The 12 best zoos in and around Riga

For only 6 euros (only for students, the adult price is 12 euros) the museum is a wonderful place to visit. Not only you learn a lot about the history of the automobile but also get to see the history in person. There are a lot of interactive screens with a wide selections of languages for almost everyone. Highly recommend and praise. There is something for everybody, young and old. Also, there are lockers for your belongings, the momentary cost(which you get, when you return the key) is 1 euro. The building also has a restaurant.

Best car museum I’ve been to. Beautiful collection of rare and unique cars. The lower level has so many amazing million dollar antique cars. You can get right up close to so it’s really good. The second floor has a lot of Soviet era made cars. This is well worth seeing even if you’re not a car enthusiast.

The Riga Motor Museum is really worth visiting. It has an impressive collection of classic cars and interactive exhibitions. The place is modern, well-organized and interesting both for adults and children.

It is a bit far from the city center, but there is a direct bus operating quite often. Anyway, it is worth the trip, because you see a bit different side of Riga on your way - parts of the city where people actually live. Museum itself is interesting, a rich collection of cars, informative, though I missed more Škoda cars :-) Also, driving simulator did not function that day, but still, it was a nice experience.

Great museum with beautiful cars, motorcycles and other rolling material. The way they tell the stories is also great, especially the television sets with propaganda. But also the explanations about how cars work.

Loved it, museum is interesting, entertaining and also interactive. Price for the tickets is fair and worth it. For all cars enthusiasts highly recommend.

This is an excellently done museum for anyone interested in automotive history! Modern, with great exhibits. (First time I ever saw a Model T in the flesh.) Oh, and the shop is quite nice, too.

We had an amazing tour today of the museum, this happened because Jannis was our tour guide and he gave excellent performance and explained all the details regarding the museum. He was very engaging and answered all the questions we had, even gave us time to process everything that was said. I rarely get goosebumps but the way everything was said by our tour guide made it really emotional. I definitely suggest you going, it was an extraordinary experience.

This is a tricky review to write. It was an utterly harrowing experience, really showcasing the horrors of the 20th century and what people are capable of doing to each other. You can go into the main hall for free, however you can't go into the cells etc without a guided tour, but for the 15 euros it's really good value for money. I'm glad I did the tour and it's an important reminder that Freedom is never guaranteed. The tour guide was excellent, highly knowledgeable and struck the right balance of tone when presenting information. It's not an experience I would want to be doing everyday, but it's important to learn about this stuff.

Visiting the Corner House in Riga was a powerful and eye-opening experience. The museum does an excellent job of preserving the history of Latvia under Soviet rule, and walking through the cells and offices really brings the past to life in a very raw and emotional way. The guides are knowledgeable and provide important context that makes the visit even more meaningful. It’s not an easy place to visit, but it’s absolutely worth it if you want to understand Latvia’s recent history and the resilience of its people. A sobering yet unforgettable experience.

JANES led an incredible tour with several surprises. He gave us layers of history from first Russian occupation to the Nazis to second Russian occupation. We saw videos of survivors telling their stories, photos and real paper work. We experienced the real cells of prisoners and their struggles. Can be very impactful

The unassuming facade hides the haunting stories of the past. So many people had been allegedly falsely accused of all sorts of political crime. Under the pressures of the KGB interrogation, some had been broken. It is humbling to experience the rooms that had once tormented so many. The difference between this one and the one in Tallinn is this focused on the imprisonments. Whereas the other was more about the spying. Both have their interesting elements. Check it out.

Nice place to know the history of Latvia. I appreciate the Latvian preserve this historical place so well, so they can educate the next generation and the foreigners about the pain of Latvian people. It’s also a pleasure to have a nice guide, he talked in a vivid and informative way that made us immersed in the history. One small thing that made the tour less enjoyable: there was too many people for each session, made it hard to explore each place.

This is the KGB Prison Museum. A very moving visit to this place of internment, torture, interrogation and murder. The guided tour lasts for one hour. A must visit if your interested in the history of Latvija.

