After visiting Helsinki, Tallinn, and Saint Petersburg by cruise, it’s now Riga’s turn to be explored. Riga, the capital of Latvia, is always one of the weekend getaway destinations for people living in Stockholm and the surrounding areas.
Cruise ship that will take me to Riga
With a budget of 700 SEK or about 1,050,000 Indonesian rupiahs, we can get a room that can accommodate 4 people. The journey from Stockholm to Riga takes approximately 14 hours. Usually, the ship departs at 5:00 PM and arrives at 9:00 AM the next morning.
During the journey, there are many performances such as live music, cabaret, karaoke, and various types of restaurants to fill our time.
One corner of the Old Town in Riga
Upon arrival in Riga, I decided to visit Old Town Riga, and this old town location can be reached on foot from the port. Unlike most port cities, which are directly located by the sea, Riga is situated on the Daugava River, so ships have to navigate the river before reaching the city of Riga.
I had about 7 hours to explore Old Town Riga. There are several places I planned to visit, such as:
- Dome Square and Riga Cathedral
- House of the Blackheads and Latvian Rifleman Statue
- Powder Tower
- Laima Clock and Freedom Monument
Dome Square, which is usually the meeting place or the first place to visit when in Riga
Riga Cathedral is one of the buildings in Dome Square
The House of the Blackheads is a trade union building that has stood since the 14th century, now converted into a museum
Near the House of the Blackheads, there is a Rifleman statue commemorating the Rifleman battalion that fought in World War I
The Powder Tower is part of Riga’s old defense system, now transformed into a Latvian War Museum, and entry to this museum is free
The Laima Clock is one of Riga’s landmarks, completed in 1924, and Laima is a Latvian chocolate company, making this clock an advertisement site for the company for 96 years
Not far from the Laima Clock, there is the Freedom Monument, commemorating Latvia’s War of Independence from 1918-1920
Due to very limited time, I only managed to visit these places. At least, there are some places that still maintain an authentic medieval style in this city.
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