Cinnamon Sally Backpackers Hostel

Cinnamon Sally has been running since 2008 and it shows — systems are dialed in, regulars swear by it, and the staff have the free-walking-tour, pub-crawl and airport-bus answers memorized. The location is the headline: literally across the road from Riga Central Station (so Lux Express from Tallinn or Vilnius drops you here), and an eight-minute walk through Merķeļa iela into the Old Town.

Inside it's decorated with warmth, not minimalism. A lit-up bar sign, cushioned booths in the lounge, handwritten menus, and the smell of fresh coffee from the machine that never gets turned off. The breakfast room has floor-to-ceiling windows and a proper spread every morning — fresh waffles, dark Latvian rye, smoked ham, farmer's cheese, fruit, and Lipton bags for the tea drinkers.

The kitchen is small and shares a room with reception, which sounds worse than it is; it means staff are always present and the space stays social. Dorms are 6- and 8-bed, with reading lights, plug sockets and lockers at each bunk. No stag parties, no under-18s, no day-room groups — this is enforced. Pub crawls run Thursday through Saturday from the bar, and the evening entertainment calendar (bar crawls, movie nights, Riga Black Balsam tastings) is on the reception whiteboard.