Impressive Art Nouveau display in this upscale living area. Nice to stroll around on your own or to participate to one of the walking tours !

Must see! Even if you are only in town for a couple of hours or a day. It is a highlight of the city. Recommend guide or downloading a digital guide for more info about it.

Must visit in Riga. Impressive street with art nouveau buildings

Must visit when in Riga! Superb Art Nouveau buildings

UNESCO world heritage street due to the many art nouveau buildings in the street brought about by the English mayor of Riga 1910-15

Wonderful 24 homes designed by same architect.

Stunning street with "art nouveau" style buildings, each one makes you forget about the previous one in terms of beauty of the architecture, colours and details!

The Art Deco museum wasn’t very special. The museums in Brussels are far more impressive. There was an exhibition about Art Deco in Groningen, which felt odd without any explanation. I missed some depth instead it seemed mostly focused on mass tourism.

A great museum. Inside, there are not only rooms and objects, but also interactive displays, as well as staff dressed in the style of the time, telling stories and creating an atmosphere.

Lovely visit to look around the upper floor, well maintained. The basement floor is not as interesting in my opinion, as the ambience and decor is not as predominant and could benefit from the addition of interactive exhibits. Overall absolutely worth coming to if you are walking around the Art Nouveau neighborhood

Recommended. Don't miss the painter Janis Rozentals apartment museum on the 5th floor. The surrounding architecture on Alberta and Elisabets ieala is stunning.

I do appreciate the building and the whole street for their art nouveau heritage, but I must say the museum was rather underwhelming. The downstairs was a temporary exhibit with more information on the objects on display upstairs. I thought the rooms weren't designed particularly well, so you don't gain much by visiting the museum itself. The building is worth seeing though -- the staircase sure looks beautiful, which you can see before buying a ticket.

A stunning glimpse into early 20th-century life! The Riga Art Nouveau Centre is beautifully preserved, full of intricate detail, and offers a unique insight into the Art Nouveau period. Located in architect Konstantīns Pēkšēns’s former home, it’s like stepping into a time capsule. Don’t miss the spiral staircase!

Pleasant enough - quite interesting but small, so a disappointlingly short visit. Getting access into the property not easy, doors are locked and only a small poster advises the need to use a door code to the building. Then you have to find the door which actually gives entry to the museum. So not exactly a welcoming place to get into. Fabulous staircase - but you don't even need to pay to get into the museum to see this.

Missed visiting the Museum on my last trip to Riga so made up for it this time around! Very insightful and informative, albeit heartbreaking given the context of the displays! Highly recommended if visiting the city to get a better understanding of the history of city! Museum is free to enter and accepts donations - which is highly recommended given the effort and work volunteers and curators have put in to provide all this for the public!

A good museum with multiple rooms you can visit and even an original house from the Riga Ghetto. The Lady at the InfoCenter was very nice and helpful. They give you a pamphlet with a small map and a text to each station which made the visit easier and they have them in lots of languages.

Free entrance and great staff. Highly recommended to make a donation at the entrance. If you want to understand what happened to the jews there, you must visit.

As in any city where the Jewish inhabitants have been abused and subjected to brutality and worse, it is essential to educate yourself about such things. It is difficult to convey the magnitude of the events but the museum gives access bit of a sense of it. The photographs of some of the holocaust victims from Latvia and the stories of their fates are deeply moving.

Great museum to visit if you understand and respect the holocaust

Such a somber experience. So glad we were able to see and read about what went on there. It’s wonderful they have kept and preserved what they could so people can learn about the horrors the Jews had to go through and experience. No ticket required. You can make a donation if you feel led to do so.

A sobering and essential look at centuries of bigotry and systematic genocide, while also showing people's resiliency and passion. Definitely recommend! I am looking forward to seeing the results of the expected future museum expansion.

