Riga

Riga City

After leaving Vilnius, I headed to Riga, the capital of Latvia. Latvia is also a Baltic country, located between Lithuania and Estonia. It took around 4 hours by bus, and our bus kept going through grass fields endlessly.

Latvia's population is smaller than Lithuania's, and Riga is close to the coast and surrounded by lots of nature.

Riga is quite compact, and I visited most of the popular sites on foot.

The Three Brothers is the oldest complex of dwelling houses in Riga, made up of three adjoining medieval buildings standing side by side on Mazā Pils Street. Each was built in a different era — the right-hand house dates to around 1490, making it the oldest stone house in the city — so the trio shows how Riga's architecture evolved across the centuries, from Gothic to Dutch Mannerism and Baroque. Their charming, mismatched facades make them one of the Old Town's most photographed spots.

The Cat House is one of Riga's most beloved and quirky landmarks — a yellow Art Nouveau building in the Old Town, crowned by two black cat statues with arched backs and raised tails. According to legend, the wealthy merchant who built it was denied entry to the nearby Great Guild, so out of spite he placed the cats with their tails (and backsides) pointed toward the guild house. After a long dispute, the cats were eventually turned around. Today they're a favorite photo spot and a charming symbol of the city. 🐈

The Freedom Monument is one of Riga's most important landmarks, standing in the heart of the city as a symbol of Latvian independence. Unveiled in 1935, the 42-meter monument honors those who died during the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920). At its top, a copper figure of a woman — affectionately called Milda — holds aloft three golden stars representing Latvia's historical regions. Remarkably, it survived the Soviet era and remains a powerful emblem of the nation's freedom.

A Small Organ Concert in Riga

Also, I joined a small organ concert at Riga Cathedral, which is just 3 minutes away on foot. This was my second time joining an organ concert, and I was glad to listen to Bach again here too. The organist seemed to be a fairly famous Latvian organist, and her performance was great.

Riga Cathedral is the largest medieval church in the Baltics and one of the city's most iconic landmarks, standing at the heart of the Old Town on Cathedral Square. Founded in 1211, it blends Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque styles thanks to centuries of rebuilding. It is especially famous for its grand organ — once the largest in the world when completed in 1884 — whose magnificent sound still draws visitors to concerts today.

I didn't do many activities in Riga, but I saw beautiful buildings and got to meet nice people at the hostel. The next country is Estonia, the last destination in the first half of my European trip.

Continuing to Tallinn