{"id":10154,"date":"2022-05-09T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.travelnuity.com\/?p=10154"},"modified":"2023-12-04T09:30:12","modified_gmt":"2023-12-03T23:30:12","slug":"dog-friendly-riga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelnuity.com\/dog-friendly-riga\/","title":{"rendered":"Dog-Friendly Riga, Latvia: Visiting Riga with a Dog"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Riga, along with the other cities in the Baltic states, is an often overlooked destination in Europe<\/a>. This includes for people travelling with a dog, particularly as Latvia<\/a> isn’t the easiest place to reach with a dog and without your own car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But after visiting Riga last summer, I heartily recommend spending a weekend or longer here. There’s a wealth of gorgeous art nouveau architecture, not to mention it’s charming old town and affordable dining. It’s also quite a dog-friendly destination. Find out how to get to Riga with your dog, plus what to do once you arrive.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Dog-Friendly Sightseeing in Riga<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While visiting Riga, I recommend adding the following dog-friendly sightseeing options to your itinerary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. View the Art Nouveau Architecture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The highlight of my visit to Riga was walking along Alberta iela, Strelnieku iela and Elizabetes iela and admiring the magnificent art nouveau buildings. These streets are outside of the Old Town proper, in the newer area developed in the early 20th century, and a significant reason for the city\u2019s World Heritage listing.<\/p>\n\n\n

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One of the gorgeous art nouveau buildings in Riga<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Viewing Riga\u2019s art nouveau architecture is a great activity to do with your dog, mainly because most buildings are privately owned, so can only be viewed from the outside. Both yourself and your dog have to stay out on the street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main building you can enter is the Riga Art Nouveau Museum, which naturally doesn\u2019t allow dogs inside. However, I recommend popping briefly just inside the building to check out the beautiful stairwell at the entrance. There\u2019s also a terrific art nouveau shop nearby that was okay with my small dog joining me inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Explore the Old Town<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For more art nouveau gems, don\u2019t also miss exploring the Old Town proper in Riga. Although this section of the city is also home to a wealth of architecture from many different eras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My favourite building was probably the re-built House of the Blackheads. Unfortunately, I didn\u2019t visit the interior, partially as not surprisingly four-legged friends can\u2019t accompany you inside. However, it\u2019s a must to admire its magnificent facade.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The exterior of the House of the Blackheads<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

3. Hang Out in the Parks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Weaving through the centre of Riga is the Pils\u0113tas Kan\u0101ls, or City Canal. You\u2019ll pass over this when walking between the Old Town and the main art nouveau district or the rest of Central Riga. It\u2019s the remains of the city\u2019s former moat, and these days is lined with multiple parks.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The canal-side parks in Riga<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

During the summer months, it\u2019s a beautiful area to retreat to and enjoy the plentiful shade and greenery, ideally with an ice cream from the many vendors. While there are no off-leash dog areas amongst the parklands, it\u2019s still a great spot to walk with your pup on a leash.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Schnitzel exploring the parks in Riga<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For an off-leash dog option, instead head further north to Viesturd\u0101rzs Park. Next to the formal park, in between Eksporta iela and the trainline, is a large off-leash dog park including agility equipment, one of the best dog parks in Riga. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dogs on Public Transport in Riga<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dogs are allowed on public transport in Riga. Small dogs in a carrier are allowed for free, while for larger dogs you\u2019ll need to buy a pet ticket<\/a> for \u20ac1.50. No more than two dogs are allowed per person, on a short leash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re flying in or out of Riga, one of the easiest ways to travel to Latvia with a dog<\/a>, there are regular buses that travel all the way to the airport on the edge of the city, with standard fares applying. It\u2019s a refreshing change to the usually exorbitant costs of travelling to and from airports, and entirely dog-friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out more about the transport options to travel to Latvia with a dog<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dog-Friendly Dining in Riga <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While staying in Riga, we dined out multiple times at restaurants that allowed our dog inside. However, we always made sure to ask first, and it didn’t seem that common for dogs to join their owners. In summertime, there are many outdoor dining terraces, usually covered, and I recommend sticking to them.<\/p>\n\n\n

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There’s plenty of outdoor dining terraces in Riga<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Dog-Friendly Accommodation in Riga<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Roughly fifty-percent of hotels in Riga allow pets to stay with you, according to the survey that I did of hotel pet policies across Europe<\/a>. This ranks Riga ahead of cities such as Paris<\/a>. Always check to see if any additional rules apply, such as limits on size or number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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