The following two museums, however, are completely free and should make your must-visit list:

Latvian War Museum
Located inside Gunpowder Tower at Smilsu iela, 20

For a quick-hit history of Latvia’s military past, and to catch an illuminating exhibit on the Soviet occupation, check out Latvia’s War Museum. The museum describes its mission as “to save collective, historical memory of the nation about political and military history of Latvia, the influence of the military conflicts… on the destiny of the nation, and the reflection of these conflicts’ consequences…”

Current offerings include a detailed exposition on the Latvian army’s role in Russia’s Civil War (1918-1921).

The museum is open year-round and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
Strelnieku laukums, 1, Old Town

Latvia was occupied by German and Soviet forces three times from 1940 to 1991. These included the first Soviet occupation (1940-1941), the Nazi occupation (1941-1944/45), and the long, devastating second Soviet occupation (1944/45-1991).

The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia provides exhibits and a permanent collection focused on these three occupations, their victims (including business and farm owners, Jews, political opponents, and artists), and the crimes committed by the foreign powers.

The museum is centrally located in Old Town, next to Town Hall Square (Ratslaukums). The museum is open daily May through September, 11 AM to 6 PM; October through April 11 AM to 5 PM, closed Mondays during this off-season. (The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia was also the answer to our previous “Name this Museum” post.)

Tell us: Have you ever been to either of these museums? Do you have a favorite free or budget sight in Riga?

The post Riga Free Museums to explore on your trip appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Edward Lucas, of The Economist magazine, pointed out that Latvia’s situation is pretty dire: a bank recently collapsed, the nation’s debt is swelling, and the country’s economy shrank by more than 10% in 2008. Furthermore, violent protests this year led to the collapse of the coalition government in February.

Difficult times

I noticed this myself last month, when I spent six days visiting Riga.

Of course, I mostly concerned myself with inspecting hotels and visiting the city’s historic sights. However, one couldn’t escape the signs of economic strain: I saw very few tourists (granted, it was early February), restaurants were empty (or closed), and prices were cheap.

Here was a city that poured millions of euros into reinventing itself as a magical, tourist-friendly destination–and hardly anyone was there. That wouldn’t normally be a major cause for concern in February. But this year was different. There seemed to be an uncertainty about whether or not tourists would return.

Across town, I visited beautiful hotels, freshly renovated (or newly constructed), often with sizable rooms and lovely bathrooms. Many sported eclectic, “boutique” decor. In almost any of the other cities we cover, these hotels would have been out of our Cheapo price range.

Yet, they were quite affordable in Riga. When I asked hotel owners for rates, they often frowned. Should they give me last summer’s rates? The off-season rates? What are this year’s rates? The prevailing attitude seemed to be, “we’ll see.” There was, after all, a big difference between the posted hotel rates and the bargain rates being offered online by the same hotels.

A great time to travel?

I found it all a bit unnerving. To encourage budget travelers to visit Latvia because of ever-discounted prices exploits a nation grappling with an economic crisis. Yet, tourism plays an incredibly important role in the nation’s economy, and it would follow that Latvia would benefit from an influx of tourists, eager to pump their euros (and lats) into the nation’s struggling economy.

Hotel owners, waitresses, the cashier at the opera… people were very friendly to me and seemed hopeful that more tourists would return to the city as the weather heats up.

Upon my return, I’ve raved about Riga. I had a great experience and found it fun, educational, delicious, and, yes, a bargain. Despite my sensitivities, I find myself bragging about what a good deal the city is for visitors.

And yet, I’m cautious when describing the budgetary benefits of visiting Riga.

Something strikes me as distasteful about choosing a destination based solely upon what you can “get” for your money. That may be a great way to purchase a beach resort getaway or a family cruise, but it strikes me as an un-thoughtful way to choose a travel destination.

Isn’t traveling about learning and experiencing? Doesn’t it call for a little more compassion and a little less consumption?

What do you think?

I’m eager to hear from our readers on this issue. Have you every traveled to a foreign country while they were experiencing difficulties? Did that affect your decision to go there? Would you consider going to a country with a shaky economy in order to stretch your travel budget?

Let us know in the comments section below.

For more information about Latvia’s financial troubles, also see an article in this week’s Der Spiegel (in English).

The post Riga: Thoughtful travels during uncertain (economic) times appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

February 2, 2009–Greetings from Riga, Latvia, where I’ve spent the last four days exploring the town, getting acquainted with its history, and, of course, checking out budget hotels.

Riga has a wonderful and picturesque “Old Town” neighborhood. This section of town dates back to the city’s Medieval beginnings, and has been preserved (and rebuilt) over the centuries. Fires, wars, occupations… you name it, the city has perservered, rebuilt, and clung to its cultural identity.

The Old Town is where I’ve focused my hotel search, and where most of the super-charming lodgings are situated. And what a selection! So far I’ve seen a handful of budget-friendly “boutique” hotels (with funky artwork and eclectic decor), a convent-turned-hotel complex, a super-old no-star with style, and several completely new hotels that were built to look old.

Today I’ll check out some ultra-cheap hostels (with private rooms), as well as some two and three-star hotels located in the “Center,” which is the neighborhood just outside the Old Town.

A street in Riga’s Old Town.

Hotel owners and managers have been very friendly, and for the most part have spoken flawless English. In Riga, tourism makes up an extremely important part of the town’s economy, so most in the business speak at least Russian and English, in addition to Latvian.

Right now, the Latvian economy is hurting. Money is tight, banks are on the verge of failing, and budgets are being slashed all around. (For example, when checking out performances during my stay, I found that the ballet had slashed its performance schedule.) Everyone’s talking about the crisis, and it’s only made worse by the tourism calendar–the tourist season doesn’t begin until April, when the weather finally warms up.

The financial mess has spawned a political crisis, as well, as protestors took to the streets two weeks ago in an effort to overthrow the current government. These protests, which ended in a handful of injuries, occured in a square just blocks from my current hotel. It seems so hard to believe, walking the cobbled streets today.

And so it goes. I’m off to hunt down some more hotels and treat myself to one more Latvian blow-out lunch. Here’s an idea of what I’m talking about, snapped yesterday at 1 PM at the “Lido” cafeteria-style restaurant in Old Town:

The plate features chicken stroganoff (a dish I was delighted to hear existed!) with stewed vegetables over rice, with a side salad (lettuce, shredded carrots, and pickled red onions), grape juice, and a beer. The meal, including juice, cost 3.90 lats, about $7.00. The beer cost 1.50 lats, or about $2.50.

Bon appetite!

The post Riga: Postcard from Latvia appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.