Why does Riga Central Market look like aircraft hangars?

Because it partly is one – when the city needed a new market building in the 1920s, the winning design reused the metal frameworks of two World War I German Zeppelin hangars, originally built at Vaiņode Air Base, repurposing their tops into five market pavilions.

When did Riga Central Market open?

Construction ran from 1924 to 1930 – slower than the planned five years, after a funding halt between 1926 and 1928 – and the market opened for trading on 10 November 1930, the same day its overcrowded predecessor closed.

Is Riga Central Market part of the UNESCO listing?

Yes – it was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with Riga's historic centre in 1998, recognised as one of the most significant 20th-century structures in Latvia.

How big is Riga Central Market?

It's regularly cited as one of the largest markets and bazaars in Europe, spread across five pavilions plus open-air stalls, selling everything from local cheese and smoked fish to fresh produce and baked goods.

Is the food tour worth it over browsing the market alone?

The market is open and easy to wander independently, but a guide gets you tasting specific stalls and dishes rather than guessing, plus the history of the Zeppelin-hangar pavilions themselves, which isn't signposted anywhere inside.

How long does the food tour take?

About 2 hours, covering the market's tastings before continuing to the Old Town for lunch.

Riga Central Market food tour

Riga Central Market is partly built from World War I airship hangars, and a guided food tour turns a walk through it into more than 20 tastings of Latvian food before finishing with lunch in the Old Town.

Zeppelin hangars turned market pavilions

When Riga's overcrowded 1920s market needed a replacement, the winning design – by architect Pāvils Dreijmanis and engineer S. Žitkovs – reused something unexpected: the metal frameworks of two German Zeppelin hangars, Walhalla and Walther, originally built during World War I at Vaiņode Air Base. Only the upper sections of the airship-scale hangars proved practical to repurpose, forming the basis of five market pavilions blending Neoclassicism and Art Deco. Construction started in 1924 and, slowed by a funding halt between 1926 and 1928, took seven years instead of the planned five – the market finally opened for trading on 10 November 1930, the same day its cramped predecessor closed. It was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List alongside Riga's historic centre in 1998, and is still regularly counted among the largest markets in Europe.

Tasting your way through

The food tour threads through the pavilions and open-air stalls with a guide who picks the stops – more than 20 tastings across local cheese, smoked fish, pickled vegetables, honey and baked goods – before continuing on to Riga's Old Town for a sit-down traditional lunch, tying the market visit into the rest of a day exploring the city centre.

Booking

The small-group food tasting tour runs about 2 hours with a dedicated food tour guide, available in English and German, with a private-group option. It's a well-reviewed, frequently sold-out option, so book a day or two ahead. Continuing on to the Old Town afterward? The Old Town walking tour covers Riga's historic core the same UNESCO listing protects.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

A small-group walk through Riga Central Market with a food tour guide, including more than 20 tastings of Latvian food and drink, finishing with a traditional lunch in the Old Town.

Image: Jorge Láscar via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)