This has been one of the highlights of my time in Riga so far! I would recommend it to anyone visiting Riga or even if you live here full time. We had a guided tour of the museum, which was so interesting to hear about the history of chocolate in Latvia and how Laima came about. Our guide, Eliza, spoke excellent English, considering it is not her first language. (much better than my Latvian), and it was clear that she enjoyed her job and was very interested in the company and the chocolate (well...who isn't?). We also did the chocolate masterclass where we were able to make 5 chocolates with fillings of our choice to take home with us in professional packaging. Overall, it was a great experience and I would recommend it to everyone!!!

The Laima Chocolate Museum is quite small, so don’t expect a huge exhibition, but it’s still worth visiting. It gives a nice insight into the history of Latvian chocolate and you can also taste some sweets. A pleasant stop for families.

One of the most interesting museums in Riga, definitely worth a visit. The exhibition and storytelling are engaging. It’s worth attending the chocolate-making workshop. My child was fascinated by this activity. The staff were very helpful and friendly.

Maybe a tad short but a surprising amount of information and history learned nevertheless. Tour of course ends in a sweets shop to get some goodies to go. Audio tour addon recommended. Really adds content especially if you are not native.

A very nice and interesting visit to the Laima Chocolate Museum. The exhibition is well designed, offering a great overview of the history of chocolate and the story of the Laima brand. Visitors can also taste delicious chocolates, and the museum shop has a wide selection. The staff were very friendly.

The museum is very small .. they welcome you with a candy and a hot chocolate admission fees for the museum 8€ for adults 5€ for seniors. Including 15% discount for the candy shop and a Qr code for free pictures. I agree the smell is amazing however unfortunately the workshop timing is changeable, so you have to call in advance

It is quite intresting, but price is too high. We paid, family of 4, 30 eur for enteance and 3 eur for audio guide. It took us 20min. to go through all exposition. I could say it should cost 10 eur for family, not more.

A peaceful and historic church in the heart of Riga, with striking red brick Gothic architecture. As a visitor, the calm inside feels like a step back in time. The stained-glass windows and high ceilings create a beautiful, reflective atmosphere—perfect for a quiet moment or quick photo stop while exploring the city.

Saw this church a couple blocks away and had to come and take a closer look. Really beautiful.

Ringing bell on random times a day and night. It's currently 29 minutes past midnight on Easter and the church has been ringing for the past 29 minutes completely disrespecting the fact that there's lots of apartments and people trying to sleep.

Great building to see on a trip to Riga, great architecture.

Lovely neighbourhood, great to visit when you visit the nearby KGB building

The church is very beautiful and atmospheric. The breath of centuries can be felt inside the temple. Unfortunately, I didn't get to the service, because it was Friday... The Church's services are held on Thursdays and Sundays (the schedule can be seen in the photo).

Concerts periodically happening here won't let you be indifferent. The feeling that organ music delivers is so magnificent and spellbinding alongside the vibe of the church.

Woods, some nice grave stones, could be amazing before sunrise with a nice Ozzo spliff.

The sky was blue and the silence was broken only by the occasional traffic on the nearby road and the sound of birdsong. Such a beautiful, peaceful spot in the forest. It was hard to reconcile the tranquility of this place with the unimaginable horrors that were perpetrated here.

The whole forest is good for walks. Memorial.. Well, if you find out about the history, not the happiest place to be at.

Historical place! Now here very quite.

To remember: this should never happen again.

One of the largest and most sobering memorials.

Interesting place, but it’s just a regular forest and there are no facilities. Even getting there is tricky.

The Latvian Museum of Natural History is a solid choice for an affordable and educational outing, especially if you find yourself with a long layover in Riga. It’s easy to locate and offers plenty to see across its four floors, featuring exhibits that span from the prehistoric ages to modern-day conservation efforts. The staff were friendly enough, but they made it clear upfront that if you don’t speak Latvian, navigating the museum can be a bit of a challenge—and they weren’t wrong. All of the exhibit descriptions and signage are in Latvian, so having Google Translate handy is essential if you want to fully appreciate the displays. That said, the museum has a lot to offer, with an interesting mix of exhibits and plenty to explore. For the low cost, it’s worth a visit, especially if you’re in the area and enjoy natural history. Just be prepared for a language barrier and take your time with translation if needed.

