WINTER GUIDES
92
/
WIZZ MAGAZINE
RIGA
Latvia
TOUCHDOWN
Visible from nearly anywhere in
Riga’sOld Town, the towering
spire of
St. Peter’s Church
(
peterbaznica.riga.lv
) is a good
place to get the lay of the land
with its 72m-high observation
deck. The 13th-century house of
worship was destroyed by fire a
number of times, most recently
duringWorldWar II. Thankfully,
its new spire was rebuilt with a
lift this time, whichmeans you
don’t need to be an athlete or an
alpinist to enjoy fantastic views of
the Latvian capital.
GETOUT
If you’d like to get into the
yuletide spirit this December,
there’s no better place than
the
ChristmasMarket
(
vzt.lv
)
on Doma laukums (Cathedral
Square). You’ll find a plethora
of stalls selling authentic Latvian
crafts, fromwool mittens to amber
jewellery, all in the shadow of
the largest church in the Baltics.
Expect livemusic in the square,
as well as dance performances
and regular visits by Santa until
9 January 2015.
EATWELL
For a contemporary take on Latvian
cuisine, try
ValteraRestorans
(
valterarestorans.lv
). From organic
meats to vegetables grown on
sustainable farms, the restaurant
is focussed on local produce,
served inabeautiful whitewashed
space that dates back to 1702.
Meanwhile, wineaficionados
canpair refined international dishes
with theperfect pinot or cabernet at
stylish
VinaStudija
(
vinastudija.lv
).
SOFIA
Bulgaria
TOUCHDOWN
Dominating the centre of town,
AlexanderNevskyCathedral
took nearly 10 years tobuild, with
constructionbeginning shortly after
Bulgarian independenceat the turn
of the20th century. Capable of
holding up to 7,000people, this
monumental churchwas erected
in honour of theRussian Tsar,
whose troops defeatedBulgaria’s
Ottoman overlords.
The
SofiaArtGallery
focuses
mainlyonworksbyBulgarianpainters
and sculptors from the last century.
Depictionsof Sofia, including its
marketsandpublic figures, aregiven
prideof place in thehigh-ceilinged
hallsof this former casino.
sghg.bg
GETOUT
With shows at least three nights
a week, the
Sofia LiveClub
is
one of the best places in town
for music lovers. Opened in
2009, the SLC is known for its
quality acoustics and comfortable
surroundings, with pop, rock, funk
and jazz themain genres on offer.
sofialiveclub.com
EATWELL
‘Traditional’ best describes
Pod
Lipite
(
podlipitebg.com
), where
classic Bulgarian dishes are
servedwithin a handsome
timber-and-bare-brick interior.
A highlight is the
kojlyuvski
stew,
comprising pork, onions, tomatoes,
aubergines and carrots.
The
HadjidraganoviteHouses
(
kashtite.com
) contains four
restaurants in a complex created
by a 19th-century merchant,
beautifully restored and re-opened
in 2004. Dishes are prepared in a
traditional wood-fire oven, and the
meat skewer platter of
voevodska
sofra
is perfect for sharing.
DRINKUP
Open until 4am every day except
Sundays,
Rock It
hosts lively nights
with eclectic themes, fromAC/DC
and Rammstein to the films of
Quentin Tarantino.
rockit.bg
GETTING TO THE CENTRE
See 96 for details.
Words by PeterjonCresswell
DRINKUP
Latvians love their beer, so join
the crowd and choose from eight
different craft brews at
Labietis
(
labietis.lv
), all created on the
premises. Start with a flowery IPA
or a fruity raspberry brew and
move on to dark concoctions with
names like Tapeworm Killer and
Beekeeper’sWidow.
GETTING TO THE CENTRE
See page 98 for details.
Words byMartins Zaprauskis
