The pleasure is all mine John! I'm very glad that you like my videos and I'm grateful for your commentary and support. I enjoy doing research about all the places I want to visit beforehand and it is wonderful to hear that it is appreciated.
I lived in Tartu during the first half of 2018 and I visited Riga many times back then. I absolutely love Riga and to me, it's the best city in terms of architecture after Vienna. What I love more is the people and festivals of Riga. Make sure to come back during the folklore festival at the beginning of summer. It's such an amazing experience!
Hi Ali, thank you so much for your comment and for watching my video! It is great that you managed to experience so much of Riga and wider Latvia by the sounds of it. It is definitely an architecture lover's dream city this! I've heard good things about the festivals and would certainly love another summer visit in this part of the world. So much to experience!
Hey Willie i really appreciate your videos they are amazing. Your channel is underrated. Ive been watching since Greenland vlog :) Greetings from Türkiye
I lived in Riga, Daugavgriva, in my childhood, I remember quite vividly going to this market with my grandma. It was in mid-90s, the smell of fish pavilion was overwhelming 😂
Thank you for this fresh-perspective and open-hearted exploration video from Rīga! I also enjoyed your outgoing videos from Tallinn very much. Funnily, I used to study at the University on Alberta Street, and grew up in Rīga otherwise. Now, it is nice to see it through visitors' eyes here on RUclips while I live elsewhere.
Hi there! Thank you so much for your kind words and for your engagement here on my channel. Really pleased to hear that you enjoy my content. I had a great experience in your beautiful city!
I'm so glad I stumbled across this video, because I thought the little donut place at 2:28 closed when they were renovating the market! I remember having the absolute best donuts straight out the fryer when I was a kid there!
As a person who's lived in Latvia, Estonia and Finland I find your videos excellent! It's like seeing my familiar countries with fresh eyes! Thx and keep it up! Im currently in Tallinn but miss Riga always the most.
Hi there! Thank you so much for your kind feedback, I am delighted to hear that you enjoy my videos! Enjoy Tallinn and remember Riga is only a bus journey away :)
Brilliant video Willie thanks for showing I like the restaurant and big indoor market the atmosphere efficient looks good on scenery there plus is expensive in main shops than off market as could offer counterfeit goods anyway thanks for contributing to this and wait for next installment excitement journey on this topical video!
Thank you, Simon! Always a good idea to explore off the tourist trail and get to see the "real" city. Some more special adventures in the Baltics coming very soon :) Stay safe my friend
That market is some size! You would probably need a few days to see it all. The carrot cake was an absolute bargain. As for driving in the snow, I can tell you it is pretty terrifying and I have driven in much worse snow than that 😂 An interesting look round the local area of Riga, thanks Willie👍
Incredible floorspace there, Sheila! And lots to see as you rightly point out. Impossible to do justice in a short vlog but I was very happy with my "quiet" Monday experience! The local areas away from the main tourist spots never disappoint! Thanks as always for watching and commenting, it is much appreciated!
Hey Willie you killed it again my friend, Riga is awesome, I loved the central market both churches were awesome overall Riga is a nice clean, safe and a walkable city with a mix of historic and modern architecture ,keep it up man 🔥🔥👊
11:47 the pavillion that you didn't go to is the food court. There are restaurant kiosks and seating areas there for things like soup, burgers, noodles etc.
19:18 that's Riga canal, not Daugava itself. And judging by how the snow looks, it was probably just a few degrees below 0, so not recommended trying to walk on ice, it would be way too thin
@@willieexplore I was thinking more in terms of how strong the ice is. When it's barely below zero, ice would be too weak to walk on. When it has been -10°C to -15°C for at least a week, then it's more safe-ish to walk on ice (it's never completely safe to walk on ice though). Btw, you just missed out on some serious cold, as early January 2024 it got down to -25°C in Riga :)
Fantastic as always Willie! So far I’m particularly impressed with Riga! How beautiful the snow is in the dark! I forget! A glass of hot mulled wine is amazing after a day like this, not sure if they do it there! Would have loved to see these places in the summer with a bit of seaside aswell! Will definitely add Latvia to my travel plans! 🙂🎄 Can I ask, did they celebrate the 24th or 25th over there?
