Riga

Riga is the capital of the Republic of Latvia, the state‘s administrative and political centre and the largest city in the Baltic States with the population of 722 thousands. Riga is located in the coastal lowlands on the banks of the River Daugava, close to its estuary in the Gulf of Riga.

Due to its geographical location on the Baltic Sea (where East and West meets), Riga has been an important centre of trade, finance and culture for centuries.

Riga has unique values due to its rather intact medieval architecture and that of later periods, the urban structure, the richness and quality of Art Noveau architecture and the 19-th century wooden architecture of the city. Inscribing the historic centre of Riga on the World Heritage List of UNESCO recognized it.

The focus, as it has always been, is firmly on the Old Town, which tumbles towards the banks of the Daugava River in a maze of cobbles, voluminous spires and impressive squares. It is ironic that the city that was once besieged and captured by Germany now has (after Germany's own WWII obliteration) Europe's most impressive array of Germanic art nouveau architecture, a fact recognized by UNESCO on its World Heritage List.

The Art Nouveau movement in Riga reached its peak in the early 20th mentury. Riga’s term for the movement, Jugendstil, comes from the German and Scandinavian movement named after the avant-garde periodical Jugend (“Youth”). Unlike the stiffer sensibilities of Victorian style, Art Nouveau stressed a complete creative freedom, mixing fantastic elements with a tendency to show all utilitarian construction elements as artistic value, with very characteristic elements such as dynamic, undulating, and flowing lines and geometrical ornaments. In Riga, Art Nouveau could be split into two main directions, decorative and romantic-nationalistic Art Nouveau. Much of the art nouveau lies across Bastekalns Park in the New Town, the commercial and business heart of the city, with its broad avenues and grid-like layout, while further downriver is the city's sprawling port.

Main tourist sights:

The Lutheran cathedral, the largest church in the Baltic states. Built in the 13th century, it was modified several times in its history. It has a magnificent organ that dates from 1844.

Riga Castle (Rīgas Pils), which houses the Museum of Latvian History and the Museum of Foreign Art, and the president's official residence.

Saint Peter's Church, Riga, with its 123 m (404 ft) high tower.

St. John's Church, a small 13th-century chapel, behind Saint Peter's Church.

The Powder Tower (Pulvertornis), the only tower that remains from the original city walls. The Latvian Museum of War is located inside.

St James's Roman Catholic cathedral.

Art Nouveau architecture on Central Riga streets - Alberta and Elizabetes iela.

Ethnographic Open-Air Museum (Brīvdabas Muzejs), houses, farm buildings, and church representing rural life going back hundreds of years. Situated along Jugla Lake (Juglas Ezers).

The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, which documents the seizure and occupation of Latvia by various invaders from 1940 to 1991.

Riga Radio and TV Tower - the third highest tower in Europe.

Riga Motor Museum - collection of retro motorcycles and automobiles, including some of the first motorcycles and remants of the Soviet era, for example, Brezhnev's and Stalin's armored limousines with waxworks of these political figures. Located in Mežciems.

Riga Zoo and Mežaparks (Forest Park) with a Ferris wheel.

Riga Circus - the only permanently situated circus in the Baltic States.

Riga Museum of History and Navigation - one of the largest and oldest museums in Latvia and Baltic states.

Vērmanes Garden - the oldest public garden in Riga.

At nearby Jurmala, the scene could indeed be somewhere in the Mediterranean with bronzed bodies lying on the sandy beaches soaking up the rays in summer before heading for a modern spa treatment at the luxury hotels in the cooler months.