Overview
Riga, a marriage of gracious old-world character and the liberated tempress, is a city of contrasts.
On this tour you will:• Enjoy a private vehicle with an English-speaking licensed guide
• See the Art Nouveau District, labeled part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• Pass the Latvian National Opera House and Freedom Monument
• Tour on foot Old Town
• Visit Gauja National Park
• Enter Turaida Castle
Travel first to the Art Nouveau District, a flamboyant area of the city and a favorite. Your drive around here will send you backwards to a wild time in Riga's history, where facades of buildings have nude nymphs, majestic lions, goblins and images of a period of expressive movement which started in Paris. This area survived the war and many of the buildings are under renovation, a wonderful thing to witness. Your guide will speak of the Jugendstil period that flourished here.
Close by you will find Old Town. Riga straddles the Daugava River, with Old Town resting on its eastern flank. Old Town's skyline is dominated by three steeples - St. Peter's, Dome Cathedral and St. Jacob's. Parks and boulevards form a wide band that borders Old Town. Your initial look at Old Town will see the contrasts of the old buildings and the new casinos.
Some of the famous structures you will pass includes the Latvian National Opera House and the Freedom Monument. Your walking portion of the tour will begin here, at the canal, and during your stroll you will see the Sena Riga, its original name from 1201.
Next you will head to the pedestrian Kalku Street, with Lis Swuare and it's medieval buildings, Konventhof Quarter and the famous St. Peter's Church. This is the centrepiece of the skyline and the gothic building is thought to be about 800 years old. Nearby see the House of the Blackheads, originally built in 1344 to house the Blackhead's guild of unmarried foreign merchants. The area south of St. Peter's Church is full of 17th century warehouses which survived the war.
Off the livu Laukums Square, near the busiest entrance to Old Town, beer gardens fill the area. Overlooking the square is the Great Guild House and nearby is the Dome Cathedral, the Baltic's largest and one you will enter for spectacular views. One of its claims to fame is its 6768-pipe organ, which was the world's largest when the cathedral was completed in 1884. The original foundation was laid in 1211.
You will conclude your time in Riga's Old Town with lunch at Kalku Varti. With some of the best reviewed chefs in the Baltic you will introduce your taste buds to contemporary Latvian Cuisine at its finest. With all the ingredients coming from local farmers you won't find a more authentic or satisfying meal in the area.
After lunch you will head to Gauja National Park which is the oldest and largest National Park in Latvia. The wide variety of habitats and historical landmarks makes this one of the most unique National Parks in Europe. Known as the "Livonian Switzerland" this park offers everything from the deepest cave (Gutman Cave) in the Baltic region to medieval castles built as early as 1214. Often when traveling people bypass opportunities to see an area's natural beauty but when experienced it often provides the longest lasting impression of the trip. Guaja National Park is no exception.
• Your admissions are not included.
Entrance to Turaida Castle: $10 per person
Lunch at Kalku Varti: $32 per person
• Food, beverages, and gratuities are not included in your tour.
Days offered: 7 days a week
Departures:- 08:00 AM, duration: 7 hours
- 09:00 AM, duration: 7 hours
- 12:00 PM, duration: 7 hours
