central market (centraltirgus)

Even in cold February the stands outside the hangars were occupied by local salesmen. Just about anything can be bought in the Central market. Inside the hangars there was mostly food, in all kinds of varities. The food is cheaper in the market than in the shops. The hangars are rather crowded. It seems that the Central market is the place where the locals go. Thus showing a more honest picture of how life in Riga is. We ended up buying goat milk soap and candles made of beewax.

Huge market spread through five enormous zeppelin hangers and also outside. The fish market is a lot more interesting than Billingsgate with everything from Beluga Caviar to still gasping for breath carp. The fish is certainly fresh!The other halls are filled with fruit & veg, meat (not so keen on the pig's heads staring out of one counter)flowers, spices, cakes and very good value honey.Great place to see everyday life in Riga. Busy but everyone was very courteous - as they were everywhere in Riga. None of the jostling that you expect in markets elsewhere in the world - indeed everywhere that we went I found the Latvians to be some of the most well mannered people that I have encountered.

Well worth a visit. See this market with its extensive displays of produce. I started at the first Zeppelin Hanger with its oceans of all sorts of strange (to me at any rate) fish. Whatever about the fresh fish, I was really amazed at the range of smoked, salted and dried fish. Still more strange were the heaps of roe. The next hanger featured fruit and vegetables. I was struck by the displays of shredded and chopped vegetables. Pyramids of pomegranates were topped by some sliced open to show their bright red content stripped of the encasing pith. I'd seen so much in the first three Hangers and in the exterior flower market that I decided to leave the scary prospect of viewing the meat market for another day!!

Its in four old zeppelin hangers and offered sanctuary from the cold. But its very good to visit and see the fish,meat, fruit and cheeses expertly displayed. Its good to try the bread and cakes as they are very cheap and tasty

Weil this is the real heart for the locals shopping. You can see the range and depth of produce the locals go and buy. Its worth the walk. Huge buildings were apparently built as Airship hangars!

Huge indoor market area which will appeal to those that like to see a bit of local life when on their travels. A good few hours can be spent wandering around the stalls brimming with all sorts of stuff. The fish is the high point but not for the squeamish.There are bars and cafes along the way: true no nonsense working class places selling fantastic food and drink as good as you'll get anywhere in the Old Town, and for half the price.

I have been going to Riga maybe 10 times by now and last time was Christmas. Somehow nearlyevery day I end up in Central Market. Those old Zeppelin halls and outside market seem to pull me like a magnet. You can buy nearly everything but international labels. Meat, veggies, fruit, clothing etc. It is like a very large indoor outdoor mall. The customers are local and there they canfind what they need and prices are affordable, to me sometimes very cheap.Inside tha halls you can find small restaurants dood for a quick drink or something to bite.You are not pressured to by anything and a nice way of spending time is to wander from one hall to another and just watch. After walking around I usually go to Zepelin restaurant get a drink and sit by one of the big windows and watch people walk by and wonder how it`s possible that so many people visit the area daily, remembering that there are great many really big shopping centers in Riga. A place worth visiting for sure.

Where ordinary Latvians go shopping .... There is a great display of goods on sale here (and many a bargain to be had).If you are self catering in Riga this is a great place to stock up on provisions.What a fantastic use for five old Zeppelin Hangers

This is a tourist attraction as well as a place to come and buy your fruit and vegetables. It's great for people watching but doesn't have the street food culture I was expecting.

A perfect place to do what the locals do. Great shopping for fresh produce. An amazing selection of fresh meat, vegetables and fish and anything else that you could possibly think ofThe smoked meat and fish was probably the best I have seen anywhereA couple of really inexpensive restaurants there too.

There are 5 zepplin hangers.each has a different food. I have never ever seen so much meat in one place. The fruit and veg was amazing. Beautifully displayed and such wonderful colours. The fish market has a magnificent amount of smoked fish and the freshest fish you can buy! It is still wriggling on the slab. I found it a little cruel but I suppose it is a cultural thing. Be warned they can flip and splash you. I only hope the ice around them numbs their brains enough to take the stress away

The central Market in Riga, close to the main train & bus station is more of an attraction than a shopping destination. It is housed in five restored WW1 Zeppelin hangars which were brought here from an airbase close to the border with Lithuania. The market was built between 1924 and 1930 and is a mix of neoclassical and art deco. UNESCO has heritage listed the building. There's 4 in a row along the canal, divided into the fish, veg, gastronomic & milk pavilions. Separate and at right angles is the meat pavilion. When buying snacks you get a piece of paper and take it to the main cash desk in the pedestrianised street between the two parts of the market. It is free to enter but might help having a friend to describe what is on offer. There are a lot of Russian speakers here so a basic knowledge may help.

Next to the international bus station you will find this market. It's huge and sells a lot of different things (food, fresh fruit, fish, clothes etc.). The food here is cheap, definitely way cheaper than in the supermarkets (in the supermarkets in Riga you will pay the same prices as in Western-Europe). If you are looking for some cheap food or just some snack, I can recommend this place.

The central market is impressive and gives an authentic feel for what it might be like to live in Riga both now and 50+ years ago. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the Central Market for souvenir hunters or families with small children looking for some Latvian charm, but it's different than anything I had seen before and definitely worth the trip.

This should be under attraction and Not for shopping. It's just amazing of what you see there. Will find anything you are looking for.