A Wildly Underrated European City Is Strikingly Similar To Paris Without The Crowds And Cost

If there are any true "hidden" pockets of Europe not selfied to death by the millions of tourists arriving annually, it may be the Baltics. Distance, geography, weather, and history have long kept Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania off travel itineraries and arrivals at a trickle. For example, while France had just over 100 million visitors in 2024, Latvia only saw 1 million. The silver to the lining, though, is that all three countries offer tremendous value to travelers crossing the Baltic Sea from Scandinavia or pushing north from Poland. That's because the Baltic capitals — Tallinn, Estonia; Vilnius, Lithuania, an underrated gem full of history and hikes; and Riga, Latvia, are home to dozens of impressive sights and experiences at a fraction of the crowds and costs of destinations like Paris.

Riga, the largest city in the Baltics, has seen its share of history, often in the form of conquering armies — including as recently as 80 years ago during World War II. Most came for the huge port and international trade it brings. Indeed, the natural harbor features in Riga's origin story, leading to its establishment in 1201 by crusading knights. It also forms the backdrop for the 600,000 people living alongside the Gulf of Riga and the Daugava River flowing through the city center. The historical core, Riga Old Town, hugs the river's shore between the railway station on the south side and the 700-year-old Riga Castle on the north.

Start any tour of Old Town high above it on the steeple of St. Peter's Church. For more than 800 years, this church has watched over Riga. Visitors can climb the reconstructed copper-clad tower above the red-brick Gothic interior for a 360-degree view of the entire city, river, and wider landscape. Most of Riga's highlights come into view, too. Down below in the town square is the House of the Blackheads. Originally built in the 14th century, it was destroyed in World War II and the subsequent Soviet occupation. It was rebuilt in the 1990s, during which the original medieval cellars were rediscovered and reopened to the public.

Nearby is Haus Mentzendorff, a 17th-century home of a Baltic German trader and glass cutter, with original wall and ceiling paintings. Exhibitions inside cover the building's full history. Riga's oldest residential buildings — the "Three Brothers" — a play on the "Three Sisters" in Tallinn, the most underrated capital city in all of Europe — date from the 15th and 17th centuries. Also, explore the 13th-century Romanesque Riga Dome Cathedral, if only to catch some bars from the historic pipe organ. Just across the square is Art Museum Riga Bourse, home to millennia of art from around the world. One more museum to make time for in the Old Town is The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, recounting the suffering brought by the Soviet and German regimes from 1940 to 1991.

Riga's Old Town core is relatively small, leaving much of the wider city open to exploration. Start in the gardens and parks just to the east of Old Town, through which a canal now flows through the former moat. At the heart is the 140-foot Freedom Monument that stands as a symbol of Latvian nationhood. It's just a stone's throw from the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, opened in 1863. Head northeast from the park to reach Alberta Street, famed for its astonishing collection of Art Nouveau buildings erected in the early 20th century. The street is also home to the Riga Art Nouveau Centre, which displays furniture, arts and crafts, clothing and accessories, and more in the style.

Just south of Riga Old Town and west of Riga Central Railway Station — where one of the most breathtaking European train trips in fall begins — is perhaps the city's most memorable shopping experience at Riga Central Market. Inside, five large pavilions originally used as zeppelin hangers now host vast quantities of fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, fish, spices, honey, nuts, and every manifestation of Latvian cuisine. This is also a good place to try Latvia's de facto national drink, Riga Black Balsam. Also in the neighborhood is the Riga Ghetto and Holocaust in Latvia Museum, telling the story of the tens of thousands of Jews murdered by all factions during World War II.