48 Hours in Riga – Latvia’s Cool Capital, Riga, Latvia

My first visit to Riga was a random one. I spent 48 hours in Riga all by chance and it ended up being one of my favourite stops in Europe. On that random visit I shot AK-47’s in a Soviet Bunker, watched hockey with a college friend I randomly ran into, and partied till the sun came up. Although that was an incredible 48 hours in Riga, I left feeling I only got to enjoy it’s fun side. With my return to Riga nearly 10 years later I decided to put an effort into focusing on the highlights, again with only 2 days to spend.

With only 48 hours in Riga I opted to see as much as possible by enlisting the help of Riga Explorers Club. This local tour company pairs knowledgable and passionate guides with tourists looking for a little more out of their time in the city. For me, this meant an awesome 3-hour bike ride that took us out of the old town and off the beaten path. Highlights included touring the Ķīpsala Island and learning about Riga’s outlying suburbs being burned to the ground several times, all for selfdefense. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).