Carl Johann Felsko Apartment

You know what caught me off guard about the Carl Johann Felsko Apartment? The name makes it sound like some stuffy historical place, but honestly, it’s just a really solid apartment-style stay right in the heart of Riga that feels more like crashing at a friend’s place than staying in a hotel. I mean, when you’re walking up Aleksandra Čaka iela – and locals just call it Čaka street – you’re literally in one of those neighborhoods where actual Rigans live and work, not some touristy bubble.

The apartment itself is what I’d call unpretentiously comfortable. Sure, it’s a 3-star place, but that 9.1 rating isn’t just random numbers – there’s something refreshingly honest about how they’ve set things up. The space actually feels lived-in rather than sterile, which is probably why I slept better there than at some fancier hotels I’ve stayed at. What really sold me was the kitchen situation – not just a mini-fridge and coffee maker, but an actual kitchen where you can cook real food. This matters more than you’d think when you’re staying in Riga for more than a couple days, especially since there’s a decent market just a few blocks away where you can grab fresh stuff without paying tourist prices.

Location-wise, you’re about a 15-minute walk to Old Town, which sounds far but honestly isn’t – and you’ll thank yourself for not being right in the middle of all that cruise ship chaos during summer. The tram stops are close enough that you don’t need to think about it, and there’s this little café around the corner that serves proper coffee (not the watery stuff you get at some hotels). One thing though – if you’re driving, ask them about parking before you arrive. Street parking in this area can be a bit of a puzzle, especially during weekday mornings when everyone’s heading to work. The check-in was straightforward enough, no drama, which is always a relief when you’re dragging luggage around a city you don’t know well. I stayed there in late spring, and the windows actually open properly – sounds basic, but you’d be surprised how many places have those awful sealed windows that make you feel trapped.