Stuart Forster discusses Latvia travel photography and food images while underway in Riga, the Latvian capital.
If you enjoy travelling to Christmas markets and eating good food, Riga, the capital city of Latvia, is a place to consider visiting. During 2018, Latvia commemorated a century since the country’s independence.
Food and travel photography
A century, you may wonder? During World War Two Latvia became part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics but independence was restored in the early 1990s. Despite having been an independent nation for a generation, Latvia still has the feel of a place that’s largely unexplored by Western tourists.
Night view of the illuminated arch at the Christmas market by the Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral of Riga, Latvia.
Bars, cafés and restaurants in Riga
The city has a positive buzz and hosts several chic bars and boutiques. Modernists (Krišjāņa Barona iela 31) combines being a design store and a place to meet and enjoy a glass of Champagne. The Rocket Bean Roastery (Miera iela 29/31), meanwhile, is a laid-back café and coffee roaster that imports its beans from Central America.
In terms of the quality of its food and culinary presentation, Mute (Tērbatas iela 63) has a lot to shout about (see what I did there?). The team from Mute’s kitchen are shown on the photo I’ve selected as the header for this post.
One of my favourite meals of the trip was at the subtly illuminated restaurant Garage (Elizabetes iela 83/85), after an evening at Riga’s opera house, the grand Latvian National Opera.
Slow-cooked pork belly served with seasonal vegetables at the Mute restaurant in Riga. The dish is garnished with edible flowers.
Latvia travel photography
To taste traditional Latvian cuisine, we headed to Niklavs (Mārstaļu iela 1), in the city centre, and Lido, within Europe’s largest wooden building.
From the perspective of a visiting travel and food photographer, it was great to be able to access high-speed Wi-Fi in cafés, bars and restaurants. That meant I was quickly able to upload and share posts to Instagram and X.
Getting around in Riga
The centre of Riga is fairly compact, meaning that it’s relatively easy to get about on foot between places of interest. If you’re heading further afield then the trams of the public transport system are easy to navigate and, of course, you could always book a taxi if you want to reach an outlying area.
You can see more of Stuart Forster’s photography from Latvia, illustrating a post about things to do in Latgale, a region in eastern Latvia. On the same website, you can also find a couple of posts from the town of Sigulda, which is approximately an hour from Riga and a good place to head if you enjoy visiting castles, walking and adventure sports.
Riga proved a good destination to explore with a camera.
Flaking green paint on the door of a wooden house in Riga, an example of Latvia travel photography.
Further information
Take a look at the Latvia website for ideas about things to do and see in the Baltic nation.
The Live Riga website has information about things to do and see in the Latvian capital.
Regent Holidays (020 7666 1244) offer a three-night stay at the Radisson Radzine in the city centre of Riga, Latvia, from £395 per person. The price is based on two sharing on a bed and breakfast basis and includes return flights and transfers.
How to get to Latvia
airBaltic flies to Riga International Airport.
The Saint Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Church in Riga.
Enjoy this post about travel photography in Latvia? See more of Stuart’s work in this post about photography of Kynren at Bishop Auckland.
Use Pinterest? Pin this and return to the whyeyephotography.com blog post in which Stuart Forster discusses Latvia travel photography and capturing food images while underway in Riga, the Latvian capital.