Hi everyone! This is episode six of my Baltics plus Finland series in which I travel to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland. In this vlog, I explore more of Riga, the capital of Latvia, away from the Old Town to see what the rest of the city has to offer.

We start our tour at the impressive Central Market, a World Heritage Site and reportedly the biggest bazaar in Europe. The design of the market is striking - old Zeppelin hangars were used in the construction thereof - and the variety on offer is extraordinary. Note that this was filmed on a Monday, so the market is not at its absolute busiest, but that is perhaps a blessing in disguise as we have more space to browse and explore!

After visiting several parts of the market, indulging in some Latvian snacks and a bizarre interaction with a person in a car trying to sell me an extraordinary deal, I head to explore more of the city itself. I decide to walk to the Freedom Monument, an iconic and important site in the city - along the way, I see Riga covered in a beautiful winter blanket of snow! Next to the Freedom Monument I also talk about the Laima Clock Tower and give more information about some famous Latvians.

I then walk towards the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, an orthodox cathedral in the city, before stopping for another coffee and snack at a local coffee shop. Before heading to the Art Nouveau hotspot of the city, namely Albert Street (or Alberta Iela; named after Bishop Albert who founded the city of Riga in 1201), I spot another church on the map that I decide to visit, namely St Gertrude Old Church. Along the way, I see more incredible architecture, interesting art and get a real feel for the city centre of Riga.

Finally, after getting lost and walking in several circles, I make it to Albert Street, which is also where this vlog ends.

I hope you enjoy this vlog and that it gives you an idea of what Riga is like away from the Old Town and its tourists! If you haven't done it yet, I would really appreciate it if you could give this video a LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. These FREE actions really help me out on the platform and exposes my content to more viewers, which in turn helps me to create more free content for you to watch :)

Happy exploring! And stay warm

Willie