Riga with kids and dogs: the Old Town in one afternoon

You can see Riga's Old Town with kids and dogs in one afternoon: Cathedral Square, the House of the Blackheads, the Town Musicians of Bremen, the Swedish Gate and the Freedom Monument. We did it on 11 August 2026, when we reached Riga earlier than planned. Earlier that day we had still been on the nature trail in Kabli in Estonia, but the rain and wind drove us 125 km south, and in Riga we got a thunderstorm and a walk across a bridge in a very sorry state along the way.

In 2026 Riga is celebrating its 825th anniversary. The city was founded in 1201, and the main celebrations fell in August, which explains the giant RĪGA 825 sign we posed in front of.

Riverside Camping on Ķīpsala

We stayed at Riverside Camping on Ķīpsala, an island on the opposite side of the Daugava from the Old Town. The area looks almost like a port. The campsite was cramped, and the toilets and showers are in containers, but they were fine. There is a bus stop right next to it.

On foot across the Vanšu Bridge

We took the bus into the centre, with one change. At the change we found the approach to the bridge jammed with traffic, so we crossed the Daugava on foot. This was the Vanšu Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge from 1981 that leads from Ķīpsala to the Old Town.

The bridge was in terrible condition. Holes along the edges of the pavement had been covered with OSB boards, there was rust everywhere, and it felt as if it might collapse at any moment. Riga is planning a major rebuild of the bridge, with work due to start in 2027.

The Old Town in rain and sunshine

In the Old Town we did the round of the best-known sights. The weather kept changing, so we ducked out of the rain several times, and at one point a thunderstorm passed over the city. Along the way we saw:

• Cathedral Square and the cathedral,
• the House of the Blackheads and the big RĪGA letters in Town Hall Square,
• the Town Musicians of Bremen sculpture,
• the Swedish Gate, dating from 1698,
• the Freedom Monument, about 42 m tall and standing here since 1935.

At a stone table in one of the side streets, the girls held an arm-wrestling contest.

Not far from the Freedom Monument stood the large RĪGA 825 sign. From the monument we took the bus back to the campsite.

A windy evening

We got back to the campsite at 8 PM, and that is when the fun started. A strong gust tore our awning, which is now waiting to be repaired. A moment later Fiona, tied to a metal barrier, pulled so hard that she knocked the barrier over straight onto our van. The damage came down to some scratched paint. Luckily, on our own van.

The next day we drove on to Lithuania and stopped on the way at the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai. The whole route is in our post Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia by campervan with kids.

Practical info

Checked in November 2026.

• Riverside Camping is on Ķīpsala island, at Matrožu iela 12. It is open from 1 May to 31 October, and reception is staffed from 8:00 to 20:00.
• On Riga's public transport, a 90-minute ticket costs EUR 1.50 and allows transfers. You can buy it from a ticket machine, at a Narvesen kiosk or in the Rīgas Satiksme or Mobilly app. An app ticket is activated by scanning the QR code inside the vehicle. You need to register the ticket again each time you board another vehicle.
• We couldn't find a clear answer on the rules for dogs on Riga's public transport, as the operator's own information is contradictory, including on whether a dog needs a ticket.
• The Vanšu Bridge has pavements on both sides. During the rebuild, the city is required to keep pedestrian traffic open in both directions.
• You can visit the inside of the House of the Blackheads. A ticket costs EUR 10, reduced EUR 6, and a family ticket (two adults and one to five school-age children) EUR 23. Preschool children go in free.