Ice season is coming for the pavement. Free winter sand in Riga starts Monday — grit for the strip by your building before it turns into a rink.
From 9 November to 25 February, Riga Council will give free anti-slip sand for hard-surface sidewalks next to private property — 50 kg per property (two 25 kg bags) for owners, managers and caretakers who keep those walks clear.
Key facts
- When: 9 November 2026 to 25 February 2027
- Who: property owners, managers and caretakers responsible for adjoining hard-surface sidewalks
- How much: 50 kg per property (2 × 25 kg bags)
- Book first: call 1201 or email aic@riga.lv, then bring a signed application (or send it e-signed)
- You load it: you collect, carry and load the bags yourself
How do you get free winter sand in Riga?
Book before you show up. Call the city on 1201 or write to aic@riga.lv with your contact details. At pickup you hand in a filled, signed application — the form is on the Riga Council release — or e-sign it and send it to the same address.
The sand is for the hard-surface sidewalk next to your property, the one you’re responsible for keeping clear.
Where can you pick it up?
Four fixed sites run through the season:
- Daugavpils iela 31 — Mondays and Thursdays, 9:30 AM–4:30 PM
- Ieriķu iela 43A — Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
- Gobas iela 6A — Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
- Uzvaras bulvāris 16A — Mondays and Thursdays, 9:30 AM–4:30 PM
In mid-November the city also brings bags to autumn leaf drop points across neighbourhoods — Mežaparks, Čiekurkalns, Vecāķi, Ziepniekkalns, Imanta, Bieriņi, Dārziņi, Pleskodāle, Teika, Dārzciems, Purvciems and Jugla on 14–15 and 21–22 November. Exact spots and times are in the council release. Book those too, so they stock enough.
City crews are already lining up for winter: 174 machines and 115 staff for streets, bridges and the walks the municipality owns, with €7.3 million set aside for the city’s own sidewalk clearing this winter. Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs admits last winter showed what needed fixing, and he’s telling people to dial 1201 when a stretch stays dangerous.
Book the bags before the first real glaze. Slippery walks don’t wait for paperwork.
Photo: Snow on Bulļu iela, Riga, April 2022, DrewAir / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
