The all-night flower stalls of Riga

What it is

Latvians give flowers for almost every occasion: birthdays, name days, the first day of school, a visit to someone's home. Bouquets carry an odd number of stems, since even numbers are for funerals. That habit keeps a row of flower pavilions busy on Tērbatas Street, along the edge of Vērmanes Garden in the centre of Riga. It trades around the clock, so you can buy roses at three in the morning. On 1 September, the first school day, and around the midsummer festival of Jāņi, when people wear wreaths of oak leaves and meadow flowers, the trade is at its height.

Before you go

• Walk past after dark, when the lit stalls are the brightest thing on the street.
• If you are invited to a Latvian home, bring an odd number of stems.
• Riga Central Market, in old airship hangars by the river, also has a large flower section by day.

The flowers you will see

RoseWoody perennial plants with showy, often fragrant flowers in many coloursTulipSpring-blooming bulbs with showy, cup-shaped flowers in many coloursChrysanthemumAutumn-blooming flower with thousands of varieties, cherished in East Asia and beyondPeonyLarge spring flowers in pink, red, white, yellow and purple, grown in gardens worldwide