Sightseeing is made easy in Riga by the fact that most of the sights are handily located within a compact area on one bank of the Daugava River. As the number of tourists visiting the city has grown, dedicated signs now point the way to the main attractions.

The Old Town overflows with things to see, but one of the real pleasures is just wandering around the cobbled streets, taking an architectural journey through the centuries, in a city where gothic, Renaissance and art nouveau abound, often competing for attention on the same street. Recognised sights include the voluminous religious twins of St Peter's Church and Dome Cathedral, both worth exploring in detail.

Riga also boasts numerous museums, with the Latvian War Museum, the Occupation Museum and Mentzendorff House among many others deserving of attention. Neatly dividing the Old Town and New Town is Bastejkalns Park, with its lazy canal, cafes and walkways. In the middle of the park is the Freedom Monument, one of Riga's and indeed Latvia's most poignant sites, a symbol of both the nation's fight for nationhood and the four decades of resistance to Communist rule.

Further afield there are boat cruises on the Daugava River and excursions to the Baltic Sea resort of Jurmala, with its sweeping pine flanked beaches. Jurmala, with new facilities recently opened up with overseas visitors in mind, provides the perfect escape if all that history and culture get too much.

Riga Tourism Information Centre (Riga Turisma Informacijas Centrs)
Ratslaukums 6
Tel: 6703 7900 (information centre) or 2203 3000 (tourist hotline).
Website: www.rigatourism.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1900.

As well as this main office in the old town, there is also an information bureau at the airport.

The Riga Card gives visitors free use of buses, trolleybuses and trams, free train trips to Vecaki and Jurmala, free or discounted museum admission and discounts in shops, cafes, restaurants and on car hire. The card can be purchased in 24-, 48- and 72-hour variations, at the Tourism Information Centre, at the airport, at selected hotels and anywhere displaying the RC sign.