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it and yes, Riga is special. They certainly sold mulled wine at the Christmas Market in the Old Town. The summer is a wonderful experience too but I didn't make it to the Central Market when I visited previously in 2008, so this was special. This was filmed before the 24th so couldn't tell you how they celebrated over those days. Have a good one! :)
The locals just go to the nearest supermarkets that are all over Riga, on almost every corner. With plenty of food to choose from. The central market is a collection of "traditional food" and is largly curated for tourists. With that said, during summer and autumn when farmers have their harvest, the market comes alive and many more people visit it for vegitables and fruit. I am glad that pro-ruzzian merch has been removed from the market. It was bad. 😂
That is interesting! There were not many tourists there when I visited, they were all in the Old Town bars and pubs. Thanks for watching and checking out my channel :)
That is a tough question. Certainly both cities have an abundance of Soviet architecture. Probably more so in Vilnius if I had to guess - have you seen the silent walk I did in Gediminas Avenue in Vilnius?
Definitely Riga. Lithuanian population of ethnic Russians is only 20%. It’s 33% for Latvia, but more than 40% in Riga. I’m one of them but I live in Scotland at the moment. I’ve been to Vilnius and Talllin, both cities seem smaller and cleaner than Riga.
Latvians eat more pork by the looks of it, all the shashlik in Latvia is pork not lamb. Can be quite tasty if properly marinated. People are fun but very reserved in winter
Indians in Latvia most probably not gonna scam you. But the place around bazaar was not the safest and definitely not one of the pleasant. There are so many wonderful places, but unfortunately most of tourists just stuck between old town and Jurmala. Nevertheless, great tour and impressions, that resonate with my views.
@@gimmelicorice You basically cannot do this due to taxation jurisdictions etc. Most companies aren't willing to help you break the law of entire countries.
@@eustacemcgoodboy9702 Ah ok that's interesting because many Americans go to Portugal to live the digital nomad lifestyle earning online and living locally.
@@skraptap I did not call the statue Soviet, did I? And I did not say the Soviets established the Laima tower, did I? I said they used it during the Soviet times. Are you suggesting there are no Soviet monuments or architecture in Riga? Did you have Soviet rule in Latvia? These are all rhetorical questions, by the way.
![Latvia: a looming threat of Russian separatism [DOCUMENTARY]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ULmgXialiiU/mqdefault.jpg)
WILLIE,
You provide most colourful,interesting, and informative vidoes,with a most articulate
Commentary.
Thank you!
The pleasure is all mine John! I'm very glad that you like my videos and I'm grateful for your commentary and support. I enjoy doing research about all the places I want to visit beforehand and it is wonderful to hear that it is appreciated.
I lived in Tartu during the first half of 2018 and I visited Riga many times back then. I absolutely love Riga and to me, it's the best city in terms of architecture after Vienna. What I love more is the people and festivals of Riga. Make sure to come back during the folklore festival at the beginning of summer. It's such an amazing experience!
Hi Ali, thank you so much for your comment and for watching my video! It is great that you managed to experience so much of Riga and wider Latvia by the sounds of it. It is definitely an architecture lover's dream city this! I've heard good things about the festivals and would certainly love another summer visit in this part of the world. So much to experience!
Riga is so beautiful! Thank you a million for showing this great city to the world. You're a true hero!
For sure it's a great city! Appreciate your engagement and encouragement, thank you!
You deserve many more subscribers.Keep doing what you are doing..
Wonderful comment to receive, thank you! Appreciate the support!
Hey Willie i really appreciate your videos they are amazing. Your channel is underrated. Ive been watching since Greenland vlog :) Greetings from Türkiye
Thanks for the nice message my friend, I appreciate it! That Greenland trip was very special and I'm glad you enjoy the videos :)
I lived in Riga, Daugavgriva, in my childhood, I remember quite vividly going to this market with my grandma. It was in mid-90s, the smell of fish pavilion was overwhelming 😂
I can imagine they are precious memories for you. Thanks for watching and supporting my channel!
