About Riga
The biggest city in the Baltic states, Riga blends timeless tradition and cutting-edge cool. A Nordic blonde with a fiery heart, there is far more to Riga than meets the eye. Its 800 years of turbulent history have seen everyone from German knights to Swedish kings and Soviet commissars leave their mark. Today, Latvia’s capital is an exciting European metropolis at the crossroads of eastern and northern Europe. Riga’s skyline tells its story - timeless Gothic spires in the Old Town mingle with the grand facades of one of the world’s richest collections of Art Nouveau buildings on the city's boulevards.
Main cycling challenges
Riga has no deep-seated cycling tradition, and most people do not use the bike as their everyday mode of transport. An understanding of the link between cycling and green and healthy living is increasing annually by 10% among inhabitants. The greatest challenge is addressing a lack of good quality, well-connected and safe cycling infrastructure. Awareness raising is necessary among all road users - drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians and public transport users - to communicate the shared principles of mutual understanding and a safe road movement.
