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Riga Central Market

Riga Central Market as it stands today was built in 1930s. Since there was a shortage of material after WWI the Latvians dismantled Zeppelin hangars from the Kurzeme region, abandoned by the Germans after the end of the war, and used them to build their market. When you stand in front of the buildings you might ask yourself “hang on, there is no way a zeppelin would fit in there” and you’d be correct. That’s because they only took the top half of the hangar buildings. Today it is one of the largest markets in Europe and part of the UNESCO-listed Old Town of Riga.

First there is the outside area. Here people can sell things they foraged, like mushrooms and cranberries or grown at home or in small patches. Some stalls outside are permanent and sell fresh herbs, dried herbs and teas, flowers and even clothes and household items.

The market today consists of five pavilions. The pavilion closest to the Daugava River is the fish pavilion, filled with fresh catch, smoked fish, pickled Baltic herring and more. Then follows the fruit and vegetable pavilion, the baked goods / gastronomy pavilion, the dairy pavilion and finally the meat pavilion.

Underneath the market a whole underground city exists. Two hectares of basement lie beneath the five pavilions were built under the pavilions, with room for up to 700 tonnes of food and the means to transport it easily from point A to B. While it is advertised on the markets website there is, as far as I know, no possibility to visit this underground city unless you work at the market.

Currently (late 2026) the meat pavilion is closed, since it is under renovation. Some of the stalls have been moved to other pavilions, which in turn means some other things were also moved to comply with food safety regulations.

Riga Central Market Tour

When I was there not only was the meat pavilion closed, but also the fruit and vegetable pavilion and the dairy pavilion. Meaning that only two of the four market halls was open. None of it was communicated anywhere, neither on the markets website, nor by the tour company. So I paid almost full price for two fifths of a tour.

After walking through the outside parts of the market we walked through the fish pavilion and we finished the entire round before sitting down some way off to the side to try Baltic herring and preserved sprat.

Then we continued to the only other open pavilion where we tried five cheeses (while the group blocked the entire walkway…): clover cheese, stinging nettle cheese, horseradish-ginger-onion cheese, chilli cheese and a soft cheese with caraway seeds and a sip of Kvass.

At another stand we tried three options of hemp seed pesto: pure, tomato and basil as well as a sweet hemp-flour cake.

Then we walked into the Old Town from the market and into a cantina below the town hall. There we tried Sorrel Soup (a green herb), a cumin seed bun with meat filling, a sesame seed bun with cabbage filling, a third slice of rye bread, a small glass of Kefir, grey peas with onions and bacon, semolina pudding, two types of Riga Black Balsam (pure and blackcurrant) and a milk candy to chase the alcohol.

All of this was sold as “20+ tastings“. Which is technically true, there were twenty different tastes in the tour. At no point was there enough time to stop and try or buy something, despite being told to bring cash. Maybe it is different when the market is actually open, but in my opinion that is something you communicate before the booking process or at least while people can still cancel. Not the day off when the group is gathered in front of the market.

Riga Central Market DIY visit

Visiting the Riga Central Market by yourself is completely possible, probably cheaper than a tour and to be honest I would have preferred it. Maybe things would have been different if the tour had been organised better, the tastings were better and the guide talked more about the food, but as things were I would have liked to explore on my own.

You can try foods at many stands and others offer portions so small you can buy them and taste them that way. At Ieva’s cheese (in the gastronomy area) you can try their cheeses – with the idea that you’ll buy some. If you like cheese and have the option to do so I highly recommend it, they were delicious. My favourite was the horseradish and onion cheese.

At Iļģuciema Kvass (also located in the gastronomy area) you can buy a small glass of Kvass (fermented bread drink) or of their beers (4,8% to 5,8%) to try these traditional Latvian drinks.

Several stalls sell pickled sauerkraut, cucumbers, whole garlic heads, marinated mushrooms, beet salads, and many fermented vegetables like beans, carrots, beets and much more.

Latvian honey was abundant as well, both pure honey from different sources (like wildflower or forest flower) and infused honeys (like lemon and ginger or peppermint). The same stalls also sold nuts submerged in honey (almonds, walnuts, etc.) and honey mixtures (with cranberry, sea buckthorn, etc.).

Especially stands with sweets and nuts have tiny portions you can buy to try. Halva is popular in Latvia, there were nougat rolls, chocolates with different fillings and nuts. Bread, especially rye bread which Lativa is famous for and pastries can also easily be found at the market and purchased in small quantities.

A stand where I couldn’t find the name – located in the gastronomy area – sells hemp pesto. Here you can try all three: pure, with tomato and with basil.

Smoked fish and fresh or smoked meat is harder to try and buy in small quantities. In the corner of the meat pavilion you can buy single pieces of smoked chicken and if I am not mistaken you could buy some smoked fish on a stick at some of the fish pavilion stands.

Here’s a list of dos and don’ts, when going by yourself:

• Do come on an empty stomach, there is plenty to eat
• Do bring cash, some places will accept card, but most of the outside stands won’t
• Do be open minded. You don’t have to try everything, but don’t judge other tastes
• Do bring a backpack to take things home with you
• Do consider how much you can pack in your luggage

• Don’t go too early in the morning. The mornings are when stalls are set up and people drop by before work to fill their bags or grab something to eat.
• Don’t stand in the middle of the way. That might relate more to a tour, but still: Be aware of your surroundings.
• Don’t go too late in the day, since then a lot of stalls outside might have sold out already
• Don’t go in the afternoon of the first Monday of the month, that’s cleaning time
• I went on a Tuesday and it was pretty full, it’s probably even fuller on the weekends

Should you book a tour to visit Riga Central Market or go by yourself?

I my opinion you should visit the Riga Central Market on your own. The market is huge and beautiful, there is so much to discover! You can take your time and walk at leisure, stop at every stand that interests you and try whatever you like.

If you need a list on what you should try at Riga Central Market, look no further:

• Rupjmaize – Rye Bread
• Latvian soft and hard Cheese
• Hemp Pesto (not necessarily traditional, but delicious)
• Aukstā Zupa (cold beetroot soup) in summer and Skābeņu Zupa – sorrel soup in autumn and winter
• Fermented and/or pickled vegetables
• Kvass and Latvian Beer
• Riga Black Balsam (though I recommend trying that in a bar)
• Pīrādziņi / Speķrauši – a fatty-meat filled pastry
• Smoked Fish

Der Beitrag Riga Central Market Tour or DIY? erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.