Riga Central Market
Rīgas Centrāltirgus
Housed in five former German Zeppelin hangars from World War I, this is one of Europe's largest markets, offering smoked fish, rye bread, honey, cheese and a range of berries.
Riga Central Market sits on the south side of the Old Town, on the bank of the Daugava river next to the railway station. Its core is five arched halls. They were originally Zeppelin hangars built by the German military at Kurzeme during World War I. In the 1920s they were dismantled, moved to Riga and reassembled as a market. When it opened in 1930, it was one of the largest and most modern markets in Europe. It became part of the Riga Historic Centre UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. The five halls are divided by product: meat, fish, dairy, fruit and vegetables, and prepared food. The fish hall sells smoked eel, smoked mackerel, pickled herring and caviar. The dairy hall offers Latvian cheese flavoured with caraway (Jāņu siers). The prepared food hall has a wide range of rye breads, sauerkraut and snack stalls. Outside the halls is an open-air market, where summer and autumn stalls are piled with blueberries, cranberries, gooseberries, mushrooms and flowers, along with secondhand goods and clothing. The Gastronomy Pavilion has cleaner snack counters where you can sit down and sample food. The area around the market is rather chaotic, so keep an eye on your belongings. Nearby in the Maskavas forštate district are the Academy of Sciences building, a Stalinist-era skyscraper with a paid observation deck, and a memorial site marking the former synagogue.
Opening hours
Approx. 07:00–18:00 (individual venues and Sundays slightly shorter; check official website)
Nearby sights
- Spīķeri Creative Quarter
- St. Peter's Church
- Latvian Academy of Sciences Observation Deck
- Freedom Monument
- House of the Blackheads & Town Hall Square
- Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
- Cat House & Līvu Square
- Bastejkalns Park & City Canal