The Christmas market on Cathedral Square
The main Riga Christmas market fills Cathedral Square (Doma laukums) in the heart of the Old Town, a short walk from all of our residences. Around 80 wooden stalls circle a tall decorated tree, with craft sellers, hot food and drink, and a small stage for carols and folk music. It is compact, cosy and genuinely local, not a giant commercial market.
A few smaller markets usually run at the same time, so it is worth wandering between them:
- Cathedral Square (Doma laukums) the main market, with crafts, food and the tree.
- Līvu Square (Līvu laukums) a smaller, family-friendly market a couple of minutes away.
- Esplanade park an open-air market and activities near the Orthodox cathedral.
For children there is often a Santa's house, a hand-cranked carousel, pony rides and a small petting area with sheep and rabbits.
Music, a DJ and dancing
The stage on Cathedral Square is one of the best parts of the market, and it comes alive in the evenings and at weekends:
- Fridays, well-known Latvian DJs (names like Artis Volfs, All-Viss and DJ Aspirīns) get the whole square dancing in the snow.
- Saturdays, choirs and music ensembles.
- Sundays, folk music, often with traditional Latvian folk dancing in costume.
The line-up changes from week to week, so check the market's programme for who is on. Grab a mulled wine, and it is hard not to join in.
When it is on and opening hours
The market runs across Advent and into the new year. For the 2026/27 season it is open from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The exact dates shift a little each year, so double-check close to your trip.
Typical opening hours:
- Monday to Thursday, 11:00 to 21:00
- Friday and Saturday, 10:00 to 23:00
- Sunday, 10:00 to 20:00
- 24 December, 10:00 to 20:00
- New Year's Eve, 10:00 to 02:00
It is busiest and prettiest after dark, when the lights come on and the food stalls are steaming.
What to eat and drink
The food is the best part, and it is properly Latvian. Warm up first with a drink:
- Karstvīns, mulled wine, the classic. Look for the cauldrons over an open fire.
- Hot cydonia (karstā cidonija), a warm, non-alcoholic quince drink and a local favourite.
- Black Balsam, Riga's herbal liqueur, often served hot with blackcurrant.
Then eat:
- Grey peas with bacon (pelēkie zirņi ar speķi), the national dish, hearty and cheap.
- Sausages and grilled meats from the big open pans, plus black pudding (asinsdesa).
- Piparkūkas, thin spiced gingerbread biscuits, sold everywhere at Christmas.
- Sklandrausis, a sweet carrot-and-potato tart, a Latvian speciality.
Most stalls list prices in euros on carved wooden boards, and a hot drink or a plate is only a few euros. For more places once you leave the market, see our food and drinks guide.
The world's first Christmas tree
Riga makes a good claim to the first decorated Christmas tree. In 1510 the Brotherhood of the Blackheads, a guild of unmarried merchants, is said to have put up a tree on the market square, decorated it, danced around it and then set it on fire. A small octagonal plaque, engraved in eight languages, marks the spot on Town Hall Square (Rātslaukums), just outside the ornate House of the Blackheads.
Tallinn tells a similar story about 1441, so the title is disputed, but standing on the marker with a hot mulled wine is a nice moment either way.
Winter in Riga beyond the market
The market is only part of it. When it is cold, Riga is at its most atmospheric:
- The Old Town in the snow, the medieval lanes and squares look their best under a light dusting. See our things to do guide.
- Art Nouveau in the frost, the grand facades on Alberta iela are quieter and just as impressive in winter.
- The Central Market, the huge Central Market halls are indoors and warm, and great for cheap eats and people-watching.
- A cold-day museum, the Latvian National Museum of Art or the Corner House (the former KGB building) are good when it is grey outside.
- A Latvian sauna (pirts), the local way to beat the cold.
- A Christmas lights walk, the Old Town, Bastejkalns park and the city canal are strung with lights through December.
New Year in Riga
Riga is a lively and affordable place to see in the new year. The Christmas market stays open late on New Year's Eve, and the city puts on a fireworks display, usually over the river by the 11 November Embankment (11. novembra krastmala) below the castle. Bars and clubs in the Old Town are busy; see our food and drinks guide for where to go.
Getting there and staying warm
Riga in December is cold, often below zero, with short days: the sun is up only from around 9:00 to 16:00. Bring proper layers, a warm coat, a hat and waterproof boots for the slush.
Getting to the market is easy: it is in the Old Town, walkable from the whole centre, and all of our residences are a short walk or a couple of tram stops away. For airport transfers and public transport, see our getting around guide, and for the practical first steps in the city our moving to Riga guide.
Our picks on the map
These are some of our favourite spots in Riga. Open our full curated Google Maps list to see every pin on the map and navigate straight there from your phone.
- Doma laukums — Cathedral Square, the main market
- Līvu laukums — the smaller, family-friendly market
- House of the Blackheads — and the first Christmas tree marker
- Rīgas Centrāltirgus — the Central Market, warm and indoors
- 11. novembra krastmala — riverside, for the New Year fireworks
Your base in central Riga
All of our residences are a short walk from the Old Town, the Central Market and Miera iela. Furnished rooms, all bills included, for your semester or a few nights.
See available rooms →