McDonald's restaurants quickly become points of reference in any city of the world.

Labels: american, buildings, center, eclecticism, food, hostels, restaurants, stations, streets

فندق ريغا (Hotel Riga) is the name of the hotel in the oldest city of the world - Aleppo, Syria.
I wish it would be 5* :) And does anybody know what letter L means?
@Valeria, thank you for an interesting photo of Riga signs outside Latvia :)

Labels: arabic, buildings, hotels, outside latvia, riga, writings

Yesterday, on Saturday morning I was a witness to unknown procession in Old Town on Kalku iela.
People were carrying flag of Latvia and another one similar to Italy or Hungary, but flag holders were not looking like Italians nor Hungarians :)
Does anybody know what kind of parade it was?

Labels: brivibas, events, flags, people, vecriga

Observation Wheel is being assembled now in the middle of Old Town, on Livu square.
Can't wait to take my first ride.. :)

Labels: brivibas, lights, night, snow, vecriga, winter

Bērzaunes iela is a small street named after a small village Bērzaune in Madona Region.

Labels: snow, streets, teika, vef, winter

Kungu iela (Lord street) is a street parallel to Daugava river in Old Town, hence its former name Daugava street.

Labels: buildings, snow, streets, vecriga, weather

Russian Secondary School #24 was opened in 1987 on Caka iela, just next to Riga monastery.
Unfrotunately I couldn't find anything special or interesting about this school, except basic data like...
Official name is Рижская основная школа №24 in Russian or Rīgas 24. pamatskola in Latvian.

Labels: buildings, center, education, grizinkalns, russian, schools, soviet

A gray begging person in a Gray tunnel.

Labels: animals, people, poverty, tunnels

Transporta un sakaru institūts (Transport and Telecommunication Institute) is one of few Riga universities with the name. It is located on Lomonosova street in Maskavas Forstate.
TSI was established in 1999 and it is based on the former University of Aviation (RAU)

Labels: buildings, education, maskachka, soviet, universities

This photo of Latvian National Library during Staro Riga is selected in order to give you an opportunity to compare how LNB was looking in during Staro Riga 2008. Photo's source is Delfi.
BTW, check the timeline of LNB Building since 2007.

Labels: buildings, daugava, lights, lnb, mukusala, pardaugava, red, rivers, staro

Main office building of recently formed Bank Citadele during Staro Riga event.
As usually the best shots are taken by guest photographers from Delfi :)

Labels: banks, buildings, center, events, lights, modernism, offices, staro

Staro in Latvian means Shine. Staro Riga is the name of annual light festival which was held 18-22 November.
This photo of Alexander Bridge was taken by Delfi's photographer.

Labels: blue, bridges, brivibas, canal, events, lights, night, rivers, staro, vecriga

November 18th is the National Day of Latvia. Today is 92 years since Latvia got independent first time.
During my absence in Latvia, the role of Riga photographer was taken by Mike.

Labels: flags, holidays, independence, nature

Dienvidu pakavs 2 (South Horseshoe II) is quite prestigious, but relatively remote apartment building.
It was built in 2006 and is located in Ziepniekkalns area, on the official border of Riga.

Labels: buildings, modernism, ziepniekkalns

One of long-term projects within this blog is watching of the Latvian National Library construction site.
Check the timeline of LNB photos I took from the same position for the last 3 years.
Still 2 years to go...

Labels: buildings, libraries, lnb, lnb building, mukusala, pardaugava, walls

K-Suns (K-Dog) is an alternative cinema in Riga, which was opened in 2001 on Elizabetes street.
By word alternative I mean that in this cinema you won't see any mainstream Hollywood movie.

Labels: alternative, buildings, center, cinemas, culture

Like many people in Riga, I often think about moving to somewhere else.
Especially when I see this Boeing 767 of Uzbekistan Airways, which connects Riga to New York directly, I start to think about crazy things...

Labels: airplanes, airports, lights, night

Another view of Kramu iela, but during the one of the cold autumn evenings.

Labels: autumn, buildings, cars, people, streets, vecriga

Iguana is the name of a restaurant located on Elizabetes iela, within Berga Bazars complex.
The food here looks (and tastes of course) much more pleasant than the animal with the same name :)
Thanks goes to Mike for showing me the place :)

Labels: cafes, center, food, interior, restaurants

November 11th and its the day of Lacplesis.
Traditionally today Latvians come President's castle wall and put a candle.

Labels: events, fire, girls, holidays, independence, traditions, walls

Ziemeļu Vārti (North Gate) is another office building, which adorns Riga since 2006.
It is located on the fork of two streets, Brivibas iela and Cesu iela, and technically belongs to Brasa area.
I have absolutely no idea why it's named Northern Gate. Eastern Gate (location-wise) would suit much better.

Labels: autumn, brasa, brivibas, buildings, cars, center, modernism, offices, streets

Aptieka 1 is the largest pharmacy chain in Riga and in Latvia.
This particular drug store is located in a interesting eclectic building in Sarkandaudava.
Could anybody tell what does the letters АФ on the top mean? Thanks :)

Labels: autumn, buildings, eclecticism, first, medicine, people, sarkandaugava, writings

Loto is a lottery game, very similar to Bingo. During Soviet times, when Casinos were forbidden, playing Loto was the only opportunity to gamble :)

Labels: buildings, casinos, finance, games, hobby, people, teika

Recent years all the Riga media talks and writes so much about ugly Soviet architecture in city and that it all must be refurbished or demolished at all. And what we see?

Labels: center, gray, modernism, music, people, soviet, tunnels

Just 2 months ago this shopping center in Imanta was called Wellness because of the gym inside of it.
Although recently the gym was bought by Atlētika health club chain, hence it has changed its name.
The area around Atletika gym will be still called as Wellness area, some time of course.

Labels: buildings, imanta, shopping, sports

Pinot is a new wine restaurant in Old Town on Grecinieku street.
It is something in the middle of Italian and French cousine.

Labels: french, italian, night, restaurants, vecriga, windows

I can't believe, it is already 3 years since my first Riga Daily Photo. Kinda success! :)
This year I took not just 365 photos more, but also got new camera with the help of my readers, started to use twitter for instant updates, got interviewed and many other interesting things happened to me because of RDP.
Thank you, my dear visitors for watching this blog and making me keep exploring Riga and surroundings.

Labels: autumn, birthdays, blog, buildings, churches, daugava, rivers, ships, sunset, towers

Center buildings roofs as they are during autumn sunset. Check similar photo in the winter morning.

Labels: autumn, buildings, center, panoramas, roofs, sunset, towers

Kremlin Wall is quite narrow-famous sight in Riga and is located in Purvciems neighbourhood.
This apartment building was built in 1980s for Soviet politicians, which used to work in Latvian Communist Party.
The house itself is similar to red-brick wall and towers of Kremlin, which is located in Moscow and is the main government building of Russia during its whole history.

Labels: buildings, houses, politics, purvciems, red, soviet, walls

Public Transportation is the today's topic of City Daily Photo blogs. Click here to view thumbs for all participants.
For this matter I took photo of First Trolleybus Park, which was opened in 1913, initially as Tramway Depot.
Trolleybus transportation is very rare outside of Eastern Bloc and I consider trolleybuses as one of Riga uniqueness.
Check also another pictures of Second Trolleybus Park, which is located in Tornakalns.

Labels: first, parks, sarkandaugava, themes, transport, trolleybuses