I’m in Riga, Latvia, to check out their Christmas Market. This much-loved Baltic capital is a popular city break destination at any time of year – but how does it fare at Christmas?
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In this Riga Christmas Market review I’m exploring their seasonal offerings, from stalls and sausages to mulled wine and mementos.
Coming up in this review
Everything You Need to Know About Riga Christmas Markets
Riga holds a traditional Christmas Market every year in the heart of the Old Town – it’s a pretty recent one, launched in 2000. Here you can discover delicious local foods, handcrafted goods, live music and a seriously festive atmosphere. They have a few others around the city too.
My Christmas Market Bingo Challenge
I’m visiting Riga as part of my Christmas Market Bingo challenge.
The rules are pretty simple: I’ve got 5 days and £500 to get a full house on my festive Bingo Card.
Riga is the fourth Christmas Market of my trip – I’ve visited Hamburg, Stockholm and Tallinn already. Now let’s get into it!
How Many Christmas Markets are there in Riga?
You’ll find the main Riga Christmas Market in the city’s huge Doma Square.
The whole old town area is actually a UNESCO World Heritage site, so there’s charm and history here in spades. With traditional buildings setting the scene, over 80 charming little stalls are scattered all around the square – each one uniquely decorated.
There’s plenty of steaming mulled wine, delicious sausages and sweet roasted nuts to fuel your stroll around the market – as you browse the unique souvenirs and enjoy the entertainment; everything from Santa’s grotto and folk dances to DJ sets and even a Santa fun run!
There are also a couple of regular markets in Riga which get a dose of Christmas cheer over the festive season. There’s Kalnciema Quarter Market, a weekly farmers market which during the festive season has lots of authentic, seasonal goods for sale. And there’s Āgenskalns Market in a huge restored market hall which has fresh produce on the ground floor and eateries on the second – it gets extra festive over Christmas, with extra seasonal stalls on weekends.
When does Riga Christmas Market Open in 2025?
Riga Christmas Market opens at the end of November, and stays open till the early days of January.
Riga Christmas Market opening times
- Friday 28 November – Sunday 4 January 2026
- Mon-Thu: 11am-9pm; Fri & Sat: 10am-10pm; Sun: 10am-9pm
- Hours vary on 24, 25, 26 Dec, 31 Dec and 1 Jan
Is Riga a Good Destination for Christmas Markets?
Riga Christmas Market is a total gem and with so many markets out there (I should know!) this one really has its own unique spirit which I found really special.
The market stalls are each decorated by the vendors so they are all different – this gives the market so much character! Plus it’s open through till the first few days of January, so you get even more Christmas cheer.
How Expensive Is Riga Christmas Market?
Riga Christmas Market is quite typical in terms of prices – I found them to be in keeping with many of the other European markets I’ve visted – around €5 (£4.50) for a mulled wine, and small food portions from €5 too.
The Baltic countries generally aren’t that cheap, so I didn’t expect low low prices – but was pleasantly surprised to find them lower than Tallinn, Estonia, where I had been the day before.
What Are The Best Riga Christmas Market Hotels?
Here are my suggestions of accommodation to check out for your stay in Riga.
My Review of Riga Christmas Market
First Impressions
“Have I been dropped inside a Hallmark Christmas movie?!!” I thought as I trotted into Riga’s Doma Square.
This market instantly had the wow factor. Forget uniform huts – there was so much personality in the dressing of the market, helped by its layout which doesn’t see the huts lined up like soldiers, but instead has them acting as offshoots from the huge, glowing Christmas tree. I instantly knew I was going to love it!
Food
If you’re into the theatre of Christmas, then you’re going to love how food is cooked in this market.
From sausages to pig snouts – yes really – you’ll find all sorts of tasty treats cooking up on open fires in the market. It really is like a show in itself!
I found myself particularly captivated by a bubbling pot of soup, which was placed next to some steaming hot mulled wine.
It was giving medieval banquet vibes, helped by the fact that the cooks are all wearing hooded oxblood cloaks!
Prices were really affordable too, and I loved how you could pick exactly what you wanted to create your own meal. The only downside was that you will get the smell of the food in your clothes!
As I was trying to stick to my budget, I stuck with the smallest sausage on offer for €4 (£3.50) but added on a potato cake for €2 (£1.75) – also known as a latke. And of course I had to add in sauerkraut – it was €5 (£4.50) but they were very generous with it!
- Sausage - €4 (£3.50)
Soup was €5 (£4.50), a chicken or pork skewer cost €10 (£8.75), and you could even get steak for €14 (£12.25).
For veggies and vegans, it was more a case of picking what you’d be able to eat – which unfortunately was mostly side dishes like grilled veggies or baked potato, which were around €5 (£4.75) each.
Drinks
I headed to the hut serving hot wine in the centre of the market, where both 300ml cherry and blueberry gluhwein was on sale for €6 (£5.25).
The cup was an extra €2 (£1.75), but I got that back when I returned it.
After roaming the markets a little more, I did find huts serving 250ml for €5 (£4.50). So the same price per ml, but a bit cheaper if you don’t mind a smaller cup.
- Mulled wine - €5 (£4.50)
Elsewhere, I spotted a really fun hut where they were serving cocktails as well shots of local liquor in a block of ice!! That would set you back €12 (£10.50) but I absolutely loved the variety in the market.
Shopping
It’s not a huge market, but what was on offer was to a high standard.
Lots of the huts felt very authentic, and I chatted to a guy selling amulets for 10 minutes about how he, his brother and his mother all work together on them!
Expect the Christmas Market standards, such as candles, knitwear and jewellery. There was also a honey stall which sold beeswax candles too, and there was plenty of amber on sale – it comes from the nearby Baltic sea.
However a real stand out for me was the gingerbread hut selling – you guessed it – beautifully decorated gingerbread men! They were €10 each though, so a little on the pricey side.
And in fact, I wouldn’t say this was a place to bag a bargain, but there are some lovely items from some local sellers. I was OBSESSED with the basket stall and so gutted I didn’t have space to buy any.
Activites
On a Friday, the stage in the centre opens up with a DJ complete with disco ball!
On a Saturday, it’s more for the families. Otherwise, the main activity is to enjoy the market! There is also an ice skating rink a 15 minute walk away in Esplanade Park.
Where I stayed at Riga Christmas Market
I stayed at Hestia Hotel Draugi which is a 4 star hotel in the city centre. It was perfect for me, as it was less than 10 minutes’ walk from the bus station, and then another 10 minutes to the market itself!
Also, I was really impressed with the price, which at £44.54 for the opening Friday night of the markets I thought was great value for money.
Especially when this price included breakfast, though I wasn’t able to enjoy it since I had an early journey out of there the following morning.
Is Riga Christmas Market Worth Visiting?
My overall thoughts
I was not expecting this, but Riga has now risen to the top of my chart for my favourite Christmas Market ever!!!
Yes, it has even beat Cologne which I fell in love with a couple of years ago.
Whilst Riga Christmas Market is not huge, I just love the authentic vibe it has and it felt really special. I wholeheartedly recommend a visit.
Other European Christmas Markets to Visit
Countries across Europe put on a great show every year when it comes to Christmas Markets.
If you’re after a classic German market, try Hamburg, Cologne or Berlin. If you’re after scandi vibes, take a trip to Stockholm. Or if you’re a fan of the Baltics, Tallinn and Vilnius have Christmas Markets too.
Check out our Christmas Markets page for the lowdown on all things festive in Europe this Christmas.
Watch my Christmas Market Bingo Trip on YouTube
As well as writing about Riga Christmas Market for you here, I also made a whole video about it over on my YouTube channel!