Staff was unfriendly, didn't speak english (not sure if they didn't speak or were not bothered to do so), sold me the more expensive ticket (the 4.40 one instead of the standard 3.50) for which I could visit an additional room with a non-permanent exhibition. If I would have known that 95% of information will be only in Latvian - I don't think I would have visited. Ps. The dinosaur on the first floor needs repairing, because its jaw squeaks when it moves.

Fine museum, low entry fee, extensive collection. Has more potential and should make more of an effort to also cater to non-Latvian speakers because foreigners deserve to learn about Latvia's majestic nature as well. Instead, get rid of the russian language and add English texts. Still worth visiting, I enjoyed.

Good choice with young kids especially on a rainy morning. Cheap entrance ( around 14-16 eu for adults x2 , kids x4) . Extensive collection over several floors - served by a lift. Next point for improvement would be additional information in English as we had to use google translate for anything we wanted to read more about as all captions are in Latvian.

The panels don't have english writing except for species names. Requires you to download an app for English and it's not even text, just audio which isn't really usable Otherwise very interesting species, well mantaied and very few cases of bad taxidermy. Looks very good and the entrance fee is very cheap

No English signs here, or just a few. So if you dont speak latvian it might be hard to understand. Also there was few kinda funny looking animals but the price was 3,5€ so it was very cheap. But i expected better

3.50€ per adult, free for preschoolers, several floors of learning opportunities and activités hands on for kids to learn. Also great for adults interested in etymology or birds with very thorough exhibits. For the price of a latte, why not go to the museum to discover more?! An activity we will do again and again! Also well located in its trams and bus access. There’s an elevator, coat check, WC. No restaurant on site. Plan 1-2 hours.

A place of commemoration of all those Latvian souldiers who bravely fought for the independence of Latvia. A very well-kept place and very peaceful. Recommend!

A very captivating place to see the people who fought for Latvia down through the years. Highly recommend you go and see!

A cemetry where those fallen for Latvia are buried. By Kārlis Zāle.

BRĀĻI KAPI (CEMENTARY OF THE BROTHERS) is the central military cementary of Latvian forces since 1915. Mainly soldiers from WWI and the War of Independence (until 1922) are being buried there. But next to them there is Soviet "Red Riflemen" (Lenin's Latvian life guard regiment) who fell in 1919 in the civil war against nationalist Latvian units and German Free Corps. The next big wave of burials happened after 1943 (soldiers, officers, generals of Latvia’s two SS divisions; among them RODOLFS BANGERSKIS, the former Inspector-General of the Latvian SS). Those veterans of Latvian units are buried next to communist Latvian partisans. Death unites all of those brave Latvian fighters who believed - one way or another - in freedom and independence of their beloved Latvia. Brothers they are. R.I.P.

Very historical, emotional and well looked after place. Some of the best men of this country have their names written on the tombstones that are lined up there.

Well maintained military cemetery.

A beautiful and uplifting place with unique sculptures.

Visiting this zoo was quite enjoyable. In the beginning of the zoo, there were a couple of very small animal enclosures, which made us feel a little sad for the animals. After getting more into the zoo it became better and better. The tigers and rhinos were very cool to see, and the aquarium was enjoyable as well. There were also a couple of cool snakes and turtles. We had seen everything of the zoo in around 2,5-3 hours, which is a good amount of time. We liked that it wasn't too big, but it also wasn't very small. The entrance fee is low, which is great. The only downside is that that were quite a lot of the same type of animals, and there wasn't that much variety. Nevertheless the price/quality balance is really good, as we found it worth our money

We decided to take a walk through the zoo on a cold, rainy autumn day and were pleasantly surprised. There were very few people, but we still got to see many animals. They all looked healthy and well cared for, which was great to see. The only thing as others have already mentioned is that the hippo really needs a better home.

