When Riga's high society had enough of the hustle, bustle, noise and grime of the city in the early 20th century, they decided to build a garden city north of the centre where they could relax in the bosom of Mother Nature. Kaiser's Park, as it was then known, became the ideal place to live for anyone who needed a patch of green and had the requisite cash to spend. Today, not much has changed and the beautiful buildings erected during that period, even the ones in need of renovation after decades of Soviet neglect, still fetch some of the highest real estate prices in the country.

But to view architecture and to see how the nouveau riche live aren't the only reasons to visit Mežaparks. Riga's most illustrious park is also home to the Song Festival grounds, or lielā estrade, an impressive zoo, a lake for water sports and smooth paved streets for in-line skating. Visit some wildlife, rent a jet ski, enjoy the scenery or just have a beer at a local café. To reach Mežaparks take tram N°11 from Kr. Barona to the Mežaparks stop.