Riga.

Advantages: Cheap, friendly place to visit, interesting architecture.
Disadvantages: Might not last too long in its current state. Freezing cold in winter.

...Latvia is not somewhere that would immediately spring to mind when deciding on a city break, but when we researched a possible weekend away for between four and six people (all male) within our budget (£200), there was no clear cut winner. Riga, Berlin, Prague and Barcelona were all able to offer a flight/hotel combination for within that. Riga was decided on by vote, purely for the reason that it was only really opening up as a destination and had that 'kudos' factor that all new things seem to have. Most of our group flew out of Dublin with Ryanair, though there are other routes available from England and one of our party flew with Ryanair out of Stansted. Flights will obviously vary in price, depending on who you're flying with, when you're flying and how far in advance you book. Booking tickets with Ryanair at Christmas for an end...

TheDuke 10.03.2006 · Read review
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Review of Riga (Latvia)

Stag weekends in Latvia

Advantages: Somewhere different, can be cheap
Disadvantages: The mafia, cold,

...After looking long and hard for some place to organise a reunion we stumbled across Riga. The Ryanair flights out of Stansted only cost £70 return even including Gordon Browns new tax. So Riga it was, we pre-organised accomodation at Argonaut Hostel in town and took the bus from the airport to the city centre (only 0.30Lt). The currency conversion to £'s is relatively simple as it is almost a 1:1 conversion. Although due to the strength of the pound in the rest of the world you find many Lts floating out of your pocket without even noticing. One of the first things you do notice however is how cold it really is there. The two rivers flowing through the centre of town were both completely frozen over when we arrived. The temperature had been as low as minus20degC on the nights. The friendly staff at the hostel (American...

Naturalsponge 10.02.2007 · Read review
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Review of Riga (Latvia)

The Scruffy Shoe Diaries EAGER FOR RIGA

Advantages: Architecture, history, market
Disadvantages: Technical University, too many bridges

.... Persuaded. Cajoled, if you will. And therein lies nought but despair. >> Riga is essentially a city of two parts, the old town and the new. The old town contains architecture representing centuries of history, all frantically being renovated as the city moved towards its 800 year anniversary (this was celebrated in August 2001). Buildings such as St. Peters Church, the Swedish Gate and the thirteenth century Rigas Dom Cathedral are well worth a visit and with much renovation being carried out as we were watching, the history of the region seemed almost palpable. All around the compact centre of the Old Town are outstanding examples of 17th century Germanic and older gothic buildings like the often photographed (except not by me) Three Brothers, one of which is the oldest house in Latvia, dating from the 15th century. Another...

Paiceyjohn 19.03.2001 (08.05.2002) · Read review
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Review of Riga (Latvia)

Riga, the next best weekend retreat?

Advantages: The old town central to accomodation and airport.
Disadvantages: Bars a little too expensive and can be a little too laid back.

...Return flights from Gatwick to Riga = £135, but can be cheaper when bought at last minute. We decided to stay in Riga's old town for a few days before moving on to Russia. The Currency; very easy to deal with, Lats, which one Lat is about equal to the sum of one Pound, makes it easy to keep track of your money and there are also plenty of places to exchange currency. Prices; our accomodation was £7 per night, we stayed in the Dome Hostel, a reasonable, clean place to reside, with a selection of mixed, or single sex dorms, however no en suites. Free water is provided, free internet and free television. The accomodation is right next to the old square and on the main street for nightlife, which can be a little noisy but is bearable. Nightlife, bars, resturants; reasonable but by far not the cheapest, aim to pay about £3 per...

dinkydyke 07.07.2006 · Read review
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Review of Riga (Latvia)

Somewhere Different to Go For Your Holiday!

Advantages: Lots to do and see, snow in the winter, fairly cheap to eat/drink, cheap flights available from RyanAir.
Disadvantages: Very very very very cold in the winter, Things are Difficult to Find.

...***INTRODUCTION*** Riga is the capital of Latvia which is a small country bordered by Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus. It is not the first place you think of when deciding on a holiday destination, however you will enjoy your visit. I will not discuss everything that you can and cannot do in Riga...I will simply discuss what I did, where I stayed, the climate when I was there and so on. If you require further details then simply search the Internet: there is plently of information on Riga. ***CLIMATE*** I went to Riga in February 2006 for a four day break. If you decide to visit Riga in the winter then you really do have to be prepared for the cold. Before the plane landed in Riga, the pilot informed us that it was minus 17 outside. For the whole of my stay in Riga I was freezing cold even though I went prepared. I...

