beach
Jūrmala
Latvia's premier seaside resort stretching along 33 kilometers of white sand beach, famous for its charming wooden Art Nouveau villas.
20 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeLatviaRiga
Riga
Riga, Latvia · Europe
About Riga
Riga is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Dārzciems, 40km from Ķemeri National Park.
Riga is in Latvia, with about 740,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Dārzciems, about 4 km away.
Riga ( REE-gə), officially Riga State City (Latvian: Rīgas valstspilsēta), is the capital, primate, and largest city of Latvia and the second most-populous city in the Baltics. Home to 588,911 inhabitants (as of 2026), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga metropolitanRead more
area, which stretches beyond the city limits, is estimated at 847,162 (as of 2025). The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Baltic Sea. Riga's territory covers 307.17 km2 (118.60 sq mi) and lies 1–10 m (3–33 ft) above sea level on a flat and sandy plain.
Riga was founded in 1201, and is a former Hanseatic League member. Riga's historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for its Art Nouveau architecture and 19th century wooden architecture. Riga was the European Capital of Culture in 2014, along with Umeå in Sweden. Riga hosted the 2006 NATO Summit, the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, the 2013 World Women's Curling Championship, and the IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championships in 2006, 2021, and 2023. It is home to the European Union's office of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). In 2017, it was named as the European Region of Gastronomy.
In 2019, Riga received over 1.4 million foreign visitors. The city is served by Riga International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in the Baltic States. Riga is a member of Eurocities, the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC), and Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU).
Where to Stay in Riga
Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.
Filter presets
Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.
Compare before you book!
Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in Riga.
Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Riga.
Loading map...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Riga?
Within an hour or so of Riga: Jūrmala (20 km), Ķemeri National Park (40 km), Sigulda Bobsleigh Track (50 km), Turaida Castle (52 km).
Are there any good drives near Riga?
The nearest famous roads are Cape Kolka and the Livonian Coast Road.
Where is Riga?
Riga is in Riga, Latvia, about 4 km from Dārzciems.
Road trip
Drive to Riga
Add it as a stop and the planner works out the driving, the nights and what's worth seeing on the way.
Start planningWhat's nearby?
Swipe through places to go
Places within a drive of Riga. Keep the ones you like and add them to your trip.
Explore now
Quick Information
- Population
- 742,572
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Latvia
- Region
- Riga
- Timezone
- Europe/Riga
- Coordinates
- 56.9460, 24.1059
Tags
Worth the detour from Riga
6 notable places within an hour's drive.
national park
Ķemeri National Park
A vast mosaic of raised bogs, sulphur springs and pine forest just west of Jūrmala. The Great Ķemeri Bog boardwalk winds past dark pools and dwarf pines to a viewing tower: magical at sunrise.
40 km · about 45 min drive
racetrack
Sigulda Bobsleigh Track
Olympic-standard bobsleigh and luge track in Gauja National Park offering public rides, with its own access road and car park.
50 km · about 55 min drive
castle
Turaida Castle
A striking red-brick medieval castle rising above the wooded Gauja valley near Sigulda, its round tower offering sweeping views over Latvia's 'Switzerland'. An easy, scenic drive from Riga.
52 km · about 60 min drive
natural wonder
Gutmanis Cave
The widest cave in the Baltics, a sandstone grotto with centuries of carved inscriptions, beside the Sigulda–Turaida road with parking.
52 km · about 60 min drive
landmark
Rundāle Palace
Latvia's grandest baroque palace designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, featuring opulent interiors and one of the finest French-style gardens in the Baltics.
59 km · about 70 min drive
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
Nearby Destinations
Other places to explore near Riga.
Plan a trip around Riga
Your trip starts here
Plan a road trip from Riga.
Pick the days, drop in the stops, and share it with whoever's coming.