After an impressive reconstruction in 2016, the Riga Motor Museum has become the largest historical gallery of antique vehicles in the whole Baltics. Everything you could ever want to learn about cars, their manufacturing, and the automobile industry from the onset of the late 19th century/early 20th century to the modern day can be found here, with a heavy focus on relics from the era of Soviet production.

The car employed by one of Latvia’s most recognized historical figures, Kārlis Ulmanis, can be found here, alongside other notable models driven by many historic persons. A walk through the museum becomes more than just an of viewing old vehicles. It is an experience that takes you back many decades. You can sit in an old-school bus and drive through the Latvian countryside or ring up a soviet-era phone booth to listen to anecdotes. And, if modern drives are more your style, they have a whole racing setup – wheel, gear shift, pedals – allowing you to take a tour through the digitally mapped Biķernieku race track; which, by the way, you can catch a glimpse of through the museum’s windows.

Many tourists tend to opt out of visiting The Motor Museum, as it is far from the city center and not so easily accessible by public transport. If I was your guide, however, I’d find a way to get us there, as the experience within the Motor Museum is unforgettable, especially since you are allowed to take pictures wherever and of whatever you wish.