{"id":1705,"date":"2025-12-07T09:36:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T09:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/badvibes.live\/?p=1705"},"modified":"2025-12-07T09:36:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T09:36:13","slug":"my-72-hours-in-europes-most-elegant-city-freezing-fascinated-and-slathered-in-honey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/badvibes.live\/?p=1705","title":{"rendered":"My 72 hours in Europe\u2019s most elegant city \u2014 freezing, fascinated and slathered in honey"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2018It\u2019s hard to convince people to be religious when they have nature like this,\u2019 Rolands muses as he rubs warm honey into my thighs and beats birch branches up and down my body with a gentle swoosh.<\/p>\n

Naked except for the cold cloth covering my face, I am lying on my back in a wooden hut, deep in a forest in the Baltic countryside.<\/p>\n

In the woodland outside, the mercury is below zero. The first winter snow clings to the frigid ground and the surface of the lake has a stiff, icy sheen.<\/p>\n

For Rolands and I, though, things are positively tropical. We are in the middle of a\u00a0pirts<\/em>, a part sauna, part bathing ritual performed with herbs, salt and yoga-like gongs in a shed heated to about 65\u00b0C.<\/p>\n

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He is one of 16 pirts masters (pirtsniek<\/em>) at\u00a0Ziedlejas<\/a>, a\u00a0wellness<\/a>\u00a0centre near Sigulda in the centre of\u00a0Latvia<\/a>\u00a0where terrible signal forces you to rest and reflect without technology.<\/p>\n

Deeply rooted in Latvian traditional culture, the pirts is intended to cleanse the mind as much as the body.<\/p>\n

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It is extraordinarily intimate yet never sexual, and I leave feeling calm, hyper-alert and honoured to have spent four hours with a stranger who treated my whole being with reverential respect.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s just one of many unique experiences I enjoy on a 72-hour trip to\u00a0Riga<\/a>, Latvia\u2019s enchanting capital that surprises at every turn.<\/p>\n

The \u2018Paris of the North\u2019<\/h2>\n

Ancient, elegant, and dripping with all the intrigue of a former Soviet city, Riga is one of\u00a0Europe<\/a>\u2019s most underrated destinations.<\/p>\n

The novelist Graham Greene once hailed it the \u2018Paris of the North<\/a>\u2019, and wandering its Unesco-listed Old Town (Vecr\u012bga) on a chilly December morning, it\u2019s an epithet that has never rung truer.<\/p>\n

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Older than Stockholm and St. Petersburg, Riga is the grandest of the three Baltic capitals, fizzing with energy, from raucous karaoke bars to a culinary scene that has impressed Michelin.<\/p>\n

Alongside Europe\u2019s finest example of Art Nouveau architecture \u2013 800 ornate, floral buildings in striking shades of bubblegum, blue and yellow \u2013 there are distinctive museums, cosy caf\u00e9s and reinvigorated food markets where locals shop cheek by jowl with curious tourists.<\/p>\n

After spending much of the 20th century being occupied by Germany, and then the Soviet Union, Latvia hasn\u2019t looked back since the early 1990s when it threw off the shackles of communism, embracing European Union membership in 2004, three years after celebrating its 800th anniversary.<\/p>\n

Many of the brutalist buildings built under Soviet rule still remain, creating an astonishing architectural patchwork that, at times, looks like a Communist toy town.<\/p>\n

More than any of that, though, Riga is that increasingly elusive unicorn in Europe: genuinely great value.<\/p>\n

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It was recently named Europe\u2019s most affordable city break, with a two-night trip coming in at just \u00a3252.63, according to analysis by\u00a0Post Office Travel Money<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here, as a tourist, it\u2019s still possible to treat yourself to the finer things in life. You can book a double room at the historic and impeccably located five-star\u00a0Grand Palace Hotel<\/a>, for instance, for less than \u00a3100 a night.<\/p>\n

And while it may not be the obvious choice for a weekend getaway, Riga is increasingly popular with British tourists.<\/p>\n

In the first quarter of 2025, the city saw a more than\u00a020% increase<\/a>\u00a0in foreign tourist arrivals compared to the previous year, with most coming from Scandinavia, Germany, Poland, and the UK.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re keen to join them (and you should), here is a comprehensive itinerary for a long weekend that covers everything you should see and do, at refreshingly affordable prices.<\/p>\n

What to do in Riga: a 72-hour itinerary<\/h2>\n

Day 1<\/h3>\n

Like\u00a0Vilnius<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Tallinn<\/a>, Riga\u2019s international airport is close to the city.<\/p>\n

The 22 bus will get you to the Old Town in less than 40 minutes, while a 25-minute taxi costs about \u20ac14 (\u00a312) on Bolt, the main ride-share app (Uber does not operate in Latvia).<\/p>\n

Flights from the UK mostly arrive around midday (I flew with Ryanair from London Stansted), so after checking in to your digs (advice on that later), head straight to\u00a0Mikla<\/a>, a bakery at 42 Dzirnavu Street that does good coffee and better cardamom buns.<\/p>\n

