Lāčplēsis Day and 18 November are coming, and the Riga road closures start early. If you drive the embankment, park in Pārdaugava or planned to fly a drone over the parade, read this first.
Riga Council’s list is out. The closures start Monday 9 November on Bāriņu iela in Pārdaugava and run until late on the 18th, on the 11. novembra krastmala, the Old Town embankment.
Key facts
- Bāriņu iela is closed to traffic from 8 PM on 9 November to noon on 12 November.
- No stopping or parking on Mazā Nometņu iela and Hermaņa iela from 8 AM on 9 November.
- The 11. novembra krastmala closes from 5 PM to midnight on 11 November, then again from the afternoon of 17 November to the evening of 18 November.
- Akmens (Stone) Bridge closes to traffic for about one to two hours during the 18 November parade.
- Vanšu Bridge stays open to walk across, but gathering on it is banned.
- Only the National Armed Forces may fly drones during the holiday events.
When are roads closed in Riga for Lāčplēsis Day?
From 8 AM on Monday 9 November, no stopping or parking on Mazā Nometņu iela between Ojāra Vācieša iela and Kokles iela, or on Hermaņa iela between Ojāra Vācieša iela and Bāriņu iela.
From 8 PM that evening, Bāriņu iela shuts to traffic until noon on Thursday 12 November.
Across the river, parking is banned on the street running parallel to the 11. novembra krastmala, between Poļu gāte and Bīskapa gāte, from 3 PM on Tuesday 10 November until midnight on the 11th. On Wednesday 11 November, the embankment itself closes between Akmens Bridge and Vanšu Bridge from 5 PM to midnight.
What closes for the 18 November parade?
From 8 PM on Monday 16 November until 11 PM on 18 November, no stopping or parking on the 11. novembra krastmala from Akmens Bridge to Muitas iela, or on the parallel street.
The embankment closes to traffic from the afternoon of Tuesday 17 November, when the military parade has its dress rehearsal, until the evening of the 18th. Akmens Bridge may shut briefly during the rehearsal, and it closes to traffic for about one to two hours during the parade itself. Public transport keeps running on both days, the council says.
Want a feel for the day? Here is how Riga celebrated Latvia’s 107th birthday last year.
What about Vanšu Bridge and drones?
Vanšu Bridge stays open to pedestrians, but you can’t gather on it, so treat it as a walkway, not a viewing spot. It’s been a rough autumn for that bridge already: its exit to Pils laukums shut for 10 days in October, and the city is fighting over a €20M temporary bridge for when repairs begin.
For security reasons, only the National Armed Forces may fly drones during the holiday events. Everyone else is asked to keep theirs grounded at the venues.
Some public transport routes may be shortened or diverted, so check Rīgas satiksme before heading out. The Staro Rīga light festival also runs over the holidays and brings its own restrictions. The council says those details land next week on riga.lv and its social accounts. Full details are in Riga Council’s announcement.
Plan the route, leave the car, bring a warm coat. See you on the embankment.
Photo: Latvian Independence Day military parade, Riga, 2014 by Juris Paiders / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
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