After Seoul (and return stop in one of my favorite cities, Saint-Petersburg) it was time for major city #55 Riga, Latvia on the 100 City project. I might include other Baltic capitals in the future, but Riga was my first pick mainly because it’s the region’s largest. I wanted a city big enough to really explore in the Baltics, with more than the touristic areas. With Riga, I got even more than I’d hoped for. Most visitors spend their time in the old town, but Riga has so much more interest to offer, especially for street photography. Starting with the most Art Noveau architecture in the world, you can also find the unique Moscow district, providing an edgier atmosphere filled with character. There’s a mix of interest here and a relaxing vibe made for walking with your camera. I enjoy Eastern European cities for their authentic atmosphere, but Riga brings its own characteristics with it too. If you like some unique character in your photography, Riga is a great spot to visit.
So here are my first impressions of Riga, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…
7 First Impressions of Riga
(From a Street Photography Perspective)
1. Great art nouveau architecture
I didn’t know this before going, but it turns out Riga has the highest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in the world. In the city center, it makes up around one-third of all the buildings. Before knowing this, I started exploring the center with my camera as soon as I arrived and it felt like I was surrounded with this old Art Nouveau atmosphere. It makes walking the streets enjoyable and gives Riga its own charm.
I ended up getting lost in the center that first day and didn’t mind it a bit. Around every corner was this character that made Riga stand out, and this style of architecture was definitely part of it. In addition to the impressive Art Nouveau surroundings, Riga also mixes in old wooden buildings that give another signature atmosphere when exploring the streets. For street photographers that enjoy architecture, Riga would make for an interesting destination.
2. Old Town is where everyone goes
After covering so many cities in Europe, I have to admit that old towns are getting a little old to me (pun intended). After so many, most start to look and feel mostly the same. The architecture, history, cobblestone streets and charm are undeniable, but they usually also become extremely touristic and polished in a way that makes the atmosphere feel similar to the next one. For visitors that haven’t experienced as many Old Towns, Riga’s isn’t a bad one, but if you’ve been to many, it doesn’t stand out too much, either.
Saying this, it’s my personal preferences speaking. If you follow the blog or my work enough, you can see I prefer the authentic, edgy, surreal and strange. Many prefer the more touristic beauty and charm. That’s why Riga’s Old Town is where 95% of visitors spend most of their time. It’s charming with some nice churches, squares and cafes, but Riga has plenty of other interest outside this area. I explored the old town multiple times and it’s worth your time, especially if you like old towns and the touristic crowds, attractions and old charm they bring. But personally, Riga’s unique and authentic character is really found in the surrounding neighborhoods.
3. Central Market is my favorite street photography spot in the city
Markets are always popular spots for street photography, but they’re not always my personal favorite. I’ll check them out because their guaranteed activity, but you usually get more of the same. Messy, crowded, bad lighting and an atmosphere that mimics the thousands of markets you find in every city. Sometimes, though, you find those special markets that are all their own and provide the perfect place for some street photography. The Central Market in Riga is one of those places.
I’d put it in my top 10 for markets for a variety of reasons. First off, it has tons of space and lighting so it removes those common market problems. It also provides a variety of markets and atmosphere for exploring. There’s a lot to see and you could spend hours shooting the area. The character of the market, including the characters you’ll find here, is what really makes it special, though. It has atmosphere to spare and every day I came here, I found something new and interesting. It’s a very local feeling market, with a mixture of the city, including some of the rougher parts of Riga, which gives the market a little edge in areas. In addition to all the characters you’ll find here, you also see plenty of seagulls scavenging for meat, which adds another touch to the market life. This was the place I fit into almost every day in Riga because it never disappointed.
4. Love the Moscow district in general, tons of old character
Being the largest city in the Baltics means that you have more to explore outside of the old town, compared to the other cities. This aspect of Riga was my favorite about the city for street photography and the Moscow District was my favorite reason why. Now, locals and tourist books won’t recommend this district due to its shadier reputation, but I explored every bit of it solo on foot and never once felt unsafe. The character of this neighborhood takes you back in time, but not in the polished charm sort of way that the old town does. The feeling is much more real and authentic, especially in atmosphere. From the cobblestone streets to the traditional 19th century wooden houses, there’s a uniqueness to the old vibe the Moscow District surrounds you in.