Thank you for this fresh-perspective and open-hearted exploration video from Rīga! I also enjoyed your outgoing videos from Tallinn very much. Funnily, I used to study at the University on Alberta Street, and grew up in Rīga otherwise. Now, it is nice to see it through visitors' eyes here on RUclips while I live elsewhere.
Hi there! Thank you so much for your kind words and for your engagement here on my channel. Really pleased to hear that you enjoy my content. I had a great experience in your beautiful city!
Thank you for a great review.
My pleasure, John! Glad you enjoyed it!
I'm so glad I stumbled across this video, because I thought the little donut place at 2:28 closed when they were renovating the market! I remember having the absolute best donuts straight out the fryer when I was a kid there!
Thanks for watching! Glad it brought back some sweet (no pun intended) memories!
As a person who's lived in Latvia, Estonia and Finland I find your videos excellent! It's like seeing my familiar countries with fresh eyes! Thx and keep it up! Im currently in Tallinn but miss Riga always the most.
Hi there! Thank you so much for your kind feedback, I am delighted to hear that you enjoy my videos! Enjoy Tallinn and remember Riga is only a bus journey away :)
Brilliant video Willie thanks for showing I like the restaurant and big indoor market the atmosphere efficient looks good on scenery there plus is expensive in main shops than off market as could offer counterfeit goods anyway thanks for contributing to this and wait for next installment excitement journey on this topical video!
Thank you, Simon! Always a good idea to explore off the tourist trail and get to see the "real" city. Some more special adventures in the Baltics coming very soon :) Stay safe my friend
That market is some size! You would probably need a few days to see it all. The carrot cake was an absolute bargain. As for driving in the snow, I can tell you it is pretty terrifying and I have driven in much worse snow than that 😂 An interesting look round the local area of Riga, thanks Willie👍
Incredible floorspace there, Sheila! And lots to see as you rightly point out. Impossible to do justice in a short vlog but I was very happy with my "quiet" Monday experience! The local areas away from the main tourist spots never disappoint! Thanks as always for watching and commenting, it is much appreciated!
Hey Willie you killed it again my friend, Riga is awesome, I loved the central market both churches were awesome overall Riga is a nice clean, safe and a walkable city with a mix of historic and modern architecture ,keep it up man 🔥🔥👊
Thanks as always, my friend! Yes it certainly is a very nice place to explore. Lots of gems off the beaten track including nice architecture!
11:47 the pavillion that you didn't go to is the food court. There are restaurant kiosks and seating areas there for things like soup, burgers, noodles etc.
Cheers Dave, you just solved that mystery for me :)
that frozen river 19 : 30 is not a river. Its city channel
It is part of a wider river system. Thanks for watching my videos!
19:18 that's Riga canal, not Daugava itself. And judging by how the snow looks, it was probably just a few degrees below 0, so not recommended trying to walk on ice, it would be way too thin
The canal is linked to the river. It might not be cold for the locals, but I'm used to temperatures near 40 degrees!
@@willieexplore I was thinking more in terms of how strong the ice is. When it's barely below zero, ice would be too weak to walk on. When it has been -10°C to -15°C for at least a week, then it's more safe-ish to walk on ice (it's never completely safe to walk on ice though).
Btw, you just missed out on some serious cold, as early January 2024 it got down to -25°C in Riga :)
@@118Shadow118 that level of temperature is just insane! Cheers for watching and the additional information, appreciate the support!
Awesome video - hope you didn't freeze to death! Keep on rocking!
Thank you, Jasper! Nothing a warm coffee or two could not sort out :)
Seems like riga latvia is home to a variety of pastry products
Absolutely. Cheers for watching, as always!
Kurš vēl ir Latvietis
Would love to hear from Latvians!
Nice place. What was the temperature ? more or less.
Cheers, it was between -2 and -5
Fantastic as always Willie! So far I’m particularly impressed with Riga! How beautiful the snow is in the dark! I forget! A glass of hot mulled wine is amazing after a day like this, not sure if they do it there! Would have loved to see these places in the summer with a bit of seaside aswell! Will definitely add Latvia to my travel plans! 🙂🎄 Can I ask, did they celebrate the 24th or 25th over there?
