Most “outdoor Riga” roundups send you to one city park and call it done. The real outdoor case for Riga works at three distances: inside the city, a short train ride out, and a proper day trip, and each one earns its place for a different reason. Start close. The city canal (Pilsētas kanāls) loops through the center for 3.2 kilometers, and paddling it puts you at water level under the same bridges the canal boats use, with a different view of the National Opera and Bastejkalns park than any walking route gives you.