WhereToGoForMyHoliday.com

The best destination comparison site!

WhereToGoForMyHoliday.com

The best destination comparison site!

Riga or Madrid, which is better for your holiday in 2024?

Madrid and Riga are fantastic cities, but which is better for your city-break or holiday?
We understand your dilemma. There is an abundance of travel guides for both cities, but few actually comparing them, and advising you which is the better for your trip.
This article will provide our unbiased and independent views of Madrid and Riga, hopefully making your choice that little easier.

The article is structured into several sections, each of which can be directly accessed through the following links:
• Introduction to the cities
• Scores and ratings
• Which one should I, friends, or family visit?
• When to visit and weather
• Who is the city suited for?
• The perfect 48hours (with map)
• Tourism details (where to stay? airport details?)

Introduction to Madrid and Riga

Being the original artisan city of western Europe, Madrid’s galleries and museums are unrivalled, and are a staple for any cultural holiday.
However beneath this formal exterior is a young and passionate city, with thrilling nightlife, delicious food and genuinely welcoming locals.

The visitors who rave most about Madrid are the long-stay residents – and there is something captivating about the city. The Museo del Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Bernabéu Stadium, for a different type of culture. Just avoid Madrid in August, when the entire city shuts down for the summer holidays.

Riga is a cool and collected Baltic capital Bridging both sides of the Daugava River estuary, its laid-back districts effortlessly flit from elegant Art Nouveau to stoic northern cottages built from wood.
But it's the Old Town area that really draws the eye. That's a web of cobbled alleys and hidden squares. Onion domes and Gothic belfries loom overhead in those parts, and hearty Latvian taverns slosh with beers and burst with dumplings in cellars beneath the flagstones.

Be warned that Riga has developed a reputation for stag and hen do weekending. If you travel during the summer, you're likely to encounter at least one group of boozed-up Brits.
But that shouldn't put you off. There are enough craft beer joints, bohemian cafes, and restaurants to go around. What's more, the old guild houses and haunting churches can balance the experience out with a dollop of culture and history.

Daugava River riga

Riga castle stands along the Daugava River

Plaza Mayor madrid

The Plaza Mayor and the historic centre of Madrid

Madrid vs Riga: City Ratings

Summary
Where would I journey for a personal escape?
Madrid
Where would I send my parents for a memorable visit?
Madrid
Where's the ideal destination for my adventurous 19-year-old cousin?
Madrid
Where should my food-obsessed friend indulge their culinary passions?
Madrid
Note: The above comparisons are weather-independent and are based on travel during the most opportune times of the year. Details about the ideal travel seasons are elaborated upon later in this article.

In the sections that follow, you'll find a comprehensive comparison between these two fascinating cities. This includes recommendations on the duration of stay, the best times to visit, and tailored 48-hour itineraries for each city.
The final segment delves into practicalities for your travels, such as the best airport to fly into, the optimal districts for your accommodation, and insider tips, for when you come to explore the city.
We hope that you find all of this information useful, in planning your next exciting trip!

Destination details

How long to spend each city?

Riga might be the largest of the three Baltic capitals, but it's still a relatively small city. You can get from end to end in less than 40 minutes in the car, while the districts that are of interest to travellers are all within walking distance of each other.
That helps if you're only planning a short weekend away. Fly-in, fly-out city breaks are totally doable. In fact, a couple of days is what the majority of travellers come for.

If you want to explore for longer, you might want to come during the summertime. Not only can the winters here get downright cold (more on that later), but Riga is close to the some of the most celebrated beach resorts on the whole Baltic coast.

For Madrid, the length of stay greatly depends on how much you want to devote to visit the three famed art galleries (Prado Museum, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofía), or immerse into Spanish culture. The city can be seen in two days of sightseeing, and a third day is often given to the galleries.

There are many outstanding day trips from Madrid and a trip can be easily extended to 5 or 6 days. A selection of the best day trips includes the medieval town of Segovia, charming Toledo, and the magnificent El Escorial. Madrid makes for a good base from which to explore the region, and is served by inexpensive public transport

Riga cathedral

The skyline of central Riga, with Riga cathedral at the centre

Palacio Real Madrid

The magnificent Palacio Real in Madrid

The Baltic summers are a tamer version of the warm season in the south of the continent. It's pleasant here when the temperature squeezes into the low 20s. Then, Riga goes al fresco in earnest.
The cafes on the main squares in the Riga Old Town buzz with life and chatter. There are students and backpackers sharing stories in the beer bar gardens at evening. Those, coupled with the enticing beaches of Jūrmala, are all reasons to plan to arrive sometime between June and September.

