Riga is one of Europe’s most atmospheric places for a December weekend: a medieval Old Town under frost, a market of handmade crafts beside the cathedral and a city that claims to have started the decorated Christmas tree. The market stays open into January, and the Art Nouveau streets and Zeppelin-hangar food halls give you plenty to do between mugs of mulled wine. It suits couples, craft lovers and anyone after a smaller, more personal market than the German giants.
Why go
The market is compact and local. Most of its stalls sell Latvian handmade goods, not imported trinkets, so it’s one of the better places in Europe to buy gifts you won’t see anywhere else: wool socks and mittens, beeswax candles, wooden toys, amber and gingerbread.
The setting does the rest. Dome Square is the largest square in the Old Town, with the cathedral on one side and seven narrow streets feeding into it. Five minutes away, Town Hall Square has the House of the Blackheads and a marker for the city’s famous tree. Beyond the old walls, the Art Nouveau district and the Central Market show a different side of Riga.
Riga
Don’t miss
The places that make the trip, and why each one deserves your time.
Rīgas pašvaldības aģentūra “Rīgas investīciju un tūrisma… / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Dome Square Christmas market
Riga's central Christmas market fills the Old Town's largest square beside the cathedral, with wooden stalls of beeswax candles, woollen mittens, gingerbread and steaming mulled wine under the city's main tree.
Weekday afternoons are calmer than Friday and Saturday evenings.
Ryzhkov Sergey / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Riga Cathedral
The great brick cathedral, the Baltic's largest medieval church, gives the market its backdrop, and a marked spot in the square lets you see all three golden cockerels on the Old Town spires.
Diliff / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 House of the Blackheads
The ornate, rebuilt guild house on Town Hall Square belonged to the Blackheads, the merchants' brotherhood behind Riga's claim to the first decorated Christmas tree in 1510.
Look for the tree marker on the square outside.
Livu Square
Laid over the bed of the old Riga River, this open square is lined with pastel guild halls and the Cat House, whose rooftop cats arch their backs over the Old Town.
David Holt uploaded and derivative work: MrPanyGoff / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Riga Central Market
Five pavilions built from the frames of German Zeppelin hangars hold smoked fish, cheese, honey, rye bread and pickles, part of the same UNESCO World Heritage listing as the Old Town.
Go in the morning, when the stalls are fullest.
Hans A. Rosbach / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Alberta iela
One short street packs in some of Europe's most theatrical Art Nouveau façades, with screaming masks, sphinxes and peacocks carved into apartment blocks a walk from the Old Town.
St Peter's Church
The tall spire of this Gothic church rises high over the Old Town roofs, a landmark you can steer by as you wander the lanes between Town Hall Square and the market.
Riga Christmas market 2026 dates and what to expect
The Riga Christmas Market on Dome Square (Doma laukums) runs from Friday 27 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, according to LiveRiga, the city’s official tourism site.
- Hours: Monday to Thursday from 11am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 10pm, and Sunday from 10am to 9pm. On 24 December it opens from 10am to 8pm; holiday hours change around Christmas, so check LiveRiga for 25 and 26 December.
- Stalls: Local artisans sell beeswax candles, craft kits, gingerbread and woollen socks and gloves. Last season the city counted more than 80 traders.
- Music: A DJ plays on Fridays, choirs and ensembles perform on Saturdays, and folk music fills the square on Sundays.
- Children: Santa has a home on the square, where children can send letters to Lapland, and costumed helpers keep things lively.
Riga’s main Christmas tree stands on Dome Square, and in recent years it has been lit on the market’s opening day.
Riga’s Christmas tree claim
Riga claims the first decorated Christmas tree, in 1510. The story goes that members of the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild of unmarried merchants, set up a tree on the town square, decorated it with artificial roses, danced around it and then burned it at the end of the season. A marker on Town Hall Square, outside the House of the Blackheads, shows the approximate spot. Tallinn disputes the title with a tree it dates to 1441, so treat it as a friendly Baltic rivalry rather than settled history.
The 48-hour route
Day 1
Morning: Start on Town Hall Square with the House of the Blackheads and the tree marker. Walk past St Peter’s Church, whose spire is a landmark across the Old Town, and wind through the lanes to Livu Square, laid over the bed of the old Riga River. Look up at the Cat House and its two rooftop cats.
