Expat Travel Mom

From Vilnius, we bussed straight into Rīga, and this leg ended up being the most historically meaningful stop of the whole trip. If you missed our Vilnius stop, go take a read!

A little history I didn't know before this trip: on August 23, 1989, roughly two million people across these three countries joined hands in an unbroken human chain stretching from Tallinn through Rīga to Vilnius, about 420 miles. It's known as the Baltic Way, a peaceful protest marking 50 years since the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany secretly agreed to divide up this region, which led to decades of Soviet occupation. Independence wasn't restored until 1991. Knowing that now, walking through these three cities means something a little different.

Arrival and an Old Friend

We bussed from Vilnius to Rīga using Flix bus. We paid for the comfort seats at the back, which turned out great. I was worried the teens would hate the long bus rides, or be uncomfortable, but they really enjoyed the time to just "be" and sleep if they wanted. The journey from Vilnius to Rīga was beautiful, landscape we never would have seen if we had flown between countries, and it changes constantly. I thought I would take a snooze, but I was afraid I'd miss something, so I just watched the landscape the entire way. We were met at the bus station by an old friend, a former teaching colleague from Singapore, reunited after years apart. She walked us from the bus station to our Airbnb, along to way giving us a history tour and pointing out iconic places and fixtures we truly would have missed (like the famous cats on the Cat House). 

Dinner in a Medieval Cellar

Since we had had a long day of travel, and didn't really eat along the way, we were ready for a hearty meal with our friends. Touring a bit more through town, on our way to Rozengrals, we admired how incredibly cute and charming the city is...absolutely adorable. Rozengrals is a cool medieval restaurant, down below the city streets, in what once was the city wine cellar. They serve you giant portions of food, had really friendly service (playing the medieval parts), and decor that made you want to walk around. We enjoyed conversation with our friends, learning more about Latvia from my friend's Latvian husband, ate way too much, but could have sat there longer. Exactly the kind of dinner you want on a freezing December night.

The Christmas Market

Ok, I'm going to throw the Christmas market piece in early, because I know everyone loves a Christmas market. This was the most unique Christmas market we've ever been to. Don't think German style, don't even think about any style you've probably already seen! It was beautifully moody, medieval, and oozing in character and charm. It was dark, and beautiful at the same time.  It's not a big market, but it was perfect the way it was, with mouth watering food, plenty of warm drinks to get toasty, and perfectly set the mood for a dark winter's night. For teens and adults, I think it's perfect. For little kids, may not entertain them as much.

The Rīga Ghetto Museum

We visited the Rīga Holocaust and Ghetto Museum, a heavy, important stop. A very somber yet beautiful moment. The museum is so tastefully done, well explained, and all three teens really enjoyed spending time here and learning more about the history. The museum appreciates donations, but no tickets were necessary. We ended up visiting on a rainy day, which meant very few people. 

On our way back toward city center, we wandered through Rīga Central Market, one of the largest markets in Europe. It's worth a pop in!

The Bremen Musicians Statue, Black Balsam, and The Cathedral Organ 

Found the Bremen Musicians statue, animals stacked on each other's backs, a nod to the old Brothers Grimm fairy tale (IYKYK). It was actually a gift to Rīga from Bremen in 1990 to celebrate being sister cities. Legend has it that you rub ALL of their noses for good luck. We then headed over to Black Magic where we warmed up as we tried four flavors of Black Balsam, Latvia's famously bitter, herbal liqueur. WHOA! It's STRONG and no joke (but we did bring their chocolate mint version home). But it was a very cute atmosphere where we could warm up, eat some truffles, and feel immersed back in time. My favorite part was when a child at the next table asked for WIFI and the response was, "we don't have any, we're in the 1800's". an early walk to the cathedral to see the 7,000-pipe organ. Once warmed and toasted (lol), we walked to the Rīga Cathedral to see the 7,000 pipe organ. Stunning! Sometimes, if your timing is right, you'll ge to hear it played. Unfortunately, this wasn't our time. 

St. Peter's Church and the House of the Black Heads

Visited St. Peter's Church and the House of the Black Heads, two of Rīga's most striking landmarks. St. Peter's Church was beautiful. We love to duck into churches and cathedrals on our trips, simply to admire the amount of detail they have, and think about how in the world they did it all with the available tools and technology they had back then. Stained glass is always a favorite of mine.The House of the Black Heads. It was the biggest public building of Rīga. From mid-15th century it was also used by Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried merchants, shipowners and foreigners in Rīga. We only had an hour to tour, and saw it all, but didn't get a chance to read everything, which if you're like my husband, you like to read EVERYTHING. Next time! All in all, the teens found it pretty and cool at the same time, as the basement was a whole different atmosphere than the rest of the building!

Jūrmala and Ķemeri

One of our days in Rīga, we headed out by train to our friend's house in Jūrmala. What a storybook area, complete with forest, a beautiful beach (mixed with snow!), and classic Jūrmala-style homes. Honestly, had my friend not lived in this area, we never would have known about it, let alone ventured out this direction. I highly recommend it as it's a contrast to the city, and a beautiful day of nature and eye candy. We first toured the town a bit, and then met the rest of her family to feast on amazing Georgian food at KinzaHouse, then drove farther out, towards Ķemeri to a beach where we were met with both sand and snow (so confusing for the senses), and took a forest walk that reminded me of what it might be like to be in the Upside Down (minus the scary parts). They light up the trails during the holidays! We finished our time at my friend's house, having some fresh apple juice and a tour, before heading back on a train to make it back to Rīga in time for New Year's Eve.

A New Year's Eve to End Our Stay

After getting back from Jūrmala, the party was already starting outside our Airbnb. There were stages set up throughout the city for live music and parties, and my husband and the girls wanted to go be a part of it all! My son and I happily stayed home, but sat in the window seat, windows open, waving and wishing a Happy New Years to those who passed. It was such a lively night, but nothing out of control. Our Airbnb was on a main street, and with the windows closed, we had not idea it was even New Years!  

Rīga gave us the real weight of this trip, alongside the market food and the black cats. It's the stop that's stayed with us the most. Now, on to stop 3, Tallinn.