Alternative Riga Walking Tour: Central Market, Warehouses & Moscow District
Riga's life beyond Old Town. Tour focusing on districts by the Daugava and the former workers’ quarter. We cover Central Market (in WWI Zeppelin hangars), the Warehouse District, the former ghetto in the Moscow District, the Latvian Academy of Sciences (Stalin’s birthday cake) and the Freedom Monument.
Basic Information
Total time
2h 30m
Language
English (check the calendar for availability)
Price
„Pay what you wish” tours do not have a fixed price. It is up to you to evaluate your guide’s work and reward it. Some people give 10€, others 50€ depending on their satisfaction and abilities.
Meeting point
St. Peter's Church Nearest public transport: Grēcinieku iela tram stop; Nacionālā opera tram stop
Additional info
☂︎ This tour is organised by Riga Free Tour guides. Look for the guide with the yellow “Riga Free Tours” sign.
Booking rules
Booking is obligatory. Our pay as you wish tours are designed for individual travellers and small groups. We don’t accept parties of more than 7 people on them. If you travel in a party of 8 or more (school groups, bigger groups of friends etc.), please choose a paid option of 9€ per person or book a Private Tour. For more information on the latter, please contact us.
About the tour
Join us to explore what lies beyond the old city and the touristic centre of Riga with its famous art nouveau buildings. Head towards the areas occupied mostly by the locals to discover how they live and carry on with their daily lives.
The centerpoint of this tour will be the massive Central Market – a paradise for all the foodies out there, a place to buy all kinds of local delicacies from smoked fish, cheeses, fruit (berries!) and other snacks. But it is not just that! The market is oddly located in the five old WWI Zeppelin hangars. Right next to it lies the Warehouse district with its revitalized brick, functional architecture which today is full of hip cafés, shops and galleries. With nice green areas, open air cinemas and a pleasant promenade along the Daugava river, it makes it Riga’s most favourite relaxing zone. If once there were workshops here there must also be an area where the working class lived. And that’s where we will head next. The so-called Moscow district is a strange mix of 19th century wooden houses, neglected 20th century Art Nouveau buildings and soviet style housing projects. If this wasn’t enough you can also find there churches and temples of all the people who once lived there: from Russians, Latvians and Jews up to Old Believers, a sect of Russian Orthodox Church. A great testimony to how cosmopolitan Riga once was!
Join us on this legendary tour to discover Riga’s past, present and perhaps future as well!
Highlights
- 1
Central Market
Europe’s largest market, housed in five massive former German Zeppelin hangars from World War I.
- 2
Warehouse District
Revitalized 19th-century warehouses, now a hip area with galleries, cafés, and a riverside promenade.
- 3
Moscow District
A diverse neighborhood with old wooden houses, Soviet buildings, and churches of various faiths.
- 4
Stalin's Birthday Cake
Nickname for the Academy of Sciences, a prominent example of Stalinist architecture in Riga.
- 5
Former Ghetto Area
The historical area that served as the Jewish ghetto during WWII, located in the Moscow District.
- 6
Freedom Monument
A memorial honoring soldiers from the Latvian War of Independence, a powerful symbol of Latvia's freedom.
7Local Delicacies
Opportunity to try local products like smoked fish and traditional cheeses at the bustling market.
Map
St. Peter's Church Nearest public transport: Grēcinieku iela tram stop; Nacionālā opera tram stop
