Day 1 – 3 of my 9-day European Christmas Market Adventure
Riga – Vilnius – Warsaw
Want to get away to some Christmas Markets in Europe but not sure which to choose? Well here’s one to add to your list!
In the first week of December, we decided to head over to 3 different European cities, in 3 different countries, checking out their Christmas Markets. Instead of hiring a car and driving to each country, as we normally would do, we decided to fly. It actually worked out cheaper to fly to each country, than to hire a car and pay the cross-border fees, and single-way drop-off fees.
Our first stop on our 9-day European Christmas Market Adventure was Riga.
Riga is the capital of Latvia, located next to the Baltic Sea. The city is small compared to London and Paris, even though one-third of the Latvian population lives in Riga! It’s that small, you can quite easily get around the Old Town on foot. The city is known for its wooden buildings, art nouveau architecture, and beautiful medieval Old Town. It is a beautiful city to visit, not just at Christmas.
Why Did We Choose Riga For The Christmas Markets?
There were 3 main reasons for choosing Riga for the Christmas Markets this year:
- cheaper to visit compared to other European cities
- a city we have not visited before
- supposedly quieter than some of the other European Christmas Markets
The Christmas Tree Light Turn On
We were fortunate enough to be there for the Christmas Tree light turn-on in Dome Square. This was just by chance. We honestly did not plan this! At first, we didn’t even know what was going on. We saw crowds gather around the Christmas Tree. Feeling curious, we decided to join in. I then looked up at the Christmas Tree and soon realised the lights weren’t on. We then realised why everybody was here, gathering together with their cameras out and ready. It was a great atmosphere, even though we could not understand a word that was being said! They had live bands playing Christmas music, people were dancing and singing. It was really lovely.
This year the Christmas Tree light turn-on was on Sunday 1st December. The light turn on was around 6 pm in Dome Square. I do not know if it is the same date every year and the same time. If you do want to see the light turn on, please do your research before you go so you are not disappointed.
The Christmas Markets
If you are planning on visiting Riga for the Christmas Markets, do not expect large Christmas Markets or lots of Christmas Markets. On our visit, they had 2 main Christmas Markets: one located in Dome Square and the other located in Esplanade Park. It will take you around 10 – 15 minutes to walk from one to the other.
The great thing about the Riga Christmas Markets, there is something for everyone. Wherever you are after a handmade gift, some mulled wine, or some food, you will find it all there. There were even animals to watch as they ran around their pen. I’m not sure what goats and rabbits are to do with Christmas? Not sure if it’s a Latvian thing? Or were they just there to entertain the kids (and adults)? However, it certainly did make the market more unique and memorable.
Another great thing I loved about the Riga Christmas Markets, they were not overcrowded. The only time they got too busy, was when the light turn on was happening. Apart from that, they were quiet.
One big tip when visiting their markets; make sure you have cash on you. Most of the stalls do not have card machines.
Christmas In Riga
With Christmas trees dotted around the city, Christmas music playing in the bars and restaurants, and shops filled with Christmas decorations, it certainly does feel festive in Riga at Christmas. If you are really lucky, like ourselves, you may even get a sprinkle of snow too. However, don’t go booking a trip to Riga Christmas Markets, expecting a white Christmas Market. It’s completely potluck if you get snow or not. For us, we were lucky, our true Winter Wonderland dream came true.
Getting To and From The Airport
Getting to and from the airport is easy enough. There is a choice between a bus, minibus or a taxi. The bus is the cheapest option and the taxi is the quickest option. We chose a taxi to save us from having to pull our suitcases from the bus station to our hotel. A one-way ticket will cost you around €1.50.
If you take the cheapest option, catch Bus 22. The bus departs every 10 to 20 minutes and will take you around 30 minutes to get to the centre of Riga. The bus will drop you off on the edge of the Old Town.
You can catch Minibus 222, which takes you the same time as Bus 22 to get into the centre. I am not sure where the minibus drops you off or how frequent it is.
To get a taxi to the centre will cost you between €15 and €20 and cash is needed. Quite often the taxis will rip you off if they know you are a tourist. The best option is to install the app Bolt onto your phone and use them. Bolt is a company like Uber. You know how much the journey is going to cost, you do not need cash as you pay on your phone with your bank card and it works out cheaper too. If you are a first-time user with Bolt, you can use this code: GK7TU. This will get up to €10 off your first ride. Using the Bolt code, our journey only cost us €4.
To watch our full vlog of Riga Christmas Markets, please head over to our YouTube page: https://youtu.be/SrO7Ww4xb-Y?si=QNUwBUKAqt11Bec7
Want more Christmas Market inspiration? Check out some of my other blogs:
A Guide to Vilnius Christmas Markets
A Guide To Warsaw’s Christmas Markets
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