Winter in this corner of the continent can be cold. Really cold. It's not uncommon to see whole weeks go by without the thermometers passing single figures, or even positive numbers! Snow is normal, too, so it's wise to pack underlayers and good boots to hit the sightseeing trail anytime from November onwards.

The major consideration for Madrid, is to avoid August. The entire city shuts down for the month, and everyone heads to the slightly cooler coastal towns.
The best time of year for Madrid is late spring (Jun/Jul) or early autumn. Madrid can be surprisingly chilly in the winter, but is comparatively drier and milder than the rest of northern Europe. As Madrid is in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, it tends to get more extreme weather than the coastal cities.

Madrid is one of the finest cities in Europe. The city may not have the iconic monuments and attention-grabbing tourist attractions, but in reality, there is a lot to see during a city break.
Much of Madrid’s tourist literature focuses on the museums and galleries (which are world-class), but this should not deter you; this is a fun-loving city, which has the best nightlife in Europe. No matter your style of trip, there will be something to love about the Spanish capital.
Madrid excels as a long-stay destination, and if you can work here, the city offers the perfect work/life balance.

Riga does well to distil rich Baltic history, a touch of hedonism, and authentic culture into a bitesize destination. With a population of under 650,000, you're not going to have to navigate a colossal megacity to get stuck into the action here.
You can spend most of your time walking from sight to sight, and enjoy relaxed dining and nightlife scenes to boot. It's one for the more chilled traveller.

The flip side of all that is that Riga isn't some bucket-list-busting capital. It's not got huge, world-famous sights. Instead, it's about enjoying the atmosphere, the regional food, and the intriguing merchant heritage of the place. You also might want to steer clear of the city if you hate the sight of stag and hen dos. They are rampant between June and August especially.

Museo Nacional del Prado madrid

The Museo Nacional del Prado, is one of the finest art galleries in the world

House of the Blackheads in Riga

House of the Blackheads in Riga

Hop between the charming plazas and Art Nouveau neighbourhoods of Riga with help from this curated itinerary. It lasts two days and includes most of the mainstream sights and some hidden extras for good measure:

Day 1: Breeze straight into the Riga Old Town. This medieval maze of a district is a fairy-tale place to be. It's also got a glut of sights. Start on the square topped by Saint Peter's Church. The oldest Christian building in the city, it's been rebuilt and reconstructed many a time.

You can scale the 120 or so metres to the top of the spire to get 360-degree views of the river, the capital, and even the Baltic coast. Back on ground level and a few streets over, you can see beautiful Town Hall Square. The most eye-catching building in the city looms on one side.
It's the so-called House of the Blackheads, where rich bachelor merchants held court for several hundred years. Delve inside for exhibits that unravel the enthralling past of the city since the age of the Hanseatic League.

Move northwards through Dome Square to have sunny lunches under the handsome cathedral building. Then push on to Riga Castle. First raised in 1330, it's gilded with additions that were built by the Swedish invaders of Latvia.

As evening closes in, you could opt to join the famous Riga Pub Crawl. They hit a number of underground Latvian taverns and then a pumping club.

riga old town

The cobbled streets of Riga’s old quarter

Day 2: Hangover or not, you should rise early and make for the western area of Miera Iela. The cracked-plaster façades of the old buildings there herald what's surely the most hipster and creative corner of the city. Students and young professionals are everywhere, and there are some top brunch spots to kick start your morning. Then bear eastwards, back towards the Old Town.

On the way, you'll have to navigate Centrs district. Your first pitstop should be Alberta 12, where a grand edifice decorated with statues of nymphs and floral motifs commands the attention. It's one of the finest examples of the Art Nouveau style for which Riga is famous. Inside, you'll even find the Riga Art Nouveau Museum, which chronicles the architectural and design style from the turn of the century onwards.

