Riga Shopping: just cheap or original & exclusive as well?

Tourism-review.com today dropped into my mailbox news about tax free tourism attracting travelers to Latvia. Seems interesting: prices in Latvia sometimes seems too high for ourselves (ok, that’s a talk about salaries), in spring there appeared news that Latvia is the cheapest destination in Europe, but this summer talking to travellers and also travelling a bit, Lithuania, Poland or Romania appeared cheaper than Latvia. Shopping in Latvia is a quite huge topic to write about. And I feel it’s quite hard to write just about shopping here – these places I would like to tell about has more than just place-for-shopping value.

Riga Central Market is listed among bigger markets in Europe, but I have heard that this one really is the biggest (if we count also all that illegal market). Riga Central Market definitely is worth visiting it: Check my previous post From Zeppelins to Food – Riga Central Market.

Shoping centres you will find everywhere in Riga. In the city centre the most popular ones are Stockmann – between the central bus station and train terminal, Origo – at the train terminal, Galerija Centrs at the Old Town and the newest one of these – Galleria Riga. If you want shopping centres I personally would advice you to go to these last two – Glerija Centrs at the Old Town and Galleria Riga.

Galerija Centrs at the Old Town  is a place with stores like Bik Bok, Oasis, Guess, Hogl, Cropp Town, Cubus, Moskito, Reserved, G-star, Lindex, La Senza and others. This place also has nice photo or painting exhibitions quite often on the first floor, so you won’t miss some culture when going for shopping.

Latvian stores with high quality original products you should pay attention to in Galerija Centrs: LAUMA lingerie , MADARA ecocosmetics , STENDERS – cosmetics, parfumery.

Another shopping centre Galleria Riga  (on Dzirnavu Street 67) is more posh, luxurious and pompous with stores like Pierre Cardin, Gaudi, Elegance Paris, Bonita, Leny Tomy Factory, Roberto Verino, Triumph and others. They also have terrace on the roof (7th floor) where in summer you can go for a meal, but on winter season it becomes a skating rink – skate and enjoy the view over the roofs of Riga.

There are more than these opportunities, but I personally think that the real charm of shopping in Riga is in it’s small original shops – and believe me, Latvian shopkeepers and small business owners are extremely  creative people. More about these shopping options another time.

Related posts:

From Zeppelins to Food – Riga Central Market 

Riga Central Market on Travelers blog

3 in 1: Art gallery, Shop and Restaurant

Bohemian Street – Away From Touristic Riga

One Strong Reason to Visit Riga in August – 810.

You already know that there are thousands of  reasons to visit Riga. Here is one more reason – very big and strong reason to be in Riga this year on August – Riga is celebrating it’s birthday 810! When travelling I guess you want to get from every place as much as possible – Riga 810 festival will give you all: 19th – 21st of August this city will take you into vibrant life of culture, arts, sports and traditions! Diffrent places in the Capital of  Latvia, events for every taste! Ok, this is what you can get:

19.08. on Cinema Festival at the Kalnciema Quarter you will be introduced to the 45 years of Latvian animation – from Latvia’s Walt Disney to contemporary stars. In The Old Town at the Dome Square you will have chance to hear beautifull music – Old Towns towers will resound to the sounds of music. Interested in active recreation? Riga Festival Night Race is for you – and it’s inseparable parf of the festival: ayone is invited to take part in the event! But in the sky above the Daugava waterway between the Salu and Dienvidu bridges you will see air acrobatic competition, in which the best professional pilots will take part!

20.08. is the central day of the festival. Canal Regatta – Freeport of Riga Cup, Salsa Marathon will bring here a lot of positive energy and everyone will be able to dance to Latino rhythms, whether or not they've ever learnt salsa steps. Vērmanes Garden will be home for the festival of traditional culture – music, dances, crafts and workshops. But by the Latvian National Opera you will be able to watch 24 hour basketball tournament „Match of The Riverbanks”. Even Riga Central Market these days is inviting you to performances, but on the Street of Theatre in The Old Town you will have a chance to be a witness of the Proclamation of the City: right up till the last moment, neither those developing the "Proclamation of the city" performance, nor those acting in it will know what it will look like – there are rumors that they will play music on the rocks and saws… Aldaru Street invites you to food festival – you will enter the authentic atmosphere of 1930's Rīga. But Mežaparks which holds the best Latvian song and dance festivals traditions on evening will charm your ears and eyes with 7000 choir singers and 400 dancers and brass band memebers at the main concert „Master. Song. Legend.”

21.08. at Vērmanes Master Garden will be Folk Festival and Annual Market of Decorative Arts Goods, Rowing Festival in Riga city Canal, creative workshops for children on Jāņa Street, Museum of the History of Rīga and of Navigation invites to Riga’s Stories from The Centuries – see, learn, dance, inquire and find out...

It’s a great time to be in Riga! And a lot of offers to choose what fits the best for you!  Don’t miss this chance – 810 is just once!

From Zeppelins to Food - Riga Central Market

This is definitely a very special place - located betwean The Old Town and Riga’s own ‘Moscow suburbs’, right next to the Central train terminal and bus station. Even if you are not planning to shop, there are a lot of reasons to visit this market.

