Today we are travelling to Riga, capital of Latvia, and my home town. It’s been more than 6 years since I’ve stopped calling Riga my home and the city has changed very much. This time I wanted to do all the touristic stuff and share the stories of three famous places worth paying a visit.

We begin our journey at the Central Market, near the Central Rail Station a destination where many locals and tourists first arrive. This place has little changed since its opening in 1930, the huge pavilions and people from all over the town and even the country flock here to buy and sell their produce. Here you have dedicated pavilions for fish, meat and dairy products. Stall with fruits and vegetables, and kiosks filled with things ranging from sweets to shoes. A particular social environment has formed around the market and it has always been a barometer of country’s welfare. Everyone will find something new for themselves here!

The castle of Riga was originally founded in 1330 and has ever since been a place of continuous struggle and change of power. It was demolished couple of time under Livonian Order and always rebuilt, it hosted Swedish administration, served as a residence to Russian Governor General. In the Soviet times part of it became a house to Young Pioneer movement, when finally after gaining independence it has become residence of President of Latvia. You can explore castle surrounding and actually enter it too, as it is the home of several museums now.

The Black Cat House in Riga has an interesting story behind it. The house actually has two black cats – one on each of its two towers. During the peak of the Hanseatic League, the owner of the house has not been invited to join the Great Guild for the business leaders of Riga. The headquarters of the guild were directly across the street from his home. He was so deeply upset and insulted that he turned two cats so that their rear ends were pointed towards the Guild building – bringing the bad luck to the people there. Eventually he was invited to join the Guild and the cats returned to their original positions where there still adorn this beautiful house built using famous Jugend style (L’Art Nouveau) elements.

I hope you have enjoyed this scroll around Riga and we will be back again soon with more travels tips from around the world!