Roaming in Riga

Riga’s turbulent political history witnessed its transfer between Swedish, German and Russian rule up until the end of the First World War in 1918, when after the Armistice with Germany was signed Latvia was finally in a position to declare its independence. This, however, did not last long, as Latvia was under Soviet rule in 1941, then Nazi German rule between the years 1941 and 1944. Ghettos were constructed to house the Jewish community within the Maskavas neighbourhood of the city, remains of which may still be seen today. Concentration camps were to be found elsewhere in Latvia. In 1945, Latvia had fallen prey to the Red Army. During this war over a third of its population was killed. Industrialisation increased and planned immigration of foreigners into Riga helped to make the city the cultural melting pot that it is today.
In 1986 Gorbachev’s Perestroika led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Latvia was once again able to rule itself. From this point onwards Latvia has continued to make itself increasingly more accessible to Western Europe and the rest of the world, joining the United Nations as an independent country in 1991, and NATO and the EU in 2004. From this point onwards, the number of budget flights heading to Riga has increased steadily and now it boasts a thriving tourist industry.
For a deeper understanding of Riga’s history, a visit to the city’s Occupation Museum is a must. Here you can see the old documents depicting the innumerable power transfers as well as reconstructed Gulag camps providing heart wrenching insight into some of the city’s more tragic historical episodes.
Culturally, Riga has an enormous amount to offer. The Latvian National Opera are highly acclaimed throughout Europe and dedicated opera fans will not only be impressed by their eclectic and inventive program but also the bargain price of tickets. To make the very most of this musical opportunity, head to Riga during the Opera Festival and by a Season Ticket to last the duration of your stay.
Much of Riga can be enjoyed simply by walking around and absorbing the architecture. The construction of the city represents the many phases of its history, with many Soviet buildings (you might recognise these from famous films about the Soviet as Latvia was often more accessible for filming than Russia itself), Art Nouveau designs, Nordic dwelling architecture on the island of Kipsala, as well as Riga’s more modern creations.
Youth hostels are everywhere in Riga, so cheap accommodation is never a problem. Usually they are equipped with internet access so keeping in touch with friends elsewhere shouldn’t be a problem.  To further cut down on spending abroad, you can opt for a mobile phone with Vodafone – they are currently offering free roaming across Europe for the whole of the summer.  This saves you 75p on every minute of calls so is a great saving to make use of.
and purchase one of their mobile phones, which, depending on the type you opt for, can allow you to make international calls from your regular Vodafone handset at 5p per minute, which should keep you going for a while if you budget your calls back home.