Mežaparks & Riga Zoo
Mežaparks / Rīgas Zooloģiskais dārzs
A garden-city district in the pine forests north of the city, with a national song festival stage, a lakeside beach and the century-old Riga Zoo.
Mežaparks (the “Forest Park”) is a villa district planned in the early 20th century on the garden-city model, with Art Nouveau and functionalist wooden villas scattered among the pines. The park contains a large open-air stage that hosts the national song and dance festival every five years (rebuilt in 2021), a beach on the shore of Lake Kišezers, and a children’s play area. Riga Zoo, founded in 1912, is home to about 400 species, and its tropical house and giraffe house are favorites with children. Tickets cost about €10 (check the official website). Take tram route 11 from the city center for about 25 minutes. It suits a half-day family outing or a relaxed lakeside visit in summer.
Opening hours
Park open all day; zoo about 10:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Riga Brothers' Cemetery
- Nativity of Christ Cathedral
- Latvian National Museum of Art
- Art Nouveau District (Alberta iela)
- Freedom Monument
- Bastejkalns Park & City Canal
- Latvian Academy of Sciences Observation Deck
- Latvian National Opera