Riga Hotels and accomodation
Latvian capital Riga is the largest city in the Baltics and a major travel destination due to the leading role it plays in the economy of the region and as the key to all things Latvian. go4hotels.com can help with finding the best deals for accomodation in Riga, with discounts and last-minute deals offered to our clients.
The city of Riga is located on a flat and sandy plain and enjoys a climate somewhere between maritime and continental, with cold and snowy winters and warm and humid summers. The beaches near the city are quite popular in season, with some hotels in Riga offering trips to the sea.
The historical centre of Riga has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Its extensive collection of Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) architecture, especially on Alberta and Elizabetes streets, is considered the world's greatest. Some of the most prominent Riga hotels are situated in the historical centre, including the Old Riga district and the Art Nouveau neighbourhoods.
Exquisite 19th century wooden houses are also part of the UNESCO-protected zone. However, there are no hotels in Riga which are built of wood that we know of.
Riga's initial importance has been due to its location on a trade route, and a harbour was recorded in this location in the 2nd century AD. It has long been established as a port by the time the German crusaders founded the castle there in 1201. Riga was made the trading and political centre of the region, with many buildings dating back from the 13th century. For centuries Riga was dominated by the Germans, notably the rich merchants of the Hanseatic League. Riga's prosperity grew throughout the Renaissance era.
The city changed hands several times after the demise of the Teutonic Knights, until in 1710 Russian army led by Peter the Great took over Riga. By early 20th century it was Russia's third largest industrial centre. The Baltic Germans still dominated administration and commerce but Riga was also the focal point of growing Latvian nationalism.
After the Russian revolution, Latvia proclaimed independence in 1918, with Riga as the national capital. It was then described as a vibrant, grand and imposing city and nicknamed the 'Paris of the North' by the visitors. Several Riga hotels are dating from this period of independence.
During the World War II, Riga was occupied first by the USSR, then by the Nazi Germany and then by the USSR again but no major battles were fought in the city and so little damage was done to the architecture. However, the Baltic Germans were forcibly repatriated to Germany by Hitler, and Riga's Jewish community was mostly exterminated. The site of Salaspils concentration camp, some 20 minutes by train from Riga's central station, is now a memorial to the Nazi victims.
Riga kept its status as a major commerce and industry hub under Soviet Union. The beaches on Gulf of Riga and the city itself with its refined culture were a popular holiday destination in Soviet times, and some hotels in Riga still bear traces of Socialist aesthetics.
Large-scale migration is the reason why Russians and Letts make up about equal parts of the city's population now. Most of the people are bilingual, and English is widely spoken by the youth.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Riga was once again the capital city of independent Latvia. Soviet street names and monuments were removed, Lenin Prospect was again Freedom Boulevard, and the Lenin statue next to the Freedom monument was removed.
Country's infrastructure is undergoing rapid modernisation. In 2004, the year Latvia joined NATO and the European Union, several low-cost airlines arrived in the Riga International Airport. The airport underwent major renovation in 2001 and is now the largest in the Baltic states. Air traffic in Riga doubled in the first few years of independence.
Tourist numbers increased considerably, providing a major boost for hospitality industry in Riga. Tourist numbers grew steadily, and in 2006 a rise in numbers of people staying in hotels in Latvia was Europe's largest.
Freeport of Riga is the main all-weather port in the Baltic sea. Sea ferries connect it to Stockholm and Lubeck, and the Passenger Terminal is close to the Old Town.
European route E22 crosses Riga, and the city also enjoys rail connections with Russia and Estonia. The plan is for Riga to be a part of trans-European rail link from Tallinn to Warsaw. The centrally-located main terminal is also close to several four- and five-star Riga hotels.
Riga is well-connected to other destinations in Latvia, including scenic Kuldiga with Europe's widest waterfall, romantic Sigulda castle, ports of Liepaja and Ventspils, and industrial Daugavpils.
There is a lot of business travel to Riga which is a major financial centre. Along with the surrounding area, the city accounts for about half of the business, industry and population of Latvia.
Many cultural institutions such as universities and theatres are based in the city. Even Latvia's most famous alcoholic beverage, the traditional herbal liqueur Riga Black Balsam, is produced in the city since 18th century.
Some of Riga's most popular tourist attractions include:
- The Lutheran cathedral which is the largest church in the Baltics, built in the 13th century and with a magnificent organ from 1844.
- Riga Castle housing a couple of museums, including the highly recommended one on Latvian history, and the official residence of the president.
- St Peter's Church with a 123 metre tall tower offering magnificent views of the city.
- The Powder Tower, the last remainder of the original city fortress now housing Latvian Museum of War.
- Ethnographic Open-Air Museum with houses, farm buildings, and a church representing Latvian rural life going back hundreds of years on Jugla Lake.
- The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, documenting the occupation of Latvia by by Nazis and Communists and the local resistance from 1940 to 1991 in much detail.
- Riga Radio and TV Tower, Europe's third tallest and a modern landmark from 1986.
- Riga Motor Museum is a collection of retro motorcycles and automobiles, including some of world's first motorcycles and Stalin's armoured limousine.
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