HannahBoo 17.03.2006 · Read review
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Review of Riga (Latvia)

Affordable, Scenic and Friendly

Advantages: Cheap and beautiful
Disadvantages: None

...I spent some weeks in Latvia in the summer of 2003, as part of a driving tour of the Baltic Countries (don?t call them The Baltic States or you?ll offend the locals- they are countries in their own right!). Latvia has absolutely heaps to offer the more independent, exploratory type of holiday-maker, although those who prefer their holidays ready-made would also find a great time to be had on a city break of Riga, the capital. Getting there:- well, as we went by car we entered from Lithuania and exited into Estonia. The border crossing procedure in a British car was not a model of efficiency- although we had a European Green card, they?re not valid in the Baltics, so we needed to buy separate insurance at each border. They do fairly lengthy checks (chassy number, all you documents in order, open your boot sir, are you smuggling any...

Tricksty 03.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of Riga (Latvia)

The Dogs of Riga- Wallander is back

Advantages: Good storyline and interesting facts about Latvia demonstrated
Disadvantages: Not much suspence or tension created compared to other works by Mankell

...Latvia as the Major meets his death the same night of his homecoming. Wallander finds himself travelling to Latvia to assist the Police in Riga with investigating Major Leipa's death. Wallander assumes that Leipa discovered something important and he persists in finding out what it is separate and secretly from the Latvian police because of his distrust in their integrity. *Setting of book* "The Dogs of Riga" is set in 1992, when the country of Latvia had just become independent from the break up of the Soviet Union. This novel digs deep behind the official sovereignty of the state to reveal a time of instability and hope for democracy to become a reality. Henning Mankell actually worked closely with somebody from the Latvian police to help him with writing this novel. *What is my opinion of the book?* This book appears to...

emzipops86 02.05.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Dogs of Riga - Henning Mankell

Don't get here too early...

Advantages: Modern and convenient
Disadvantages: Boring

...Whilst Riga airport is modern, convenient, well-signposted, and all the rest of it, it is a boring place. We were bored, and some friends were forced to spend 4 hours there with small children last week, and it nearly drove them up the wall. The best thing to do would be to arrive as late as possible so you don't have to spend too much time here. The few shops are pricey - the tourist things for example cost a lot more than in the city. There was a mildly interesting shop that had some old Soviet era souvenirs - caps, badges, cigarette cases etc. But really, once you've had a quick look round everything you need to have a good book to pass the time. There was a cafe, but it was pricey by local standards. And as the airport has few flights, there weren't many people there to watch. The airport is about 8km out of the city...

kittenkong 01.11.2005 · Read review
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Review of Riga Airport (RIX), Latvia

A Baltic Mystery

Advantages: Intriguing central character; interesting locations; good tempo
Disadvantages: Terrible type-setting; some incredible elements

...When the two men washed up on the Swedish coast in a life raft turn out to be Latvians, Inspector Kurt Wallander hopes it will be a simple matter of passing the investigation over to Major Liepa, his Latvian counterpart asked to come to help with the case. However, when Major Liepa is found murdered shortly after his return to the Latvian capital, Riga, Wallander finds himself packing a bag and crossing the Baltic to assist with the investigations because the Latvian police believe that Liepa's death may be linked to the case he had been working on in Sweden. "The Dogs of Riga" takes a profound turn from ordinary police procedural to international thriller that may disappoint some readers. The book is the second of Henning Mankell's series of novels featuring the lugubrious - some might say thoroughly miserable - Kurt Wallander. It...

fizzytom 01.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of The Dogs of Riga - Henning Mankell

To market, to market

Advantages: Hustle, bustle, colour, bargains
Disadvantages: Variable quality, not so good for souvenirs

...the Baltic coast in those benighted times, but it is clear that a settlement stood on the site long before then. With a safe harbour nearby, and a navigable river giving access to the interior, it was and is a natural trading post. In any case, where the sword and the cross led, trade quickly followed, and you can still see the rather bleak paved open space where Hanseatic merchants first gathered to do business back in the 13th Century, and to which locals brought their produce to exchange with them and with each other. The location of the Riga?s market has moved several times since then, and it only came to occupy its present site during Latvia?s earliest bout of independence after the First World War. For ease of transport and access it was situated between the main railway station and the Daugava River that connects Riga to...

torr 08.08.2007 (13.08.2007) · Read review
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Review of Riga Central Market