Only in the Latvian capital for a day? Euromaxx reporter Hannah Hummel finds out if its historical old town is worth a day trip and where we can get privy to exciting things about Riga’s history.
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 Oh, look at the dog.
00:05 Want to visit one of Europe's hidden gems?
00:08 This city isn't usually on people's travel bucket lists.
00:11 I'm in Riga, the capital of Latvia.
00:14 Admittedly, I don't really know that much about the city,
00:17 so I'm excited to see how much I can learn
00:20 and explore in just one day.
00:22 So let's get going.
00:23 First off of the day, breakfast.
00:25 Riga has loads of traditional small pastry shops.
00:29 And cottage cheese seems to be a bit of a thing here.
00:31 I keep seeing cottage cheese pastries everywhere,
00:34 so definitely want to try these.
00:35 (upbeat music)
00:38 Okay, now I'm all fueled up for the day,
00:43 let's do some sightseeing.
00:44 I'm starting off in the medieval Old Town,
00:50 which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
00:53 The House of the Black Heads is one of the main attractions
00:57 here in Riga.
00:59 It was built way back in the 14th century
01:01 for the Brotherhood of Black Heads,
01:03 which was a guild for unmarried merchants.
01:05 There's so much amazing architecture in the city.
01:10 Riga has the highest concentration
01:17 of Art Nouveau buildings in the world.
01:19 There are hundreds of Art Nouveau buildings
01:24 that were built during the 19th and 20th centuries.
01:27 (upbeat music)
01:30 Time for some greenery.
01:36 It's early afternoon now,
01:37 the perfect time to hang out in Riga's Bastion Hill Park.
01:40 This huge landmark right in the middle of the park
01:52 is Riga's Freedom Monument.
01:54 It's dedicated to the national heroes
01:56 who fought for their country's freedom
01:57 between 1918 and 1920.
01:59 Freedom is an important topic here in Latvia,
02:03 a country that's been occupied for much of its existence.
02:06 To find out more about the city's history,
02:12 I'm heading to the newly reopened
02:14 Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.
02:22 Why is freedom such an important topic for Latvians?
02:26 I think you appreciate freedom more when you have lost it.
02:30 Latvia gained it after World War I.
02:33 There was independence war with a lot of sacrifice,
02:37 and then Latvia lost independence after 22 years,
02:42 and then regained it again in 1991.
02:45 And you don't take it for granted once you lose it.
02:51 Latvia suffered under Soviet rule for 50 years,
02:54 during which people lived under constant surveillance
02:57 and weren't even allowed to speak their own language.
03:00 There were mass deportations during this period,
03:02 and thousands of people were killed.
03:04 Because independence was only regained fairly recently,
03:07 many Latvians have a personal connection
03:10 to the fight for freedom.
03:11 Now that we've seen a lot of the city
03:16 and learned about its history,
03:18 it's time to try some more local food.
03:21 This market is considered one of,
03:23 if not the biggest food market in the whole of Europe.
03:27 There's so much on offer here,
03:28 from fresh fruits and vegetables,
03:30 to a whole array of meat and fish
03:32 and small places to grab some plates.
03:34 Since Riga is so close to the sea,
03:43 fish is very traditional here.
03:45 So that's what I'm gonna try for dinner.
03:47 (upbeat music)
03:49 All right.
03:59 This is the famous black balsam drink.
04:04 It's essentially a national drink here in Latvia.
04:07 But it's 45%, so I'm expecting it to be pretty strong.
04:11 Cheers.
04:14 (upbeat music)
04:16 Ooh, it's actually nice.
04:21 Okay, let's eat something before I get too drunk.
04:24 Got beetroot here as well.
04:33 Super good.
04:34 Really fresh.
04:37 Well, that's the end of my day in Riga.
04:41 I've had such a great time here.
04:43 Just walking around, learning about the city
04:45 and exploring, and the people here are super friendly.
04:49 It's also cheaper than a lot of other European cities.
04:52 I can't drink anymore.