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Once you\u2019re rested and refuelled, take a self-guided tour of the Old Town, visiting the House of the Blackheads, the 800-year-old Riga Dome Cathedral, and St Peter\u2019s Church. If the weather is clear, take the lift to the top for 360\u00b0 views.<\/p>\n

One of Riga\u2019s best assets is how compact it is, with walkable streets that feel like a living museum on every corner.<\/p>\n

On your travels, stop for a coffee at\u00a0Kalve<\/a>, a popular roastery with several stores across the city. Follow the Daugava River to the Central Market where you can shop like locals and try Latvian delicacies \u2014 I recommend potato, cottage cheese and potato pie, followed by a fresh cherry cookie and a shot of honey brandy. All of that is less than \u00a310.<\/p>\n

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On your way back through the Old Town, make time to explore the Riga Christmas market, which is open until 4 January, 2026.<\/p>\n

Smaller and more authentic than its counterparts in\u00a0Prague<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Berlin<\/a>, it has about 20 stalls, selling everything from grilled oysters to local wood carvings.<\/p>\n

You could easily spend an hour listening to carols with a gingerbread cookie and a Baileys coffee.<\/p>\n

Long considered the most cosmopolitan Baltic capital, Riga\u2019s flourishing food scene has everything from\u00a015-course Michelin-star tasting menus<\/a>\u00a0to calorific smash burgers (a local favourite, I am told).<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no better way to crown your first day than dinner at\u00a03 pav\u0101ru restor\u0101ns<\/a>\u00a0(The Three Chefs) and a decadent cocktail at\u00a0Black Magic<\/a>, where balsam, Latvia\u2019s national liqueur, is said to have been invented.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re looking for an affordable way to experience the city\u2019s nightlife, head for bars and pubs frequented by locals such as\u00a0Aleponija<\/a>,\u00a0Laska<\/a>,\u00a0Ala Pagrabs<\/a>,\u00a0Labietis<\/a>,\u00a0Nurme<\/a>,\u00a0\u010c\u0113<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Day 2<\/h3>\n

Prepare for a second day of pavement pounding, starting at the Central District for breakfast at\u00a0Mulberry<\/a>, a modern brunch spot that serves delicious cinnamon rolls and poached eggs with salmon.<\/p>\n

Explore the\u00a0lavish Art Nouveau district around Alberta Street, a place that will take up serious real estate on your camera roll, and pop into the\u00a0Riga Art Nouveau Centre<\/a>\u00a0if you crave more.<\/p>\n

A fun fact about this district is that it was once a filming location for the Soviet version of Sherlock Holmes, somewhat bizarrely acclaimed as the most popular USSR TV production of all time.<\/p>\n

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Cameras rolled on\u00a0Jauniela\u00a0<\/em>(New Street), where the cobbles were supposedly reminiscent of Baker Street in London and the original series,\u00a0The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr.<\/em>\u00a0Watson.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

As the Cold War was at its peak during filming, from 1979 to 1986, the crew could not travel to England. Hence, Riga.<\/p>\n

You could spend weeks taking in the city\u2019s cultural treasures, but no trip is complete without stepping into its complex past.<\/p>\n

Dive into this tumultuous history at the\u00a0Museum of the Occupation of Latvia<\/a>\u00a0(\u20ac8 for adults) and the small but powerful\u00a0Popular Front Museum<\/a>\u00a0(free). Both echo the dark clouds and political turmoil overshadowing Europe today.<\/p>\n

Have lunch at\u00a0Lido<\/a>, a budget-friendly buffet-style restaurant chain that\u2019s popular with Latvians, then follow the canal through Bastejkalns Park to the Freedom Monument, an imposing granite and copper landmark that honours those who died in the fight for independence.<\/p>\n

Latvians are proud and patriotic; expect to see the triband of crimson and white billowing from every other building.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve still got gas in the tank, cross the Daugava River past the impressive National Library and spend a couple of hours in \u0100genskalns, a gentrified working-class district known for distinctive wooden houses and an excellent food market.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t feature in mainstream guidebooks, but a detour to this part of town comes highly recommended by the Latvian writer Lelde Benke-Lungevica. You won\u2019t be disappointed.’<\/p>\n

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End the day with dinner at\u00a0M\u0101sa<\/a>, a trendy \u2018small plates\u2019 restaurant featured in the Michelin guide.<\/p>\n

On your way home, swing around the corner for a look at one of Latvia\u2019s most popular museums, where you\u2019ll come face to face with Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n

Since March 2022, just a few weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, a giant \u2018death\u2019s head\u2019 Putin banner has adorned one side of the Pauls Stradi\u0146\u0161 Museum of Medical History.<\/p>\n

It is probably not a coincidence that the building facing the museum on the other side of the street (recently renamed Independent Ukraine Street in Latvian) is\u2026 the Russian embassy.<\/p>\n

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Day 3<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wake early and take a day trip to either:<\/p>\n