Riga Art Nouveau Walking Tours: Which One Is Worth It?
5 min read
If the decorated facades of the Art Nouveau district are the reason you are going, book a walk that reaches Alberta iela. The Old Town and Art Nouveau tour is not one of them: according to its description it stays in the Old Town and shows the Art Nouveau facades between the medieval houses. We compare five guided walks here, and they differ more in route than in length.
Where the buildings are
Alberta iela is the street the Art Nouveau district is best known for. The city’s own Art Nouveau guide describes Alberta iela 4, built in 1904 to a design by Mikhail Eisenstein, as one of the best examples of eclectically decorative Art Nouveau, with three Gorgon heads in the attic and an elliptic window with a balcony as the centrepiece (Riga Art Nouveau guide). You can see all of that from the pavement, so a walk on your own is possible. A guide adds who built what and why the style took hold in Riga.
The five walks compared
The 2-hour Art Nouveau walking tour costs €33 and is rated 4.8 out of 5 from 153 reviews. It starts at the House of the Blackheads on Town Hall Square, leads from the Old Town into the Art Nouveau district and has Alberta iela and the buildings of Mikhail Eisenstein as its centrepiece. Guiding is in English and German, other languages on request. Groups are up to 20 people with a minimum of 3, and from 10 participants everyone gets an audio receiver.
The Old Town and Art Nouveau tour takes the same two hours from the same starting point and costs €30. Its route is Town Hall Square, the Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, the Swedish Gate and the Convent Yard. The Art Nouveau part is the facades that stand between the medieval buildings; Alberta iela is not on the route. It suits people who want the Old Town and a first look at the style, not the district itself.
The Art Nouveau and city parks walk lasts 85 minutes and costs €6. It starts at Torņa iela 4 in the Old Town, continues into the Art Nouveau neighbourhoods and includes Eisenstein’s buildings on Alberta iela, guided in English. Despite the name, the description centres on the buildings; ask the operator which parks the route includes.
The Hidden Gems and Art Nouveau walk is 1.5 hours for €14. It starts outside the Old Town at Kalpaka bulvāris 13, passes the Art Academy, Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela, Elizabetes iela and Alberta iela, and ends at the Art Nouveau Riga pavilion. It is guided in English, with groups of up to 25.
The private Art Nouveau walk takes two hours and costs €65 per person. Pick-up is from your hotel in the Old Town, guiding is in English or German, and the walk covers Alberta iela and Elizabetes iela.
| Walk | Length | Start | Alberta iela |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-hour Art Nouveau walking tour | 2 hours | House of the Blackheads | yes, centrepiece |
| Old Town and Art Nouveau | 2 hours | House of the Blackheads | no, Old Town only |
| Art Nouveau and city parks | 85 minutes | Torņa iela 4 | yes |
| Hidden Gems and Art Nouveau | 1.5 hours | Kalpaka bulvāris 13 | yes |
| Private Art Nouveau walk | 2 hours | hotel pick-up in the Old Town | yes |
Interiors, access and weather
Of the five, only the Hidden Gems walk lists visits to Art Nouveau buildings inside and outside, plus hidden courtyards. The other four descriptions speak of facades.
The 2-hour Art Nouveau walk and the Old Town and Art Nouveau tour are marked as not suitable for people with mobility impairments. The 2-hour page also shows a wheelchair label, yet it says the route covers uneven pavements and cobblestone streets, so confirm with the operator before booking with a wheelchair. The Hidden Gems page also shows a wheelchair label; confirm that with the provider too, since the walk goes into courtyards and buildings. The 85-minute walk is marked as not suitable for people with back problems. Both walks from the House of the Blackheads run in all weather.
Who should pick what
If you want the Old Town and Alberta iela in one morning, take the 2-hour Art Nouveau walk, which starts in the Old Town and ends in the district. If the medieval centre comes first and Art Nouveau is a side note, the Old Town and Art Nouveau tour fits. With little time, take the 85-minute walk. For interiors and courtyards, take Hidden Gems. A group that wants its own pace can look at the private walk, and should compare its per-person price with the group walks. If you already took a medieval walk, read our guide to the Old Town, guided or on your own and spend the Art Nouveau hours on the district alone.
Our recommendation
For most visitors who came for the facades, we would book the 2-hour Art Nouveau walking tour: its description leads from the Old Town to Alberta iela and makes Eisenstein’s buildings the centrepiece. More options are on the Old Town tours page.
