Riga is getting prepared to New Year parties around the town. The mass celebration will be held in Old Town.
By the way, Riga Ferris wheel will work tonight all night long!
I wish you all the positive and successful New Year 2011!

Labels: brivibas, children, devices, entertainment, holidays, night, people, windows

Ice Skating is a traditional winter entertainment for Riga.
A lot of Ice skating rinks are placed in town. For example this one is located at Strelnieku laukums.

Labels: children, entertainment, halls, hobby, interior, people, sports, winter

Riga is covered under extremely thick level of snow this winter.
I have never seen so much of snow in Riga during all my life.

Labels: cars, extreme, snow, weather, winter

Microbus Nr 241 aka Shuttlebus will take you from Katedrale to Airport or back just for 1 EUR.
It is cheaper even than regular bus Nr 22.

Labels: airports, buses, night, snow, transport, windows

Accenture is an global consulting company, which is located in so called Latvian Silicon Valley, the former VEF.
Accenture has more than 300 employee, which makes it the largest IT Company in Riga.

Labels: american, buildings, companies, night, offices, streets, teika, vef, winter

Piparkūkas is a traditional Latvian cookies, which are sweet and spicy at the same time.
In Gallery Riga shopping center you can find the model of Riga City made of piparkukas.

Labels: banks, bridges, food, panoramas, shopping, skyscrapers, toys

Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope you have found a nice gift under your Christmas Tree :)

Labels: brivibas, cars, catholic, christmas, holidays, lutheran, night, snow, streets, traditions, trees, winter

Do you remember summer photo titled 152 Days? It was counting days left to the first Advent Sunday.
This counter was also promoting celelbration of the First Christmas Tree. It was believed that Riga had hosted the very first Christmas Tree 500 years ago next to Blackheads house.
In fact recently, some more old sources revealed that the First Christmas tree was erected in Tallinn. Sad.

Labels: christmas, devices, monuments, people, snow, streets, trees, winter

Konventa sēta (Convent Yard) aka Konventhof is a quiet area in the middle of Old Town.
Formerly it was a fortified area and the residence of the Sword Brothers Brotherhood.
On the picture is the wall of the building, which has written chronicles of Konventa seta and Riga

Labels: churches, graffiti, religious, streets, towers, vecriga, walls, writings

Former dormitory on Kliversala is a huge building of Stalin epoch, but it is abandoned since circa 2000.

Labels: buildings, education, kliversala, pardaugava, snow, soviet, winter

The expression Baltic States has almost no official use, but it is often used in talks to show a kind of union of three Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
On the left side is a rare map which says Baltic States. More recent versions are called Baltic Countries.

Labels: baltics, estonian, latvian, lithuanian, maps

Cleaning of tramways by trams themselves at Barona street.
BTW, there is no Richmond store at the corner. Now it is cheap clothes store called Tridueks.

Labels: buildings, lights, night, snow, streets, taxi, tramways, weather, winter

Grīziņkalns is the name of one of the official Riga apkaimes aka neighbourhoods, which is located between Zemitani Station, Avotu iela, Artilerijas iela and Brivibas iela. It's became part of Riga in 1786.
On the picture you can see Caka iela, School #24 and Orthodox Cathedral of Holy Trinity.

Labels: buildings, churches, grizinkalns, orthodox, panoramas, schools, soviet, winter

Meistaru iela (Master street) is adjacent street to Livu square. It is a street of Small and Great Guild.
Photo has been taken from Riga Observation wheel.

Labels: buildings, medieval, night, roofs, starred, streets, windows, winter

Nightclub The Club is located in Old town. To be precise it is in the same premises on Kungu iela as former Steam Club and even more former Nautilus club :)
It was open in June 2010.

Labels: clubs, lights, nightlife, people, vecriga

Aspazijas in snow.

Labels: lights, night, snow, streets, trees, winter

A nice eclectic building is located on the crossroads of Avotu and Lāčplēša streets.
It was built in 1898 as apartment house with stores on the ground floor.

