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OutUK's Adrian Gillan greets those Baltic boys in raunchy Riga.
Torn between Germany and Russia for centuries, proud little Latvia - newly independent since 1991 - has only just started to rediscover itself after the latest decades of Soviet oppression. |
Early morning on the River Daugava.
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A tiny yet well-formed gay scene is slowly emerging in
capital Riga - just beyond the Old Town boundary - which can surely only thrive
now the nation has hosted Eurovision, joined the EU and starred in one of the most controversial
bare-backing porn flick ever called
Postcards From Riga.
Homosexuality has been legal in Latvia since 1992, and the age of consent has been 16 for all persuasions since 1998; however, the nation continues to face pressure from the EU on other matters such as anti-discrimination laws having only allowed civil partnership rights a couple of years ago. Bounded by Estonia, Russia, Lithuania and Belarus, local lads - who can boast defected ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov amongst their number - speak Latvian and Russian plus a smattering of German, and English is taking off amongst the young. | |
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The Euro is the currency and generally things are cheap for foreigners. A slap up
meal with wine will set you back no more than five to ten euros per head in many eateries;
the same amount will hire you your own cab to take you around town for an hour.
The temperature ranges from average summer highs of 18-20 deg C to average winter lows of minus 8-10 deg C - so wrap up warm, especially Jan-Feb. |
Eat your heart out Jamie Oliver.At Vincents in Riga. Photo:Andris Tone. |
| A short, and very cheap, ten minute cab ride from the modern international airport and you are in Riga's intimate, cobbled and spired Old Town, penned in against the Daugava River - completely frozen over when we were there - by the moat of the now-gone Old Town walls, presently a pleasant parkland strip. | |
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The best and only way to see the old town - most notably the Dome Cathedral, St
Peter's Church, the Castle and the harrowing Museum of (Nazi & Soviet) Occupation -
is on foot. Further afield, cheap minibus tours depart regularly from central Rats
Square taking in the impressive Art Nouveau architecture and sundry monuments to
freedom and liberation.
A few tours even go out to the splendid Rundale Palace, which shares the same designer as The Hermitage in St Petersburg. Of course, you can see the whole town instantly as you sip a coffee or beer up at the Sky Bar on the 26th Floor of the Hotel Latvja, ascended in its nerve-tingling external glass elevator! |
Art Noveau architecture in Riga.Photo:Ainars Meiersier. |
And don't forget to take a cab out to the suburbs, to Riga Motor Museum with its
impressive array of stylish vintage cars including Stalin's 1949 ZIL 115 and the
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Nixon gave Brezhnev, only for him to crash! And browse
one of Europe's largest indoor markets, housed in five colossal connected Zeppelin
hangers just behind the main railway station. Then dig in for a bite to eat at the
cosy restaurant next to the outdoor pond-cum-ice-rink The Lido which boasts its
very own brewery.
GAY FRIENDLY BARSSkyline Bar has some incredible views and delicious cocktails. Their service is impeccable from taking coats at the door, to holding out chairs as you sit down and their prompt service. It's not an exclusively gay bar, but the Skyline Bar is certainly gay-friendly. It also has unbeatable views of the city skyline, perfect for a romantic date night. They also serve fantastic cocktails and good food and are famous for a range of seafood options.Aleponija is a very quirky and cool gay friendly bar in Riga. Don’t let the peeling paint on this old wooden building or its semi-clandestine location detract you from entering this underground bar, which prides itself on its commendable selection of Latvian craft brews. Follow the pathway behind this forlorn house and you’ll find an extensive courtyard terrace as well as the entrance to a unique space that’s part granny’s living room and part hipster squat. The music is as diverse as the décor. CLUBBINGWhile Riga is increasingly getting a reputation as one of the best party cities in Europe, this sadly does not extend to its gay scene, and there are very few gay bars and clubs in the city. | |
| The best known and most established is TOP on A. Kalnina Street with its giant porn screens and darkroom warren plus a busy disco 'til 7am cum weekends. TOP Club is divided into a bar, disco, art zone, cruising, tete-a-tete, a lounge with a fireplace and a variety of other areas. They host local DJs, some Drag Queens and a regular and popular karaoke event. |
* Friday and Saturday nights is showtime at TOP.
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The other notable favourite is the Bunker Cruising Bar located in the center of Riga, 50m right of the TOP Club.
They have a popular Bar, dark-rooms, videos and cruising area. It's 10 euros to get in most nights unless you can
prove you are aged between 18 and 21. On Saturdays this doesn't apply at all as they hold a mixed swingers night.
The Atbalss Gay Sauna also has a busy bar as well as a sauna for up to 12 people, infrared sauna for 2 and a small Jacuzzi for 2. They also hold a disco in a separate lounge. On Friday and Saturday the sauna is for homosexual and bisexual men and their friends only, the rest of the week it's much more of a mixed crowd. PLEASE NOTE: THE SAUNA HAS RECENTLY CLOSED TEMPORARILY OUTDOOR LIFE | |
| Outdoor cruising hasn't really taken off in Riga given all the freezing temperatures. In summer you might try your luck with a half hour bus drive west of town to the Baltic coast and the 25-mile golden sandy stretch that is Jurmala Beach where local lads love to play, although you'll really only be able to look and watch. |
Old City Riga - Photo: Raxpixel.com
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Kupidon Plus, or Cupid Plus has been in existence for more than 20 years offering a wide range of pharmaceutical, various creams, sprays and drops as well as erotic
underwear, sex toys and accessories for men, fetish clothing, BDSM accessories, lubricants and massage products, and gifts for parties. Although this shop is not exclusively
gay it does have the theater and DVD movie sale. Labi is a small cinema and shop which has gay videos being shown daily in two rooms between 10am and 7pm.
GETTING THEREYou can get direct flights from London to Riga on Lufthansa. Finnair also provide a service, as do two smaller airlines LOT and Wizz, operating out of Heathrow and Luton respectively.BED & BOARDWe could certainly recommend the Metropole: one of Riga's oldest hotels, though recently renovated, it was a renowned espionage hub in the 1930s, as you can easily imagine gazing out onto the icy streets as trams rattle by outside. It also has what is widely acknowledged as one of the finest restaurants in Riga, and is perfectly positioned - on the edge of the Old Town in the direction out towards the gay scene, opposite the famous Riga Opera House and near the train station, should you want to make a journey: 8 hours to St Petersburg, 13 hours to Moscow. |
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Photography courtesy Inspiration Riga except * Club XXL/TOP. Revised September 2024. |