Where and when: Riga, Latvia and Vilnius, Lithuania; May 2025
Riga and Vilnius have been in my bucket list ever since I travelled to Tallin in 2016. I was finally able to make the trip last month in a 5-day trip taking in both cities.
I will do the usual day by day posts, but in the meantime, here are the itinerary and highlights.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Riga. Walking tour of Riga old town in the afternoon.
Day 2: Explore Riga’s art nouveau district, Museum of irons, canal and river boat tour, Riga Central Market and food tour, House of the Blackheads and the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.
Day 3: Travel from Riga to Vilnius via Rundale Palace, Hill of Crosses and Trakai Castle.
Day 4: Vilnius old town walking tour, The Museum of Illusions, Soviet Vilnius walking tour, Gedminas Castle Tower, President’s Palace.
Day 5: Exploring more Vilnius old town, Grand Duke’s Palace, Vilnius Cathedral, fly back home.
Highlights
Riga Old Town
Riga’s Old Town embodies the charm of a medieval European city, with soaring church spires, red-tiled roofs, quaint squares, and cobblestone streets. Its lively eateries and cafes invite you to sit back, relax, and soak up the atmosphere.
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
The Museum of Occupation in Riga is a thought-provoking museum that explores the country’s complex history during the occupations by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. It has a number of historical exhibits and personal stories that brings to life how things were under the oppresive regimes and Latvia’s march to independence.
Museum of Irons
We discovered this little gem quite by accident in the art nouveau district of Riga. It is a temporary exhibition of a private collections of irons, and surprisingly facinating. Some of the most memorable exhibits include: A quirky Scottish travel iron that doubles up as a hotplate, A clever English travel iron that was also the handle of a suitcase, Japanese irons used to smooth out wrinkles from Kimonos while they are being worn.
Rundale Palace
This is a beautiful 18th century baroque palace about 70km South of Riga. We visited the palace on our way from Riga to Vilnius.
Originally built for the Duke of Courland, the Palace and Gardens have been restored to its former granduer to rival any other similar houses I have seen.
Hill of Crosses
The Hill of Crosses in northern Lithuania is a site where thousands of crosses cover a hill. Locals started to place crosses here during the late 19th century but the practice was banned and the crosses destroyed several times during the Soviet occupation. But people still continued to bring in the crosses symbolising resistance, faith, and remembrance. There’s estimated to be over 100,000 crosses on the hill at present.
Trakai Castle
Trakai Castle, located on an island in Lake Galve, Lithuania, is a stunning medieval fortress built in the 14th century. Its picturesque setting and restored architecture makes it looks right out of the pages of a fairy tale.
Vilnius Old Town
Similar to Riga, Vilnius old town has all the prerequisites of a medieval European town. But unlike Riga it feels more lived-in and less touristy. The town is more spread out, and the Vilnius University and many government buildings are intermingled with the old town.
Although we only had a short time in each I really enjoyed both cities. They were both clean and litter-free. Perhaps because we visited early in the season, neither city was very busy or it was because tourism has dropped since 2022, due to the war in Ukraine. English is fairly well spoken in both cities, making it easier to be a tourist, and locals are friendly and helpful. To top it all off, the food and drinks are excellent (especially if you like beer)!
More details to come in my day-by-day posts.
Diary of a Tourist 