Schlagwort: Latvia

Labietis Brewery & Taphouse (Riga)

Every craft beer lover will enjoy this: The Latvian craft beer brewers of „Labietis“ do not only create great beers, but offer you a brilliant taphouse in Riga, too. Check here for details!

HB

Labietis brewery on the edge of central Riga is one of my favourites: A huge range of extraordinary beers, a brilliant taphouse in an old factory building and a couple of other craft beer bars all around Riga and Latvia. Labietis really has it all!

Two friends founded Labietis (kind of „The one to make it better„) in 2013 as one of the first Latvian microbreweries. They were lucky to to be offered an abandoned 19th century factory building, that was just being renovated by investors to create an alternative and creative gastro-place. Labietis went in and became part of a vibrant bar-, food- and club-scene, located in different corners of the old premesis. Soon the whole place became a buzzing nightlife area.

Today the Labietis brewery might already be bigger than the traditional Latvian lager-brewers. Labietis beer is popular all over the country, so two new bars in Riga (in old town and on the central market) and one in Liepaja opened recently. And the brewery itself left the taphouse where it all started and moved to a bigger facility outside of Riga.

You reckon that all of this is already too big for good beer? You could not be more wrong! Labietis stayed all young and wild at heart! This brewery really found the mix of creative, independent brewing and hitting the (local) market, too. From my perspective, Labietis beers are still unbelievable wide in their range of styles – and of an amazing high quality!

At the brewpub on Aristida Briana iela some eight to ten beers are always on tap. My favourite is the Tris Indiani, an classic IPA. But if you like, go for some more experimenting stuff with herbs or med!

To make a long story short: If ever in Riga, you must visit Labietis Alus Darītava (which would translate as Labietis Beer Craftship)! My advice is the original taphouse on Aristida Briana iela, but the salesplace on central market is great, too!

Taphouse address: Aristida Briana iela 9a, 1001 Riga, Latvia

Other addresses: Labietis on Rigas Central Market and Labietis-run craft beer bars „Miezis un Kompanija“ in Riga and in Liepaja.

Web: labietis.lv

Want to read more: Have a look at my detailed travel-report about Riga on stadtwuchs.de (in German).

Liepaja Karosta: A timeless piece of history

If you are interested in history, do not miss to visit the city district of Karosta, the military harbour of Liepaja in Latvia. Though not really a lost place, it offers many spectacular views of the past.

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Most definitely you should visit Latvia: The country is rich in both, culture and landscape. And if you do so, go to Liepaja in the very north. This 100,000-something city is striving up in all matters, mostly because it runs the competition to become European Capital of Culture in 2027. However, there is one rather lost place in Liepāja, that I would call a must-see: Karosta!

Liepaja has always been a military city as well as harbour on the Baltic Sea. Karosta is exactly that, a military harbour area. The Latvia word Karosta does indeed literally mean war harbour. In recent days the rather small Latvian navy does use other premises, so the place is without use in a certain way. So you will go there for past times.

Karosta was first build under Russian Tsarist rule and did expand in the Soviet era. That makes it an astonishing mix of 19th century fortress ruins and old communist bricks and concretes. Especially the ruins of the old tsarist fortress are right next to the sea and its great to just walk by or even climb or explore. But there is much more than military leftovers: You will find modern graffities, an exhibition in an old baraque and much more!

The whole area is huge and not really a lost place, as people do live here. If you go, go by car! The place was created for military and their families, so the old Soviet Chrustchovkas run for miles. That actually makes it even more special: Tsarist past meets Communism meets people actually still living here. And then again there is nature claiming parts of the area back.

But most of all there is a giant orthodox church in the very middle of this city quarter (yes, it is an official district of Liepaja). The church is beautiful, but completely surrounded by concretes. But as it is slightly higher, towering above the other buildings, it looks like… – well, kind of odd, kind of history inside history.

So if ever in Liepāja, go (drive!) to Karosta, get your own idea of this special place!