No foreign intervention please. We are Latvians.

1. Located in the centre of Riga's Old Town on Skarnu iela, St.Peter's Church is a massive brick and stone Gothic structure that was rebuilt several times through the centuries. Climb the tower and enjoy an excellent view of the Daugava River on one side and a bird's eye view of new Riga on the other.

2. Stroll over Vansu tilts, a huge bridge that spans the Daugava River at its widest point. From here, the view of Riga's castle and the Presidential palace is back-dropped by a row of church towers whose architectural diversity provides an insight into the city's history.

3. Admire the meticulous restoration of the House of Blackheads, a prime example of Gothic medieval architecture. More impressive than this is the architectural beauty of Riga's massive cathedral, a huge brick structure with a 90m-high square tower.

4. Walk through the maze of alleys and passages that meander through the complex of Hotel Konventa Seta. Visit its basement museum for a vivid picture of the hotel's eventful history.

5. Visit the Skyline Bar on the 26th floor of Hotel Latvija. The cold beer is good, but the gorgeous view over the Old Town is unforgettable.

Quick Tips:

1. Riga's Tourist Information Office is located inside the House of Blackheads on Ratslaukums. Being the best source of information in the city, it provides free brochures in English and helps with hotel bookings. Ask for your free copy of "Riga This Week."

2. Almost all hotels accept credit cards. To change money, go to one of the numerous exchange offices located along tourist areas. The exchange rate is practically the same everywhere, so it's no use going from one office to another to find the best rate. Torn or marked dollar bills are only accepted at a highly reduced rate.

3. The best place to stock up on foodstuffs is the daily colourful central market on Pragas iela, just behind the bus station. Housed inside five enormous pre-war Zeppelin hangars, this indoor market provides the richest variety of vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, and dairy products in the Baltic.

4. The streets that surround the indoor food market are crammed with rows of market stalls that deal in anything you can imagine. Fresh flowers, pot plants, clothes, shoes, and collectables are among the daily items for sale. Everything is cheap, but check carefully before departing with your cash.

Best Way To Get Around:

1. The train station is located on Stacijas laukums outside the city centre, but within walking distance of the Old Town. Cafés, restaurants, souvenir shops, and a bank form part of the complex. The modern bus station that adjoins the train station houses numerous offices that provide information about departure times to various destinations in Europe.

2. Riga airport is 10km southwest of the capital. Bus no. 22 connects the airport with the city centre every half-hour from 5:50am to 11:15pm.

3. The Riga Card, available from the Tourist Information Office on Ratslaukums, is a good bargain. Besides offering free use of trams and trolley buses and free trains to Jurmala, it also provides discounted museum tickets and a free orientation tour of Old Riga.

4. The only way to get acquainted with the Old Town's sights and attractions is on foot. All streets within the Old Town are pedestrianised. The couple of luxury cars you see here have special entry permits, for which they pay good money. To get an orientation of your whereabouts, ask for a walking map of the Old Town from the Tourist Office. This directs you towards the major sights and most prominent areas.

Within walking distance of the train station and yet along one of the most atmospheric walkways of Riga's Old Town, Hotel Radi un Draugi occupies a 14th-century four-storey building which was expertly renovated inside and out. Marstalu iela where this hotel is located is a 200 metres long pedestrianised street whose north end opens into Audeju iela, a short distance away from St.Peter's Church. The south end of Marstalu iela leads towards the widest section of Riga's ring road and opens just in front of the river.

Radi un Draugi translates into Relatives and Friends. No better name than this could be chosen to witness for the hotel's excellent family and friendly atmosphere. As soon as you enter through the hotel's main door, you will be greeted by a couple of enthusiastic English-speaking receptionists whose friendly manners towards clients are as outstanding as their impeccable blue uniforms. While booking your room, they will ask you to sit over a drink in the adjoining lounge where you'll find a good selection of English dailies and a vast range of tourist brochures from which you can take your pick.

