Useful Information

About Riga

Riga is the capital city of Latvia – the biggest Latvian speaking city in the world. With a metropolitan population of about 1 000 000, Riga is the biggest city in the Baltic countries and the geographical centre of the Baltic region.

Riga is one of the oldest cities on the Baltic Sea. Due to its geographical location on the Baltic Sea, Riga has been an important centre of trade, finance and culture for centuries. In its 800 years of existence, Riga has borrowed much from Germany, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands and other countries in terms of crafts, social life, education and culture.
Riga has unique medieval architecture of later periods, an urban structure, richness and quality of Art Nouveau architecture, and 19th-century wooden architecture. The historical heart of Riga – Old Riga, and the central parts of the city are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Riga hosts large international cultural festivals, conferences, and mass sports events every year. The rich history of Riga, its architecture, spacious parks, exquisite museums, art galleries, opera and cozy cafes, restaurants and pubs makes it attractive to tens of thousands of tourists monthly.