🇱🇻 Riga, Latvia — Cruise Port Guide
The Baltic's Art Nouveau capital — a UNESCO old town of gabled guild halls, ornate 19th-century facades, and a lively riverside market in a converted zeppelin hangar.
Updated September 2026
Quick facts
Getting ashore
When to visit Riga
Best June-August for warm weather (roughly 18-22°C) and long daylight; September is cooler and quieter.
Getting back to the ship on time
If docked at the Krievu Island terminal, confirm shuttle bus timing back to the ship, since it's too far to walk and casual taxis are hard to find in that port area.
All-aboard is ship's time — check it in the daily programme, and set your watch to it.
Things to do in Riga
Art Nouveau district walk
Ornate facades along Alberta and Elizabetes streets.
Riga Old Town & Dome Cathedral
Cobblestone squares, guild halls and the historic cathedral.
Riga Central Market
Sprawling market inside converted zeppelin hangars.
House of the Blackheads
Ornate 14th-century merchant guild hall on Town Hall Square.
St. Peter's Church tower view
Elevator up a 123m spire for panoramic Old Town views.
Riga Black Balsam tasting
Sample Latvia's bitter herbal liqueur, a 1700s original recipe.
Popular excursions
Old Town & Art Nouveau Walk
House of the Blackheads plus Europe's richest Art Nouveau streetscape.
Central Market Food Tasting
Rye bread, smoked fish and Black Balsam inside WWI Zeppelin hangars.
Jurmala Beach Resort Escape
Wooden villas and a long white-sand Baltic beach, 30 minutes away.
What to eat
- Rupjmaize (dark rye bread)
- Pelēkie zirņi (grey peas & bacon)
- Aukstā zupa (cold beet soup)
- Speķa pīrāgi (bacon buns)
- Riga Black Balsam
Weather by month
Best time to visit: May–Sep
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31° | 22° | 1.3" |
| Feb | 32° | 21° | 1.1" |
| Mar | 40° | 27° | 1.1" |
| Apr | 52° | 36° | 1.6" |
| May | 63° | 45° | 1.7" |
| Jun | 69° | 52° | 2.5" |
| Jul | 73° | 56° | 3.3" |
| Aug | 71° | 55° | 2.9" |
| Sep | 63° | 48° | 2.4" |
| Oct | 52° | 40° | 2.4" |
| Nov | 41° | 32° | 2.2" |
| Dec | 34° | 26° | 1.8" |
Local phrases
A little history
Riga's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, prized for the finest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe.
Riga Central Market occupies five former World War I zeppelin hangars, among the largest markets in Europe.
The House of the Blackheads, rebuilt after WWII bombing, dates its guild origins back to the 14th century.
Riga Black Balsam, a bitter herbal liqueur dating to the 1700s, is Latvia's signature spirit and folk remedy.