9.00-10.00 AM : My first stop was walking through the narrow Troksnu street to find the Swedish gate, which originally provided access to barracks outside of the old city walls. While walking along the original city walls, I accidentally found a mural named "The Ghost." After studying this artwork, I went looking for the building complex of the Three Brothers (the white brother, the middle brother and the green brother). The white brother is the oldest and was built around the 14th century, the middle and the green brother were built later. Sadly, you can't visit the houses, but you can check out the museum, which I didn't include in my tour.
10.00-12.00 AM : Since many museums are closed early in the morning, I was waiting until the Dome Cathedral opened (from 1st October to 30 June, it opens from 10.00 AM). I believe I paid about 4,5 euro, but I didn't get a chance to get to the roof top (due to bad weather). I got the chance to walk around and see the golden Rooster that is quite well known among many Soviet people from fairy tales,. You can see him on the top of churches to serve as a wind indicator for the city or to defend from evil powers. I read somewhere a very interesting story about this golden Rooster that described how it got replaced many times due to strong wind or odd occurrences. I was trying to find the article that I read, but couldn't figure out where I stumbled across it (somewhere near the "end of the Internet"). All I remember is that there was a tradition by masters who fixed the rooster to drink a full glass of wine and throw the glass from the top. After the Dome Cathedral visit, I went to look for "1221 restaurant" that I have seen on Pinterest. I didn't get a chance to eat there, because I didn't feel hungry enough. It looked cute enough though.
12.00-14.00 PM: Since I still hadn't gotten a chance to see Riga from the top, I went to St. Peter's church for their rooftop view. The entrance cost is 9 euro per person. Besides the top view, you can enjoy the photography exhibition of Latvia. Before you enter, make sure to check out the very popular Bremen musician statue from the Brother's Grimm fairy tale.
14.00-16.00 PM: After enjoying the view of the city from the top (to be honest, I was freeeziiiiiing), I headed over to the House of Blackheads. The House of Blackheads was built in 1334, destroyed during World War II, and then rebuilt. It serves not only as exhibition venue, but also as a temporary residence for the Latvian president. My favorite room was the Conference Hall. The ticket price was 6 euro per person. Afterward, I decided to grab something to eat. Since I have a sweet tooth, I couldn't resist stopping at Laima chocolate store. When you walk near the store, you will be followed by delicious smell of chocolate. Their recipe, originally from 1870, hasn't changed since 1937.
16.00-17.00 PM: To stay warm, I decided to take a look at Arsenals - Fine Art Museum. I recall paying about 4,5 euro for entrance. I have somewhat mixed feelings about this museum. Unfortunately, I feel like I actually wasted my time. To compensate, I decided to go out and look out for the famous house with black cats on the roof. The legend of this house says that the owner of the house ordered two cats that were facing away from Riga City Council (thus showing their butts), because he wanted to be a member and he was refused.
17.00-19.00 PM: After an hour of wandering, I decided to stop at Mentzendorff House. Surprisingly, no one was in there and I got to enjoy it by myself. The entrance ticket costs 5 euro. After the Mentzendorff House, I met with my husband for dinner at Dome Hotel's restaurant. The place specializes in locally-sourced seafood.
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