ycyycn]

January and February might not be the best time of year to visit as day time temperatures are on average below freezing. But come the spring, with a blue Baltic sky above you, Riga could be the one.