Iceland is having a moment. Ever since Icelandair started offering free “stopover” flights – it seems like this Scandinavian natural-wonderland has skyrocketed to the top of everyone’s travel bucket list. And every male and female on a dating app has a profile picture in the damn blue lagoon.
Scandinavian tourism has suffered in the past due its reputation as being overly expensive, but Iceland’s meteoric rise to tourism mecca has seemed to momentarily change that.
Yet when I started trying to plan my own trip as a part of my time in fellow Scandinavian country Finland, I was surprised to find so many of the tours and accommodations seemed ridiculously overpriced. Plus, I have a tendency to avoid places that are overrun with tourists.
So where was I going to travel after my work trip to Helsinki, Finland? After a lot of time staring at a map, I settled on two small countries that seemed charming, interesting and affordable. The wheels were set in motion for a Finland, Latvia and Estonia trip. I will admit – Latvia and Estonia in November is not exactly the happening place to be. Oftentimes, my friend and I found we were the only people at a bar or restaurant or the only people walking around old town in the evenings. If you’re looking to meet other travelers, go dancing at clubs, etc. – this is not the trip for you. Some things were closed in the off season (we struck out a lot when trying to find scenic overlooks in towers and churches). We were bundled up in layers and jackets and the skies were a constant gray.
But if you’re looking for cities that you can explore in a few days, relatively itinerary-free – Riga, Latvia and Tallinn, Estonia could be perfect for you. If cobblestone streets almost entirely your own to wander and explore coupled with cheap but gorgeous hotels sounds good to you – read on for more reasons to visit these two cities.
RIGA
ART NOUVEAU ARCHITECTURE
Riga, the capital of Latvia, was an affordable and quick hour-long flight from Helsinki. I was surprised to learn that this Baltic city has a ton of art nouveau architecture. A lot of it can be found on Albert Street . We took awhile to walk and photograph these beautiful buildings on our way to a breakfast at Mr. Fox – a café that could have come straight from the East Village or Williamsburg.
I was perhaps a little too excited to order an almond milk latte and good old avocado toast. With wallpaper like this, there was no choice but to have a photo-shoot.
OLD TOWN
There was little on our itinerary that was planned for this trip – we headed to Old Town and simply wandered. We found a little museum that we spent some time in, which was a good way to learn some interesting facts about Riga (since I knew almost nothing going into the trip).
My friend Sam is a master of maps and used her navigation skills to bring us on her own little walking tour of the old town, pointing out things like the Swedish Gate, Riga Castle, St. Peter’s Church, Three Brothers and The Town Hall. Though I loved the effort – we were missing a fair amount of context and fun facts without an actual tour guide.
Throughout our walk, we were fascinated with how few people were out and about.
TEA HOUSE
By far my favorite stop in Riga was this little tea house in the park by our hotel. You walk in and its instant colorful, bohemian vibes. Since we were there in the fall, the park was full of fall foliage and it felt like we were in a treehouse.
After ordering our tea and a pastry (so many tea options!) we climbed up the spiral staircase to the second floor. The top floor is a big ring with a seating area wrapped around and an inner walking path.
You find a place to sit, take your shoes off, climb over the rail, and sit down on pillows and cushions on the floor in front of a 360-degree window looking out at the creek and park. It was perfect and relaxing and beautiful and I am really sad that we don’t have one of these in NYC because I would be a frequent visitor.
CRAFT BEER
Obviously, we had to check out some of the many craft beer spots in Riga. Like most cities, the breweries of Riga were slightly off the beaten path – I was glad we walked to our first stop during the day.
After a brief stop at the Laima Chocolate Museum (which I don’t necessarily recommend), we started our beer crawl:
VALMIERMUIŽAS BEER EMBASSY
This was the start of our weeklong game of 500 Rummy! Nothing particularly stood out about this place, but we enjoyed a beer and looked through the shop next door.
LABIETIS
Next up was my favorite – Labietis. The vibe was decidedly more brewery-like here and we were able to order flights and depart with a new glass and some coasters.
ZIEMELU ENKURS
We finished up the beer crawl with Ziemelu Enkurs – one of the few breweries opened later in the evening. I loved the look and feel of this spot too and it was probably the most “crowded.”
TROMPETE TAPROOM FLIGHTS
Another day, we went to Trompete in Old Town and were able to order a final flight – I was pleasantly surprised by the number of IPAs we found in Riga! The bartender here was friendly and helpful and this is a great stop while you’re in the more touristy part of town!
If you’re looking for more beer options while you’re in Riga, download the Beer District Map and plan your own bar crawl!
HOTELS
I’m not a hotel person. When I travel for pleasure – I tend to like Airbnb’s because hotels remind me of work. Sometimes, I’ll go for hostels if I feel like it’s a place where I want to make friends and go out. But Sam found this great hotel and I’m SO glad we booked it because it ended up being – ready? – my favorite hotel I’ve ever stayed in. And I’ve been able to stay in some phenomenal hotels thanks to work.
The Grand Poet Hotel by Semarah was picture perfect. The room was comfortable and classy. But the best part? The breakfast buffet in the morning, included with our reservation, was out of this world. I almost missed it the first day because I was at the gym but Sam texting me telling me I HAD to get down there before it closed. And she was right. Not only was the food spread amazing – but there were pitchers of different flavored brunch cocktails for free!
And did I mention the absolutely gorgeous spa and pool that you could use free of charge? There was a pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, aroma room and gym.
Since this was off-season, we paid just $47.22 a night! A deal that I still cannot believe. If you’re ever in Riga – this is the place to stay!
OTHER THINGS
A few other recommendations -
MiiT Coffee for your caffeine fix
COD for sushi
Black Magic for fancy cocktails & desserts - go thru the hidden bookshelf and down to the alchemist’s laboratory
Black Balsam - a very traditional Latvian liquor you should try while you’re there
We had two full days in Riga and I felt that we got to walk and see a ton! Next up: Estonia!
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