Lunch can be had in the new town area to the south – Dzirnavu Iela especially has some charming café-bars and great shopping. The pretty walking paths of Vermane Garden can be perfect for an afternoon stroll if the sun is shining. They will take you all the way to the vibrant Pilsetas kanals garden, the home of the town's padlock-covered love bridge that's in good proximity to some hearty Old Town taverns for dinner.

freedom Monument riga

The freedom Monument – the three stars represent the three regions in Latvia

Art Nouveau Alberta 12 riga

The Art Nouveau on the Alberta 12

Madrid
48 hours in Madrid is not just the sights but also the atmosphere of the city. Below is an interactive tour map - day 1 is highlighted in green and day 2 in yellow, with optional sights marked grey.

Day 1 - 1) Puerta del Sol 2) Plaza Mayor 3) Plaza de la Villa 4) Mercado de San Miguel 5) Plaza de Oriente 7) Palacio Real 8) Almudena cathedral 9) Basílica de san Francisco 10) Calle de la Cava Alta
Day 2 - 11) Prado museum 12) Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum13) Museo Nacional Reina Sofía 14) Parque de El Retiro 15) Puerta de Alcalá 16) Palacio de Cibeles 17) Gran Vía 18) Malasaña district 19) Plaza de España 20) Templo de Debod

The 48 hours in Madrid begins in the Puerta del Sol, then wanders through charming streets of the El Madrid de los Austrias, which is the oldest section of the city. This leads to the Palacio Real, surrounded by its formal gardens and the Catedral de la Almudena to the south.
For the last part of the day explore the La Latina district and have a delicious tapas meal at one of the restaurants along the Cava Alta or Cava Baja. La Latina boasts numerous bars and is always a great place to start a night in Madrid.

The morning of the second focuses on the three art-museums, the Prado Museum, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofía. Close to the museums is the pretty the El Retiro Park.
For the afternoon head down the Gran Vía, the main shopping street of Madrid, and visit the Malasaña district, with its artisan vibe, independent shops and trendy nightlife. For sunset watch it at the Templo de Debod, and then head back to Malasaña for a memorable meal and evening.

Templo de Debod madrid

The atmospheric Templo de Debod, is Egyptian temple which was moved to Madrid in 1968, due to the construction of the Aswan dam (which would have flooded the temple)

Gran Vía madrid

The Gran Vía is the bustling main avenue of Madrid

If you choose a good season to visit, then Madrid is ideal for a city break. There is just one airport severing Madrid and is only 13km from the historic centre. For onward travel take the metro (€1.50 single – 30 minutes). For flights, there is always high demand for Friday/Sunday flights to/from Madrid, so if planning a city break always book at least 6-8 weeks in advance.

On initial appearance Madrid seems to have ample supply of hotel and rental rooms, but this is slightly misleading, as the city is so sprawling.

Catedral de la Almudena madrid

The Catedral de la Almudena

For your first visit, you would want to be based in the Centro or Retiro districts, and this will limit accommodation options. If you do wish a more remote, budget option always ensure it is close to a metro station. While exploring Madrid, you will do a surprising amount of walking.

Riga
Riga International Airport is the largest in all of the Baltic states. It's served by flights originating all over Europe, in Russia, and even the Middle East. Bus 22 and plenty of private taxi firms offer connections to the city, though you'll need to be wary of scam drivers who often crank up the price to €80 or more! The trip to the downtown from the terminals usually takes no more than 30 minutes.

You shouldn't need to deal with any public transport on a city break to Riga. The town is nice and compact, so a good pair of shoes and a willingness to walk is usually enough to get around. That said, there are streetcars, buses and minibuses on the same network. Grab yourself an e-talons ticket to use the lot. Each ride costs €1.15 and needs to be renewed if you transfer.

You'll almost certainly want to seek out a hotel in Riga Old Town. That will put you right in the thick of the action. We'd recommend steering clear of Audēju Iela, though.

It's vibrant and lively, but the pumping bars can make it hard to sleep at night. Quieter areas include the northern portion of the district and the streets around Riga Castle.

Riga castle

Riga castle is official residence of the Latvia President

Keep your guard up when walking around Riga, particularly after dark or a few beers. The capital is generally safe, but areas like Maskavas Forštate should be avoided. Pickpockets and petty theft, along with taxi scams, tend to be the biggest dangers of all.

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