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Weekend in Riga

Though it's not a very populat tourist attraction, Riga, the capital of Latvia, is a very beautiful destination on the Baltic coast, perfect for a weekend or a city break.

First place we checked was Bastion Hill Park. We took a nice walk in the lovely park located in the old town of the city. It used to be the old city’s fortifications, now a park full of gardens, canals, and bridges.

We continued with exploring Riga's Old Town. Kaļķu Street is the main street crossing through the heart of the old town. Entering deeper into the old town, we waked around the beautiful medieval streets and squares.

Livu Square was destroyed in the Second World War and reconstructed after that. It's now a colourful corner with flower beds, cafes and restaurants and nice architecture buildings around.

We visited St. Peter’s Church, the highest church in the city, that you can spot from many parts of the city. It's a large Gothic church dating from 1209. It's possible to climb in the church's tower. There are fantastic views from there.

The Dome Square is a beautiful square where the impressive Riga Cathedral stands. Apart from the cathedral, there are other nice buildings around like Riga Bourse Art Museum, some government buildings and Doma Dārzs restaurant that drwas attention with the street art on it.

Three Brothers are the oldest residential buildings in the city. The three beautiful but different buildings standing one next to another are built between 15th to 17th centuries and are home to local craftsmen.

The Swedish Gate is one of the few remaining parts of the once fortification around the town. The gate is actually a small passage through what looks like residential houses.

We started the second day with a visit to Riga Central Market. It's an indoor and outdoor market with many different local Latvian goods.

We then took a walk along Riga's riverfront till we arrived at Riga Ghetto and Latvian Holocaust Museum. It'a museum dedicated to the memory of the Jewish people that suffered during the Nazi occupation. The exhibits of the museums details individuals’ stories from the dark days.

Latvian Academy of Sciences is an imposing building from the Soviet era. We climbed in the tall tower to get to the observation deck. There are nice views over the city from there.

We also paid a visit to Alberta Street, as well as Elizabetes and Antonijas Streets to admire some beautiful art nouveau buildings.

And ended our visit in Riga with a quick stop at KGB Museum. This is where the headquarters of KGB secret police was during the Soviet rule in Latvia.