This three-star hotel which has lately become exceedingly popular both with tour operators and with independent tourists offers a choice of 77 cosy rooms spread on 3 floors. During the last renovation and embellishment, each room was given a modern facelift. Our spacious and comfortable double painted in two shades of yellow was completed with light-wood furniture, a satellite television, a direct-dial telephone and a luxurious bathroom. A big door concealed by a pair of curtains that matched the bed coverings opened on to the balcony which overlooked Marstalu iela.

Atmospheric and attractive during the day, this street becomes noisy and rowdy at night when a couple of night clubs and music clubs open their doors for business. If you can't beat all this and you're not in the mood of joining in, ask for a room which overlooks the hotel's inner courtyard.

The hotel's basement has been equipped with facilities for breakfast. Served between 8am and 11am, it is an extravagant manifestation of everything. Fresh fruit in abundance, crispy bread rolls, a choice of hot dishes and a diversity of plain and creamy cakes form part of the splendid display. Eat as much as you like but trying all is unluckily impossible.

The excellent service, the atmospheric location, the great breakfast and the friendliness of the staff have all contributed in making Hotel Radi un Draugi a paradise of relaxation. If you keep in mind the cheap price you have to pay for all this, you will soon understand why it is necessary to book ahead, particularly during the tourist season. If you don't, you stand a good chance of being disappointed.

Even if you limit yourself to the Old Town, there are so many dining options that you'll be spoilt for choice. You may opt for a US$50 dinner in a stylish high-standard establishment or for an US$8 Latvian experience inside one of the traditional fill-ups. Whichever you choose, dining in Riga is always fun and the atmosphere in the Old Town is always pleasant and relaxing. Besides a top location, Restaurant Piligrims offers all this and more.

This restaurant is located on the big square opposite the east side of Riga castle, the official residence of the President of Latvia. The west side of the castle overlooks the wide Daugava River and Vansu tilts, the big bridge that joins the west and east sections of Valdemara iela. From Dome Square in the Old Town, walk northwest for about 50m along Pils iela until you reach the German Embassy on your left. Continue straight for about 20m and turn right, and after a short distance, you'll reach Castle Square, its central section occupied by a small park. You can't miss Piligrims on the east side of the square, where a vast sun-shaded area is taken over for outdoor seating.

The vast menu has a large selection of grilled meat and poultry dishes. The fish menu is not as large, but perch, trout, and carp, either grilled or marinated, are available. The salad is always fresh, and you can choose between french fries, chips, or mashed potatoes. Italian-style spaghetti, penne, or tagliatelle and pizza with various tasty toppings are also on the menu. If, however, you want to eat a lighter meal, you can choose from a vast selection of mouth-watering soups. The international cuisine offered by Piligrims leaves nothing to be desired, and the portions are generous enough to satisfy any hungry client.

Imported varieties of wines and beers are readily available. A couple of red vintages imported from Italy and Hungary complete the wine menu. For a cheaper option, choose Aldaris Pilzenes or Aldaris Zelta, two top local beer varieties. End up your meal with an exclusive slice of Piligrims hazelnut gateaux or an ice-cream boat with fresh fruit and chocolate.

The spacious and cosy interior, friendly atmosphere, generous helpings, and helpful waiters are Piligrims' greatest assets. Add to these the wonderful setting of the tables outside looking over the Presidential Palace and you'll understand why eating here is really value for money. The only drawback is its popularity; unless you phone beforehand for a reservation, you often have to wait for a table.

Piligrims opens daily from 11am to 11pm. Your dinner is accompanied by live music: pop, classic or jazz, depending on the day when you turn up. Don't expect to pay a fortune for all this; a meal for two complete with sweets and drinks sets you back 8 lats, equivalent to US$25.

Riga's daily indoor food market on Pragas iela, behind the railway station, is housed inside five huge Zeppelin hangars built for the military in the 1930s. The products for sale range from vegetables, fresh fruit, and flowers to meat, fish, and dairy products. Everything is fresh and prices are cheap, but the quality of the foodstuffs may not be up to standard. However, even if you don't buy, looking around is worth the adventure.

