Riga Christmas Tour
Latvians have always loved to tell stories and uphold traditions. Over the centuries, autumn and winter evenings created a special environment for new stories to be made up. Myths flowed together with memories, and new traditions emerged. One legend has to do with the tradition of decorating Christmas trees began in Riga 500 years ago. We invite you to enjoy a Christmas holidays in Riga - on the birthplace of Christmas Tree.
Day 1
- Arrival in Riga, meeting and transfer to the hotel, check in.
- First evening in beautiful and decorated Christmas Riga. We invite you to explore Riga's festival "Christmas Tree Trail", which is a fresh and original artistic activity in an urban environment, which exhibits new, traditional or completely avant-garde visions of the Christmas tree. The festival's outdoor installations are copyrighted works by the students of the Latvian Academy of Art or project authors selected during the festival's competition. "Christmas Tree Trail" started two years ago and featured 25 installations – classical Christmas trees, and those decorated with a fresh approach. Last year, the festival presented 42 traditional or new and innovative Christmas trees, bringing wide public interest and enthusiasm. This year already 50 Christmas trees are presented around Riga. The festival is a continuation of ancient events and modern traditions – the legend of Riga, as the capital of the first decorated Christmas tree, lives on.
- Overnight in Riga.
Day 2
- Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
- Guided Christmas Riga Old Town walking tour includes all famous sights of the Old Town: St.Peter's Church, Riga Dome Cathedral, the House of the Blackheads, Swedish Gate, the Cat House, the Freedom Monument, Three Brothers, Liv Square, Small and Great Guild Houses, St.John's Church, Bremen Town Musicians, Riga Castle and many many others.
- At the evening we invite you at the first class restaurant to celebrate the upcoming holiday season in the free atmosphere of a good taste. The restaurant is decorated for Christmas and special Christmas treats are offered. You will be warmly welcomed to the delicious 4-course Christmas dinner.
- Overnight in Riga.
Day 3
- Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
- Enjoy Christmas time in Riga!
- At the evening we invite you to Christmas Organ Music concert at the Dome Cathedral which will feature Ave Maria by Bach - Gounod, Ave Maria by Tosti, aria Dignare from Handel's cantata Dettingen Te Deum, and other popular and favoured sacral opuses. For enjoying the atmosphere of the First Christmas day the soloist has promised to include the most beautiful Christmas melodies in the programme. "Each prayer is a talk with God, and my talk with God occurs in music," counter-tenor Sergejs Jegers says and invites the audience to the concert; the organ will be played by Diana Jaunzeme with whom the singer has regular creative cooperation.
- Overnight in Riga.
Day 4
- Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
- This afternoon we invite you to the Ethnographic Open Air museum to take a part in the traditional Winter party with hot drinks and snow-drifts in a torch light of a winter evening. Let’s dress warmly and meet in a winter fairy-tale at the ending of another year!
- Overnight in Riga.
Day 5
- Breakfast at the hotel, check out, transfer to the airport.