Riga was a two-night stop on our Baltic trip and one of those cities that immediately felt easy to explore. It's compact, walkable, and manages to combine a historic Old Town with some of the best Art Nouveau architecture we've seen anywhere in Europe.
We stayed at A22 Hotel, which turned out to be an excellent base for a short visit. The hotel was modern, comfortable, and within easy walking distance of most of the places we wanted to see. One unexpected highlight was the restaurant, which served one of the best hotel breakfasts we've had in a long time. We're usually pretty quick to leave a hotel and find a local café, but A22's brunch was good enough that we happily lingered.
Most of our time was spent wandering. We explored the Old Town, visited Riga Cathedral, walked past the Three Brothers houses, spent time along the Daugava waterfront, and made our way through the Art Nouveau district around Alberta iela. The architecture ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the trip. Even after visiting a lot of European cities, Riga still felt distinctive.
What stood out most about Riga was how livable it felt. Some cities are packed with must-see attractions; Riga felt more like a place to slow down, walk around, stop for coffee, and enjoy the atmosphere. It reminded me a little of Tallinn in that way, though with its own personality and architectural style.
Two nights felt about right for a first visit, but it's one of the few places in the Baltics where we could have happily added another day. Between the architecture, the food scene, and the easy pace of life, Riga ended up being one of the more pleasant surprises of the trip.