Hotels near Riga Old Town (Vecriga) and Dome Square

Leading every list of things to do in Riga, Vecriga (Old Town) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the finest medieval and early-modern city centres in Northern Europe. Founded in 1201 by Bishop Albert of Riga, the Old Town grew as the wealthiest Hanseatic port on the eastern Baltic. Its winding lanes still follow the medieval street plan and hold a working mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and Art Nouveau buildings - the UNESCO listing covers both Vecriga and the 19th-century Boulevard Ring around it.

Anchor your day at Dome Square (Doma laukums), the largest open plaza in the Old Town, dominated by Riga Cathedral (see next entry). From here you are within a 5-minute walk of the House of the Black Heads, St Peter's Church spire, the Three Brothers, the Swedish Gate and the surviving medieval city wall along Tornu street. Cafe terraces cover the square in summer; in December it hosts one of Riga's Christmas markets - Riga claims the first-ever decorated Christmas tree in 1510.

Pro Tip: Enter Vecriga from the north through the Powder Tower and Livu Square rather than from the tourist-heavy Kalku iela. Weekday mornings before 10:00 are almost silent on Skarnu iela - the best window for photos of the cathedral square.