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it and yes, Riga is special. They certainly sold mulled wine at the Christmas Market in the Old Town. The summer is a wonderful experience too but I didn't make it to the Central Market when I visited previously in 2008, so this was special. This was filmed before the 24th so couldn't tell you how they celebrated over those days. Have a good one! :)
I live in latvia Riga!
Great stuff!
The locals just go to the nearest supermarkets that are all over Riga, on almost every corner. With plenty of food to choose from.
The central market is a collection of "traditional food" and is largly curated for tourists. With that said, during summer and autumn when farmers have their harvest, the market comes alive and many more people visit it for vegitables and fruit.
I am glad that pro-ruzzian merch has been removed from the market. It was bad. 😂
That is interesting! There were not many tourists there when I visited, they were all in the Old Town bars and pubs. Thanks for watching and checking out my channel :)
First one 🎉
You certainly are! Cheers for watching :)
Which city has more evident soviet influence? Riga or Vilnius?
That is a tough question. Certainly both cities have an abundance of Soviet architecture. Probably more so in Vilnius if I had to guess - have you seen the silent walk I did in Gediminas Avenue in Vilnius?
Definitely Riga. Lithuanian population of ethnic Russians is only 20%. It’s 33% for Latvia, but more than 40% in Riga. I’m one of them but I live in Scotland at the moment. I’ve been to Vilnius and Talllin, both cities seem smaller and cleaner than Riga.
Latvians eat more pork by the looks of it, all the shashlik in Latvia is pork not lamb. Can be quite tasty if properly marinated. People are fun but very reserved in winter
Hopefully they get rid of such ugly buildings permanently !
It is pathetic that they are now selling sweatshirts and scarves in the dairy pavilion.
I don't know what it looked like previously, but thanks for watching!
Inflation is truly rampant in the baltics
Still managed to get some good deals! Thanks for watching!
It's a problem worldwide, in Australia it's crazy.
Riga in winter?! Yea, you're away from the tourists alright. I try to avoid driving into Riga at all from about October to April every year.
Still a lot of tourists in the Old Town - I made a separate video about the Old Town too :)
Willie nog n goeie Video. Groete
Dankie Tosca! Bly jy geniet hulle, jou ondersteuning help my regtig baie. Groete
Indians in Latvia most probably not gonna scam you. But the place around bazaar was not the safest and definitely not one of the pleasant. There are so many wonderful places, but unfortunately most of tourists just stuck between old town and Jurmala. Nevertheless, great tour and impressions, that resonate with my views.
Riga is such a beautiful city! Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for supporting my channel :)
Locals in the UK warehouses
Not sure what you mean but cheers for watching!
@willieexplore Latvian locals are leaving country to work abroad. That why Latvia empty
This is way cheaper than Canada
Certainly, but to be fair most places are! :)
yep, the salaries are also way lower than in Canada. If one can work remotely from Canada and live in Latvia, you'll live like royalty!
@@gimmelicorice You basically cannot do this due to taxation jurisdictions etc. Most companies aren't willing to help you break the law of entire countries.
@@eustacemcgoodboy9702 Ah ok that's interesting because many Americans go to Portugal to live the digital nomad lifestyle earning online and living locally.
indian scammer in riga? geez u see something new everyday
That was a random interaction
Everything you call soviet is not soviet. There is no Soviet stuff there.
You cannot change your history my friend. None of us can, unfortunately. Thanks for watching!
@@skraptap I did not call the statue Soviet, did I? And I did not say the Soviets established the Laima tower, did I? I said they used it during the Soviet times. Are you suggesting there are no Soviet monuments or architecture in Riga? Did you have Soviet rule in Latvia? These are all rhetorical questions, by the way.
@@willieexplore Fair points but there are still scars from that era, be aware certain Latvians are still touchy about it.
Central market is so overrated, personally I hate it and there are other much better markets in Riga
For us foreigners it is something different, I enjoyed it! Cheers for watching
After watching the "sights" in the video bus at the beginning should be called "Shitseeing"
Cheers for watching Dmitry! You related to the great chess player Karpov, by any chance?