Labels: avoti, buildings, cars, center, eclecticism, streets, towers

Narvesen is a Norwegian chain of small shops, where you can buy newsletters, some fast food, drinks and all other everyday stuff.
There are more than 200 Narvesen shops and kiosks since its entry in 1997 to Latvia.
This particular one is located next to Katedrale and is a popular meeting point.

Labels: center, night, norwegian, shopping, winter

Municipal Police department in Purvciems 2 was opened 25 years ago in December 1985.
It is quite famous because it was bombed by mafia in the middle of 90s
The absence of the black tiles are scars, which are left since that bloody bombing.

Labels: buildings, cars, police, snow, winter

Winter sunset as it is from VEF Tower.
Check the same summer panoramic view.

Labels: panoramas, roofs, snow, sunset, teika, vef, winter

Cinema Bar aka Cinamon is a quiet and cheap place in the middle of Old Town on Kaleju iela.
This movie-themed bar has the lowest beer price in town, like in French Bar.
The beer price is 0,70 Ls (less than 1 EUR) for 0,5 liters, hence they are often run out of it :)

Labels: bars, cinemas, movies, streets, vecriga, winter

Tokyo City is one of the best Sushi bars in Riga. It is open since Summer 2010 and still has attractive low prices.
Restaurant is located in the very center, on Krisjana Barona street, in place where Palazzo Italia shop used to be.
(Un)fortunately Tokyo city is also smokers-friendly place.

Labels: asian, food, japanese, restaurants, streets, winter

Visibility of less than 100 metres is usually reported as zero visibility.
Tonight heavy blizzard hit Riga and almost paralyzed the city.

Labels: brivibas, cars, snow, streets, weather, winter

Workrooms of Riga Art and Design school are located in this wooden building on Lacplesa iela.

Labels: art, buildings, center, design, education, schools, wooden

Nowadays, the territory of the former electronics factory VEF is a home for many IT companies in Riga.
Accenture, Nano Hosting, Idea Port Riga, Datartis, Interneta Pasaule and many other companies offices are located in these buildings.
Therefore we can call this area as a Silicon Yard, as analogy to Silicon Valley in California :)

Labels: brivibas, buildings, cars, companies, offices, vef, winter, yards

Old City Boutique Hotel is quite new hotel in Vecriga on Teatra iela.
I just wonder, what does it mean - Boutique Hotel?

Labels: flags, hotels, people, vecriga

Elkor Plaza is a shopping mall located in Teika neighborhood, just next to another mall Podium.
It was opened in 2006 and became one of the biggest furniture, electronics and home accessories store in Riga.

Labels: brivibas, buildings, cars, shopping, teika

AmPir (Empire style) is the name of the recently opened place on Kalku iela 22.
One year before an infamous and expensive Restaurant Nostalgija was located here.
Unfortunately I can't tell more about this place for now. Maybe some of the visitors can? Thanks.

Labels: bars, brivibas, night, nightlife, restaurants, snow, writings

Čilija Pica (Chili Pizza) is the largest pizza chain in Latvia, although it is originally Lithuanian company.
It is famous for relatively low prices and good quality of food. Some of Čili pizzerias are open day and night and serving alcohol, hence Čilik could be considered as part of Riga nightlife or even morning life when everybody comes here after parties to have some pizza :)

Labels: center, cheap, food, lithuanian, night, nightlife, restaurants, snow

Imanta Community Center is the official home of cultural life in Imanta neighbourhood, if such does exist :)
It is exhibition center, concert hall and the cinema at the same time.

Labels: buildings, cinemas, culture, imanta, snow, soviet

Today is the regular monthly theme day and the topic is Time. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.
Origo Tower Clock at Central railway station is the very first sight what can see city guests which are coming to Riga by train and certainly the last one when they are leaving...

I have to announce that I'm also leaving Riga in two weeks and most probably I will discontinue to publish new photos on daily basis very soon. Therefore I kindly ask you, my visitors, maybe somebody has willingness to take and publish pictures of Riga instead of me?
If so, please contact me.

Labels: blog, railway, riga, sights, stations, themes, towers, writings