Patricia Hotel

Tag: winter

  • Riga in Winter: What to Expect

    Winter in Riga is long, dark and cold, and a substantial number of people prefer the city that way. The crowds are gone, the light when it comes is low and beautiful, and a quarter built of brick and stone looks entirely right under snow. It is also a season that punishes anyone who arrives underprepared, so it is worth knowing what you are walking into.

    The daylight

    The shortest days in December give a little over six hours of usable light, running roughly from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. This changes how a day is planned more than the temperature does. Outdoor sightseeing has to happen in a narrow window, and the rest of the day belongs to interiors. In practice that is not a hardship, since the museums, market halls, churches and cafes are precisely where the city is most comfortable in January.

    The cold

    Temperatures below freezing are normal from December through February, and cold snaps well below that are not unusual. The wind off the river and the gulf is the part that catches visitors out, because it makes a moderate air temperature feel considerably worse on an exposed embankment. Snow cover varies year to year and the streets are cleared promptly in the centre, but pavements can be icy first thing.

    • Layers, not one heavy coat. Interiors are heated aggressively and you will want to shed most of it indoors.
    • Boots with grip. The single most useful thing you can pack for a winter visit.
    • Hat and gloves. Non-negotiable in a wind off the water.
    • Plan indoor anchors. Build the day around two or three warm stops rather than one long walk.

    What winter does well

    December belongs to the Christmas markets, which run in several squares and give the Old Town an atmosphere it simply does not have in July. January and February are the quietest months of the year for visitors, which means the museums are empty and the restaurants have tables. This is also the season for the heavier end of Latvian cooking, which makes considerably more sense at minus ten than it does in August.

    Getting around

    Public transport runs normally through winter and is the sensible choice for anything beyond a short walk. Trams are heated, frequent and rarely disrupted by snow. Day trips are still viable, though the coast in particular is a different and much bleaker proposition than in summer, which some travellers find more memorable rather than less.

    Come in winter for the atmosphere and the quiet, not for the weather. Pack for it properly, keep the outdoor plans inside the daylight window, and it becomes the version of the city that most people who live here would say is the real one.

  • Riga’s Christmas Markets: A Practical Guide

    Riga makes a strong claim to the first decorated Christmas tree in a public square, and whatever the merits of that claim the city takes the season seriously. From late November until early January several squares in and around the Old Town fill with wooden stalls, and the result is one of the better markets in northern Europe precisely because it has not been scaled up to industrial size.

    Where the markets are

    The largest and best-known occupies Dome Square in the middle of the Old Town, arranged around a tree with stalls on all sides and a stage that hosts choirs and school performances through December. A second, smaller and generally quieter market runs in Livu Square a short walk away. Others appear seasonally elsewhere in the centre, including in the park belt, and the whole set can be walked between in under twenty minutes.

    What is actually sold

    The mix leans more toward genuine local craft than is usual at markets of this kind: knitted mittens and wool socks in traditional patterns, ceramics, linen, wooden kitchenware, honey and beeswax candles. On the food side, expect hot spiced wine, grilled sausage, sweet pastries, roasted nuts and various applications of the local herbal liqueur to hot drinks.

    • Go on a weekday evening. Weekends are noticeably busier and the stalls are hardest to browse.
    • Carry some cash. Most stalls take cards, but the smallest craft sellers may not.
    • Dress for standing still. Standing outdoors for an hour in December is much colder than walking for one.
    • Visit more than one. The smaller squares are quieter and often have the better craft stalls.

    Timing the season

    The markets generally open in the second half of November and run to the first days of January, with the busiest fortnight immediately before Christmas. The days around the holiday itself are the quietest in the whole season, when many visitors have gone home and much of the city is with family; that lull is arguably the nicest time to be here if the atmosphere rather than the shopping is the point.

    Beyond the stalls

    The season extends past the markets themselves. Concerts run in the churches through Advent, the Old Town is lit throughout, and the ice rinks and decorated shop windows give a reason to walk in the dark. Because it gets dark by mid-afternoon, the lit version of the city is simply the version you see for most of your stay. The churches in particular are worth going into whether or not there is a concert on, since they are among the few large heated interiors open through the evening.

    Three or four days in December gives enough time for the markets, a concert, and the museums when the cold wins. Book accommodation early for the fortnight before Christmas, and dress for standing outside rather than for walking.

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