Much better, though still cheap, is the big outdoor market that surrounds the Zeppelin hangars along Centraltirgus iela and Negu iela. There is no food here, but the wide range of clothes, shoes, bags, pot plants, and collectables is the biggest in the Baltics. If, however, you are looking for authentic, yet inexpensive, Latvian souvenirs, visit the row of stalls and stands located behind the Dome Cathedral on Doma laukums. The display here includes woolen sweaters embroidered with Latvian folk symbols, handmade linen, amber jewellery, leather products, and more.

Latvian shopping is not limited only to markets or outdoor venues. Since the country has opened its doors for business and foreign investment, department stores and specialised shops have emerged everywhere, particularly along the most frequented tourist streets in Riga's Old Town. Located on the town's most prominent street at Audeju iela 16, Centrs is a five-storey department store that houses an excellent food supermarket on the ground floor; designer fashion clothing, books, and Latvian souvenirs on the next three floors; and a health centre on the top floor. Mols, at Krasta iela 46, a huge shopping mall where you can easily spend a whole day, is outside the city centre, but easily reached by one of the free buses parked near the central train station.

Outside the Old Town, but within walking distance, Palazzo Italia, at Barona iela 2, is a five-storey shopping complex specialising in Italian designer fashion clothing, while Plaza Boutique in the Old Town, at Smilsu iela 18, is an elegant two-storey boutique specialising in creative clothing for kids and adults alike. For authentic Latvian linen woven by hand, head to Livs, at Kaleju iela 7, where you can even attend a weaving demonstration and view an extensive exhibition of handmade linens. Mara at Kaleju iela 9/11 has the widest choice of Latvian linens in town, together with a huge display of amber jewellery and traditional souvenirs. For collectables, such as stamps, coins, medals, postcards, and antique pieces in bronze, silver, and leather, visit Roma Antiks, at Kalku iela 28. Better and bigger than Roma, Volmar, at Skunu iela 6, is a two-storey antique shop specialising in late 19th-century bronze, silver, coins, and china. The place is also the venue for a permanent exhibition of Latvian paintings, drawings, and old prints worth seeing even if you don't intend to buy. If you do, however, don't forget to obtain the necessary permit for the export of antiques from the State Inspection Board of History and Cultural Monuments at Pils iela 22.

Unlike an original Latvian painting, a box of sweets or Latvian chocolates does not cost you a fortune. The best assortment of Latvian chocolates packed in souvenir boxes and elegantly wrapped, ready to reach home fresh and in the best condition, is found inside Laima, at Smilsu iela 16. For a cheap drink, go for the fruit-tasting Kvass, a delicious and refreshing light alcoholic drink. Or, for a splurge, why don't you invest in a bottle of Riga d'Or Brandy or a limited-edition Riga 1201 Vodka? Those who cannot afford so much should at least buy a bottle of LB Vodka, the top-selling brand in Riga going for less than 3 lats (US$10).

Before leaving the country, spend your extra lats to buy a bottle or more of 1752 Riga Black Balsam, a unique liqueur made from 24 ingredients and prepared with herbs, flower juices, and medicinal roots. Available from all spirit shops and most supermarkets, it is a black, thick liqueur that goes down better when mixed with vodka.

Enjoy a Latvian shopping spree and take back home a piece of Riga!

Vecriga is the Latvian name for Riga's Old Town. Crammed with cobbled streets, alleyways, medieval churches and century-old residential buildings, it can rightly be called a sanctuary of history. Add to these the various museums that depict the Latvians as the victims of totalitarianism and you can't help feeling pity for a nation which strived hard since the beginning of the 20th century to gain everlasting freedom. There's no better way to taste all this than to stroll along the streets of this romantic sanctuary which displays with amazing clarity the history and culture of Latvia.