We loved our visit! ❤️ We got to see a lot of animals in action. For the first time in my life i saw lemurs getting fed! They were so cute! We wish some things could be translated to English, but it wasn’t a big deal. Toilets were old and worn out, but it was very clean.

If you love zoo, you must visit it. As an animal lover, visit it frequently. There is wide variety of animals, starting from exotic ones (tigers, lions, puma etc) and ending with casual ones (owls, donkeys, utters etc). Animals live in spacious places. And since there are so many animals, you can always find there new animal babies. 🎉

Quiet and just fine zoo, there was low amount of visitors, so it is peaceful. There are different animals, there were a few I did not expect to see, some of the animals look exhausted. For tourists coming take in mind there is only a few information boards about animal facts and description on english, mostly Latvian only. Worth a visit if you haven't been to a zoo in a long time and/or want to hang out in a park. Tickets' prices are not friendly, they cost more than in Prague for example, which had much better zoo.

We visited at October. No waiting and animals were active. Easy to get there with public transport. Big area so prepare to spend whole day there!

The Riga Zoo is such a nice surprise! It’s set right in the forest, so walking around feels more like a nature walk with animals along the way. There’s a good mix of animals, the place is well kept, and it’s really relaxing to spend a few hours here. Great for families or just a quiet escape from the city.

I recently visited BRIEZI, and it was an absolutely delightful experience! Unlike larger, commercial zoos, this small private zoo offers a more intimate and personal connection with the animals. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate, taking the time to share interesting facts and ensure the animals are well cared for. The enclosures are well-maintained, and it's clear that the animals are happy and healthy. I especially loved the opportunity to get up close with some of the friendlier residents—perfect for kids and adults alike! The peaceful atmosphere and natural surroundings make it a wonderful place to spend a few hours. If you're looking for a unique and heartwarming animal experience, I highly recommend visiting BRIEZI. It's a true hidden gem, and I will definitely be back! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Unique collection of home animals on open air! Kids love feeding those. Adults love to do barbeque and chill. Family ticket 14€

Great little place, many animals, everything is clean and all animals are well taken care of.

Great place to visit with kids. Not far away from Riga. Worth visiting in winter as well! Highly recommend!

40 min drive from Riga (center) - nice city-near location to get to know farm way of living and to see variety of animals. Well kept area, kids-friendly, on place are sold vegetables for feeding.

Awfull service! The carrots for feeding is awfully overpriced! I would understand ir if you would not have to pay for tickets to even visit it, but even if you pay good anmount of money for tickets, you have to buy overpriced food, which is the only ultimate experience especially for kids in this zoo - to feed the animals. there isnt actually anithing else out of the ordinary to see here without the possibility to feed the animals! Knowing this fact, we bought our own carrots, the same ones they feed to the animals and sell overpriced at the entrance, when my little 7 year old boy tryed to feed the lama with the carrot he was aproached by very angry zookeeper who almost hit the carrot out of my boys hands and started to scream: " how can you feed animals with uncut carrots, they can choke and die!!" Despite the fact that the brought carrots were slightly thicker than the carrots they slice at the entrance and sell, and lama is one of the biggest annimal in that zoo! My boy started to cry and was upset all the way till the exit of this zoo, and eveen without answering her i was followed by that same keeper all around that zoo and threatened to call the security on me! When i asked why, she answered - i have to take care of my animals and secure them, which made my little boy feel like a criminal. At our trip back home my boy even asked with tears in his eyes - dad will that lama be ok? i hope she wont die! Very unpleasant experience and one of the few open zoos and businesses that i will not return to sponsor and leave my money in, and i would not recomend to anyone. There are a lot of open zoos around where the entrance cost is much lover, a lot more annimals to see and you can feed them with normal food and noone folows you like a criminal.

Private zoo, suited for walking with kids. Have different types of birds, ponys, goats, sheep, deers. For additional payment you can buy animal feed. Feeding allowed only with their approved feed (they don't want to put animal health at risk). Have picnic area (additional cost) and swings. Recommended.