Christmas in Riga and Tallinn
- Lucy and the lens
- Nov 15, 2020
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 20, 2020
Christmas and travel: the perfect match?
As much as we love a good cosy winter's day curled up on the sofa with a cup of mulled wine and a Christmas movie, there's also something very special about travelling at Christmas. Do other countries do Christmas the way we do at home? What new festive traditions can we discover? How cold can our toes get before frostbite starts to seem like a real possibility?
This year, unfortunately, looks to be a Christmas light on the travel and heavy on the sofa. So I thought I'd look back at last year's winter adventure to Riga, Latvia and Tallinn, Estonia. We chose these two cities for a post-Christmas visit because, according to the Russian Orthodox tradition, Christmas in many Baltic countries lands on January 7th. This means that while most other countries are wallowing in the post-Christmas blues once Boxing Day has gone and the leftover turkey's all been eaten, Riga and Tallinn are still bursting with Christmas cheer!
Here's how we got festive in the Baltics!
Riga, Latvia
Riga, the capital of Latvia, has a small and perfectly-formed old town that can be comfortably seen in half a day of wandering its cobbled streets. But once you factor in delicious food stops and, of course, Christmas markets, you'll want to stay longer!
One of our first stops was Town Hall Square, home to the dramatic House of the Blackheads and an absolutely enormous Christmas tree! The Blackheads were a group of merchants who formed an association in the 1300s; the group was made up entirely of bachelors and therefore known for being the social hub of the city!
Fun and festive fact: a small plaque on the ground records the site of what is thought to be the world's first ever decorated Christmas tree!
After visiting the biggest square in the old town, it was time to hit the Christmas markets, which oddly enough aren't in the main square at all! We found a ridiculously charming market quickly, though, located in the square next to Riga Cathedral.
The first thing that made us fall in love with it was how quiet it was: we were used to shoulder-to-shoulder crowds at Germany's Christmas markets, so Riga's relaxed festive vibes were exactly what we needed! It took us less than a minute to grab a hot cup of mulled wine - no queues! - and cosy up on a fur-draped bench beside another Christmas tree.
We also had to try Riga's traditional drink, black balsam. This fragrant liquor invented in the 1700s is stuffed full of spices and botanicals, and can be served mixed with hot wine if you don't fancy it neat! We bought some sausage from a man cooking over an open fire and let the balsam warm our hands as Christmas carols played.
This market also has a stage where singers in traditional outfits sing Latvian Christmas songs. There was a small crowd gathered around it while we were then, and everyone's spirits were so high as they nodded along; the atmosphere was so warm and welcoming, like nothing we've ever seen before!
After getting our hot drink fix, we explored the old town a little more before dinner. Climbing the spire of St Peter's Church was our next stop: it was a little on the pricey side - around 10 euros - but the view of Riga is the best in the city.
The Swedish Gate is the only remaining gate of the Medieval wall that used to run around the city.
Turn left at the Swedish Gate and we found ourselves in a picturesque little alleyway that skirts the edge of the old town.
Another picture-perfect spot is the beautifully-decorated Restorans 1221, a traditional Latvian restaurant with the spire of Riga Cathedral in the background. If you look closely, you can see that the spire is topped by a golden rooster, the symbol of the city.
We didn't eat here, though. Instead, we'd booked a table at Restorans Petergailis, an intimate family-run place serving traditional dishes with a Russian influence, like most places in Riga. We'd heard amazing things about the tartare here, and it didn't disappoint!
We also couldn't resist the wonderful pavlova that came at the end of our meal, and a black balsam cocktail to go with it!
Sadly, as much as we loved Riga both for its lack of crowds and its festive cheer, it was time to fly to Tallinn, Estonia!
Tallinn, Estonia
When we arrived in Tallinn, the first thing we noticed was that it had been snowing! Not a lot, but just enough of a dusting to settle a little on the rooftops. With that in mind, we headed straight up Toompea Hill to the highest point of the city, where a series of viewing terraces allow aerial perspectives of the city. We were so excited to see the capital lightly dusted in snow!
One viewing terrace, Kohtuotsa, is particularly well known for its orange wall with whimsical words painted in black. It seemed appropriate to visit it at the end of the year, and we couldn't help looking back over the places we'd travelled and things we'd done throughout the last twelve months when we saw it.
Also sitting high on the hill is the domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. This Russian Orthodox place of worship is ornate both inside and outside! It's free to enter, too.
Directly opposite the cathedral is a building that looks transplanted straight out of a Wes Anderson movie: the pink Parliament of Estonia.
But enough sightseeing! It was time to get festive at the Christmas market! We headed to Old Town Square, following the smell of festive food cooking over large open grills. The first thing we did was grab dinner: elk sausage with fried onions, herby stewed potatoes, sauerkraut and cranberry sauce. We also came back the next day to try pierogi-style dumplings with a fresh dill sauce, Christmas tree cookies and sweet, crispy fried dough.
Then we explored the market itself, with its emphasis on local crafts and, of course, hot mulled wine! The market spreads out in a star shape from the giant Christmas tree in the centre, and is surrounded by pastel-coloured buildings on all sides. It was busier than the market in Riga, for sure, but still nowhere near as crowded as any market in central Europe!
The streets around the market were also extremely atmospheric during blue hour, lined with little Christmas trees all the way along them!
The following day (when we weren't revisiting the Christmas market!) we took a walk along the old town's walls, for more great views over this UNESCO world heritage site. You enter the walls via the Hellemann Tower, and at only a couple of euros this is a great value way to see the city from a different perspective.
Back on the ground, this pretty alleyway criss-crossed by tiled awnings is called St Catherine's Passage, named after the now-ruined St Catherine's Church. Artisans sell their handiwork here, and you can even see them in action in their workshops.
We finished our trip with a visit to Restoran Moon, a Russian-style restaurant with a super homely feel. They were so accommodating, letting us try a whole range of dishes from their menu to share between us, including tartare, a borscht brimming with flavour, a build-your-own blini, and the most incredible chicken kiev we've ever experienced, with herby butter oozing like a river when you cut into it.
We stayed in Tallinn for New Year's Eve, too: there was a really great atmosphere as we all climbed Toompea Hill to count down to midnight and watch the fireworks explode high over the city!
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