I need to make something crystal clear, EASTERN EUROPE IS WORTH IT!
I know, I know, there’s Paris, there’s Rome, and we all know Vienna waits for you. But what about those beautiful Baltics: Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania? We were able to steal away for a weekend in Riga, Latvia, and let me tell you, a weekend was all I needed to fall in love!
The old town in Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and you can see why when you walk amongst beauties such as The House of Blackheads, The Three Brothers, Riga Cathedral and a unicorn!
Right of the bat, the Riga airport offers FREE strollers for anyone to use! I immediately knew we were somewhere that takes traveling with kids seriously and I fully appreciated the respect! It only got better from there.
We grabbed a bus into town and started our weekend with a walk around the main square. This is where The House of Blackheads. This building was originally a 14th c building that was demolished by the Nazis and then further by the Soviets. It was rebuilt in the 90s and was one of the most unique buildings I’ve seen in Europe.
That night, I got us tickets to a Latvian puppet theater show called Latvian Puppet Theater (easy to remember) It was so entertaining, it held my two year old, non-latvian speaking, toddler’s attention. I couldn’t tell you what it was about, but the entire experience was great! And right across the street is a huge children’s bookstore/toystore.
The next morning we headed for the Riga Central Market. This is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building is a remarkably large and was originally a German Zeppelin Hangar. We loved seeing how many types of sauerkraut exist and sipping fresh squeezed orange juice. You could spend your entire morning or afternoon here.
That night was our last night, so we decided to just wander around after a delicious, warm meal. A must when in Latvia, is to sip on the Riga Black Balsam. This is considered the national drink of Latvia.
The streets were made to explore and we were ready to oblige.