The best starting point is the Freedom Monument on Brivibas iela, outside the Old Town. Constructed in 1935, ironically five years before Latvia's freedom was taken over by the Soviets and deportations to Siberia were not uncommon, this monument is a bronze casting of a woman, fondly nicknamed Milda standing on a high pillar and holding three golden stars in her hands. The stars actually symbolise three Latvian regions but during Soviet occupation, the stars were meant to represent the three Baltic states held in the good (read: iron) hands of Mother Russia.

If you walk southeast along Brivibas iela for about 100 metres, you reach Kalku iela, the street that divides the Old Town neatly into two and leads as far as Akmens tilts which spans the Daugava River. Continue straight along Kalku iela for about 150 metres until on your right, you reach Filharmonyas skvers, an irregularly shaped square and a top venue of outdoor restaurants and snack bars. Push yourself against the crowds and walk across the square until on your left you reach Amatu iela, a narrow street full of Old Town charm and character. The restored building of the Great Guild is on the right side while the Small Guild is housed inside a Gothic building on the left. Amatu iela leads into Skunu iela which runs northwest and opens into Doma laukums, the big square mostly occupied by the massive Dome Cathedral. This brick box-like structure dates back to 1211 but it has undergone multiple facelifts over the centuries. What you see today is the reconstruction of 1776 when the cathedral's tower was raised to a height of 90 metres. You have the opportunity to listen to the wonderful tone of its famous organ if you attend one of the organ recitals which are held daily in the cathedral.

From Doma laukums, walk northeast along the whole length of Smilsu iela until you reach the Pulvertornis, the only tower of the old fortifications that is still standing. This historical tower houses the Museum of War, worth a visit for its permanent exhibitions about Latvia's involvement in World War I, the proclamation of the Latvian state and the tough road towards independence. Like all historical museums in Latvia, the exhibitions portray with astonishing clarity the systematic attempts to destroy Latvia and the sufferings the people had to bear under the Soviets and the Nazis.

After visiting the tower, turn left and walk along Tornis iela past the long stretch of wonderfully restored barracks on the right side and fragments of the old defensive wall on the left. After about 100 metres, you'll reach the Swedish Gate, a small gate added to the fortifications in 1698 to celebrate the Scandinavian occupation of Riga. Pass through the gate and walk along narrow Aldaru iela until you come across Troksnu iela on your right. Troksnu iela leads towards one of the oldest churches in Riga, St.Jacob's Church, opposite which you'll find the Renaissance-style Latvian Parliament. From here, small Klostera iela leads towards three medieval residential houses nicknamed 'The Three Brothers' which adjoin each other along Maza Pils iela. Walk west to the end of Maza Pils iela, turn left and continue north until you reach a big square with a small central park. This is Pils laukums or Castle square. The big building on your left is the east side of Riga castle, the official residence of the President of Latvia.

If this walk along the medieval streets of Riga was not enough to satisfy your appetite for history, there are still more historical attractions to admire and more architectural styles to discover. The House of Blackheads on Strelnieku laukums was built from scratch after World War II and now looks wonderful after recent restoration works were completed. Nearby, a couple of metres away, a black modern glass structure houses the excellent Occupation Museum which portrays the history of Latvia from 1940 to 1991 through numerous original photos, documents and correspondence.

From Strelnieku laukums, you can't miss Riga's landmark: the tower of St.Peter's Church, a huge Gothic structure that was rebuilt several times through the centuries. Walk towards the church, visit its modest interior and take the lift up to the observation platform from where you can enjoy a wonderful bird's eye view of Riga. From St.Peter's Church, Skarnu iela leads south towards the Dominican Monastery and the adjoining St.John's Church. The Baroque altar, the stained glass windows and the statues that adorn the altar niches are wonderful works of art worth seeing. Enter St.John's courtyard and walk through the numerous passages of the Convent's Yard (Konventa Seta) which has now been artistically restored to house a hotel complex. In the basement, there are some souvenir and handicraft shops which double as exhibition centres displaying a wide choice of handmade linen, amber, silver jewellery and other Latvian works of art.