Afternoon: Arrive on Dome Square as the stalls open. Browse the crafts, then step into Riga Cathedral, the great brick church that gives the square its name. Find the marked spot in the square where you can see all three golden cockerels on the Old Town spires.
Evening: Come back to the market after dark, when the tree and the stalls are lit. On a Friday or Saturday it stays open until 10pm, so eat from the stalls and warm up with mulled wine.
Tip: Friday and Saturday evenings are the busiest on Dome Square. Browse on a weekday afternoon and return for the lights later, or visit between Christmas and New Year.
Day 2
Morning: Walk south of the Old Town to the Riga Central Market. Its five pavilions are built from the frames of German Zeppelin hangars, and they sit within the same UNESCO World Heritage listing as Old Riga. Graze on smoked fish, cheese, honey and dark rye bread.
Afternoon: Cross the parks along the old city canal to the Art Nouveau district. Alberta iela is the showpiece, a single street of carved masks, sphinxes and peacocks on apartment blocks. Spend an hour on the surrounding streets, where almost every corner has another façade.
Evening: Return to the Old Town for dinner and a final round on Dome Square, ideally with a warm Black Balsam drink.
What to eat and drink
- Karstvīns: Latvian mulled wine, the market’s signature drink.
- Riga Black Balsam: The city’s dark herbal liqueur, often mixed into warm drinks at the market, such as hot blackcurrant.
- Piparkūkas: Thin, spiced Latvian gingerbread, sold plain or iced and easy to pack.
- Grey peas with bacon (pelēkie zirņi ar speķi): A hearty Latvian Christmas dish of large grey peas fried with bacon and onion.
- Rye bread and smoked fish: Best bought at the Central Market, alongside local honey and cheese.
The market also serves winter street food and traditional Latvian dishes from the stalls, so you can make a meal of it without sitting down.
Where to stay
- Old Town (Vecrīga): Dome Square on your doorstep. Best for first-timers and short stays.
- Around the Central Market and the station: Easy arrivals by airport bus and a short walk to the Old Town. Best for late arrivals.
- Art Nouveau district (Quiet Centre): Grand apartment blocks, cafés and calmer streets about 15 minutes’ walk from the market. Best for couples and return visitors.
Getting around
The Old Town is small and best on foot. Cobbles get icy, so wear shoes with grip. The Central Market is just south of the Old Town, and the Art Nouveau district is a pleasant walk north-east through the canal parks.
Getting there: From Riga International Airport, bus 22 takes about 40 minutes, depending on traffic, and stops at Grēcinieku iela next to the Old Town and at the bus station near the Central Railway Station. A night bus, N22, follows broadly the same route after bus 22 stops.
Good to know
- Dates: Dome Square runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, so Riga works for a New Year trip after most markets have closed. See our Christmas markets 2026 dates roundup to compare.
- Christmas Eve: The market opens from 10am to 8pm on 24 December.
- Daylight and cold: In December it gets dark by mid-afternoon and temperatures often drop below freezing. Sightsee in the morning, and pack a hat, gloves and warm boots.
- Gifts: Buy wool and candles on the square, and edible gifts such as honey, rye bread and piparkūkas at the Central Market.
- More markets: Our best Christmas markets in Europe hub has more December weekends, from the Copenhagen Christmas market to the Munich Christmas market. For weekly event picks, see this weekend.
FAQ
When is the Riga Christmas market 2026?
The Riga Christmas Market on Dome Square runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. It opens Monday to Thursday from 11am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 10pm, and Sunday from 10am to 9pm.
Where is the Christmas market in Riga?
The main market is on Dome Square (Doma laukums) in the Old Town, next to Riga Cathedral. It’s a few minutes’ walk from Town Hall Square and the House of the Blackheads.
Did Riga have the first Christmas tree?
Riga claims the first decorated Christmas tree, set up by the Brotherhood of Blackheads in 1510, and a marker on Town Hall Square shows the spot. Tallinn makes a rival claim, dating its first tree to 1441.
Is the Riga Christmas market open after Christmas?
Yes. It stays open until 3 January 2027, so you can visit between Christmas and New Year. Hours change on the holidays, so check LiveRiga for the days you plan to go.
What should I eat at the Riga Christmas market?
Try mulled wine or a warm Black Balsam drink, piparkūkas gingerbread and grey peas with bacon. For smoked fish, rye bread and honey, head to the Central Market.
