Riga Radio and TV Tower

The Riga Radio and TV Tower sits at the southern end of Zaķusala, a low island in the Daugava between the old town and the far bank. At 368 metres it is the tallest tower in the European Union. Three splayed concrete legs meet and carry the tower up, with a viewing pod wrapped around it almost halfway up. Soviet built, finished in the late 1980s. The tower stands tall against the surrounding cityscape so there are numerous options to capture it. You can eaily set up along the riverband on either side of the island, where the whole structure sits against open sky with the river in front of it. Akmens tilts, the Stone Bridge, puts you out over the water for a cleaner angle. You can also go right onto the island and stand under the legs if you want to capture the geometry of the tower, shooting straight up where the three supports converge. It is floodlit after dark, which makes blue hour worth waiting for from the riverbanks. The observation pod has been closed to the public since 2019 and the current renovation runs to the end of 2029, so currently there is no access inside the tower. The construction/renovation timeline is unpredictable so you many not always be able to access the base of the tower for close up photography. (Riga, Latvia)