The Laima Clock is the street clock on the corner where Brīvības bulvāris meets Aspazijas bulvāris in Riga, at the Old Town end of the square around the Freedom Monument. It has stood here since 1924 and has carried the name of the Laima confectionery company since 1936. 'Satiekamies pie Laimas pulksteņa', 'let's meet at the Laima clock', is one of the most familiar phrases in the city.
The Laima Clock at a glance
- Where: at the junction of Brīvības and Aspazijas boulevards, on the edge of the Old Town, looking across the city canal towards the Freedom Monument.
- Built: 1924; its present look dates from a renovation in 2017.
- By: the 2017 redesign is the work of the architect Arvis Sproģis.
- What it is today: a working street clock, an advertisement for Laima chocolate and Riga's classic meeting point.
- Time needed: 5 minutes, or as long as you have to wait for whoever you are meeting.
From the Big Clock to the Laima Clock
The clock was completed in 1924 and was at first known simply as the Big Clock (Lielais pulkstenis). The usual story is that it was put up here so that nobody passing this busy junction had an excuse for being late for work. In 1936 the Laima confectionery company put its name on it, and from then on the clock doubled as an advertisement. During the Soviet period it served as a stand for political information.
After Latvia regained its independence, the clock was fully reconstructed in 1999 and its original design was restored. In late 2017 it was renovated again: work began on 27 November and the new clock, designed by Arvis Sproģis, was unveiled on 29 December 2017. Orkla, the group that owns Laima, paid for it as a gift for the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Latvia, and the renewed clock counted down to the centenary on 18 November 2018.
What to look for
- The Laima name on the clock: the reason Rigans call it the Laima Clock rather than the Big Clock.
- The view up Brīvības bulvāris over the canal bridge to the Freedom Monument, with Milda holding up her three stars.
- The people waiting: at most times of day someone stands at the clock checking the time or looking out for a friend. It is still doing the job it was built for.
- The city canal and its park right behind, the green belt that separates the Old Town from the boulevards of the 19th-century centre.
Meeting at 'luck'
Laima is also the goddess of fate and fortune in Latvian mythology, and the word laime means happiness or luck. So arranging to meet 'at Laima' has a double meaning that Latvians enjoy. The clock has a long reputation as the spot where romances began, and the chocolate company has happily played along with that image.
Tips for your visit
- If you need to agree on a meeting place in Riga, this is the easiest landmark to name: it stands on the main route between the Old Town and the centre and is impossible to miss.
- For a photo of the clock with the Freedom Monument behind it, stand on the Old Town side and shoot up the boulevard.
- Time your stop for the hour during the day and walk on to the Freedom Monument to watch the honour guard change.
Nearby
- Freedom Monument: Latvia's national monument to independence, unveiled in 1935, just across the canal bridge.
- Bastion Hill (Bastejkalns): the small hill in the canal park beside the bridge, with memorial stones for the people killed during the barricades of January 1991.
- Latvian National Opera: the white neoclassical opera house on the canal, a few minutes' walk away.
- Powder Tower: the round medieval tower on the edge of the Old Town, a short walk north, one of the few surviving pieces of Riga's old fortifications.
See Riga with World City Trail
Our Riga scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 3 hours, with about 40 minutes of walking. The Laima Clock is one of the stops, along with the Freedom Monument and the Latvian National Museum of Art.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Riga.
Play the Riga scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Riga →
Play the outdoor escape game in Riga →
Facts checked in October 2026.