Old town Kalku Apartment

Cafes, restaurants, souvenir stalls, and little shops for everyday things are right outside, with everything close at hand. We walked all over Riga’s center and felt we’d seen even more than the guidebook suggested. The apartment is right in the heart of the city, but it’s on the fifth floor with no elevator. That’s understandable in such an old building. You can still see it in the black-and-white photos at the House of the Blackheads museum.

The bed was super comfortable, and the radiators get very hot, which is great if you tend to feel cold. There’s a widescreen CRT TV, and the decoder includes YouTube. The apartment itself is large and sits right in Riga’s Old Town, with pubs and shops all around. The climb is a lot: it’s the top floor of a tall building, with very high stairs, so it may not work for anyone who struggles with stairs. Finding the key locker is another hassle, since it’s in a different staircase in another building and hard to locate on Google Maps. Hot water comes from a heater, but the pressure is low. There’s no sink in the toilet, so you have to go to the bathroom to wash your hands. The DVDs are all in Russian, though that’s a minor issue.

The parking spot right outside the door is especially valuable with the local parking choices and prices. The staircase is a little rustic, but inside the apartment is in excellent shape and well equipped. It’s a very nice, affordable place in the heart of the city.

I was completely satisfied.