 

The buildings here, today used as market pavilions, were initially built as hangars for the German army’s zeppelins. Now next to the imported food you will find here delicious, fresh, ecological food from the countryside of Latvia, and it’s cheaper than in any shop. The meat pavilion, grocery, greengrocery and fish pavilions, the open air market area. And there  are a lot of opportunities to taste the food before buying it! If you look at clothes/shoes – it’s „Made in China” paradise, but betwean that all you can find here also high quality stuff. It is the second biggest market–place in Europe.

 

On my free weekends I take my shopping bag and go to the Central Market to get the best (fresh & cheap) food in the city. It’s not only market-place, it also holds cultural events and shows a little different face of Riga than you will see in The Old Town.

Get to the Central Market to feel the sell & buy atmosphere! 

You might also like:  

Riga Central Market on Travellers blog

The Old Town - Heart of Riga

What to do when it's too hot in Riga?

Riga which you don't find in tourist guides

Spring, Easter, Birch juice, Summer caffes & Beer gardens

Your friend in Riga is glad to tell you how nice the weather is here last days!!! Oh, such a pleasure! On Easter I, of course, left my dear Riga to enjoy the beauty of the countryside. Do you drink Birch juice? Yes, the juice you get from the Birches, from trees. You can also get them at the Riga Central Market on spring, but I’m afraid this year the season is over. (Riga Central Market is the first place which reacts to any natural local benefits you can get accordingly to the season) So I got the last birch juices of this spring. In the picture you can see the way of getting fresh, healthy and tasty birch juice!

I also was painting eggs, enjoying egg-fights with my relatives and yeah... And painting eggs for Easter in a traditional  way is  like magical game for kids and a little meditation for adults: first you go out to find the first herbs, small leaves and grass, than you prepare onionskin, you tie herbs to eggs, you boil that all and at the end you see the result - a little magic is in that process. In this picture you see how beautifull eggs you can get painting them in a traditional way  - using what pure nature gives you. And food... A lot of food... That’s how it happens when you go to a countryside for any kind of celebration...  Oh, food...

Huh, it has to be enough food now for at least a week and that’s good – if I save the money on eating, I have more to spend in all those cozy summer caffes & beer gardens in Riga! Yes, The Old Town is again in it’s most beautiful period of the year (it’s just my opinion). Summer caffes with a big choice of beers and live music on evenings are opened.  People are smiling, enjoying the weather sitting outside with a glass of beer or cup of coffee, places for smokers, places for non-smokers, music, what a great music!!!

People sitting in their offices can’t wait for the end of the day to get out to enjoy the sun and cosy atmosphere of the Old Town. Just a little bit and all gardens and parks will get green, flowering and pleasantly smelling. Ahh... Such a dream of a sunny day which you spend in the office listening to joyfull voices outside: steps from the pavement of the old town are coming inside through the window, laughter from outside is breaking the silence in the office and the sun, sun, sun...

Shopping Around For Your Holidays

Everybody hates „shoppers”. Again someone is just checking the prices... No chance to sell something for a shopper... And that’s good for you! It doesn’t matter what are you shopping around for – plane ticket, hotel, excursion – if the one you are talking to knows that his/her/their offer is not the best, you will feel their attitude to you. Just tell them: „I am shopping around.”

And if you are looking for the cheapest option don’t be shy to TELL THEM THE CHEAPEST PRICE YOU HAVE FOUND. It can help you to get what you want cheaper. But don’t try to lie. Usually they know what’s the approximate price – with taxes and WITHOUT TAXES. Make shure your „greatest deal ever” includes all taxes and applicable fees and is still available. Also don’t forget that every price depends on – availability, season, goverment and other authorities imposed taxes, region, quality, and being flexible with your travelling dates can really help you to find the best deals.

Don’t be afraid to USE TRAVEL AGENTS! Why? Because – they really can get for you good deals: 1) some of them can offer to you the price you can’t get anywhere else, just because of private contracts, 2) some of them will give you totally the same cheapest price you found before checking directly from the airline/hotel etc., if you trust the agent/agency – buy from them – you will also help them to earn their daily bread with getting commissions and without putting a mark-up on you, 3) they will really try to find what you want, 4) they know the secrets you don’ t know.

When you are in a trouble? Well... If you get into the hands of sales master... That’s the point where I can’ t help you and have no advice: don’t even try to cry over the phone or scream at them. There are different tactics shoppers are using and sales people know them and recognise easily – you can’t invent something new. The only one is being just nice and honest – not trying to be, not acting. Even people who are into sales have feelings. And when you get a good deal, not always there is a chance that you will get it also tomorrow. There is the guy in the movie „The Seelp of Science” who says: „Maybe yes, maybe no... Maybe rain, maybe snow...”

(If you are searching for the cheap ticket to Latvia - I hope you will get Ryanair, from other places also Lufthansa, Aeroflot, AirBaltic could be cheap).

These two pictures: Riga Central Market - the 2nd biggest market place in Europe.

Good luck!