It is more neglected here and can be quiet in much of it, but the character makes up for it. I especially like the look of all the deteriorated wooden houses with their large wood pane windows. Somewhat similar to haunted houses, I haven’t walked around a neighborhood quite like it anywhere else. It’s the oldest district in Riga, after the old town, but provides a more unaltered version. Yes, you’re guaranteed to see a few drunk people on the streets, and maybe even some drug dealing in parts, but overall it doesn’t feel dangerous. In my opinion, especially compared to neighborhoods in other cities, I wouldn’t be worried. And its more than worth any bad reputation it has for a street photography walk.
5. Lots of parks
One thing that stood out while exploring Riga was the number of parks found in the center, including the large size of many of them. Riga has a ton of green space in the middle of the city, with much of it providing a beautiful atmosphere of well-kept grass, pathways gardens, trees, water and recreational spaces. The locals love to enjoy the parks too and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many baby strollers being pushed around in any other city. While they’re more peaceful than filled with activity, you will find a good amount of attractions inside. While walking the city, the bigger ones are almost impossible not to go through anyway, so I’d recommend giving them some exploration with your camera while you’re at it. Below are four main parks located in the center that are worth your time for street photography:
- Bastejkalna Park (Bastion Hill)
- Vermanes Garden Park
- Kronvalda Park
- Park Esplanāde
6. Another very walkable city
I love to walk everywhere and I love walkable cities. It’s one of my favorite parts of Europe because you find many of the best here. And Riga is definitely one of them. It’s not huge, but it’s still big enough to provide plenty of interest and exploration. I walked everywhere here, never taking transportation, other than to the airport (which thankfully is pretty close too). The old town can be explored very quickly, and from there you can head north all around the city center, or head east through the Moscow District. There’s not as much interest across the river, but it does provide nice views of the city. Some people recommend Kipsala, which I did explore. I found it too quiet, but it has some nice atmosphere. For the most part, though, I stayed on the main side of the river, exploring away on foot without a worry. Riga is perfect for it.
7. Baltic’s largest city was even more interesting than expected
During my 100 City Project I’m trying to spread it out, not only to cover most major cities, but also to cover most regions. So, I knew I wanted to include at least one major city in the Baltics. I might include another in the future, but I chose Riga first because it’s the largest city in the Baltics, while the others are somewhat small to call a major city. I also chose it because research gave me a feeling that it had the largest variety of life and character to explore. While many tourists will pick Tallinn for its charm or Vilnius for its atmosphere, Riga looked to provide more for street photography and layers of life in the Baltics, in my opinion.
Luckily, I feel I made the right choice and it ended up providing even more of what I was looking for. Riga has a very interesting atmosphere throughout the city. It’s so much more than its Old Town, which isn’t as true for a city like Tallinn. The old wooden buildings, all the art nouveau architecture, the mix of touristy and local, and all the characters you find outside of the Old Town make for a more complex and interesting city than I expected. There’s some very unique characteristics found here along with more variety than you’d expect for a city its size. I’m speaking from a street photographer’s perspective, but Riga was a nice surprise.
Bonus: Check out Jūrmala
Originally a bunch of fishing villages, Jurmala has been the region’s most popular resort city for over 200 years, especially during the Soviet era. With beaches, history and culture, there’s a good amount of area to explore with your camera for a day trip. It’s also only 30 minutes from Riga so it’s easy to include for a change of scenery and interest.
If any of you have been to Riga before, tell me about your experience and impressions of the city and country in the comments below! And stay tuned for more on Riga, including some of the best Street Photography shots I captured while there.
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(from a street photographer’s perspective)
Eye-pleasing and smile-bringing photos! Good job!
Thank you, Vadim, I appreciate it.