The fate of this city was not easy: Riga was burned several times and witnessed many coming and leaving masters. However, Riga arose from the ashes, becoming more and more glorious, and the new lords were intelligent enough not to encroach on the rights and privileges of the trading city, so the inhabitants of Riga didn't consider strangers as villains oppressing their native culture, but vice versa, learned the ways the neighbor countries lived by mixing and developing them. That is why there is so much diversity: the settlements of ancient Latvians, the fortresses and castles of German crusaders, the medieval houses built during the reign of the Swedes, the Art Nouveau neighborhoods, and even the Soviet buildings; each century has left behind something important.

One must admit that these moments are reflected not only in the combination of architectural styles but also in the urban cuisine, the way of life and even the mentality of the local population...

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Riga is elegant. No wonder, that it's called the capital of Art Nouveau. It’s cozy, compact, and harmonious, with beautiful parks, alleys and, of course, with an Old Riga. Every single step along its street opens one of the pages of the 814-year history of the city...

In fact, all the beauties of Riga are located in the historic center. Its heart is the Church of St. Peter, the soul is the Dome Cathedral.

Look at the clock of the Peter's Church, they've remained exactly the same as they were in the Middle Ages. They have only one hand (an hour one), as in those times nobody knew how to make clocks with a minute hand, and people have been perfectly getting along with such a clock.

By the way, the 123-meter spire of the St. Peter's Cathedral in the 15th-16th century was the highest one in Europe! Today, you can see the entire Old City in details from the tower, its blacksmiths, weavers, or other medieval craft unions' streets and decide where to move further.

Another sacred place is the Dome Cathedral built by the first generations of German crusaders and colonists. It is famous for not only its ancient atmosphere and size, but also for the abundance of the unique values of art in its interior. One of them is a pipe organ installed in the 19th century, that was the largest in Europe.

It's a good place to listen to Bach. They say, that the organ music of the cathedral is much like the infrasound of the universe, which can change one's consciousness...

There are also some other notable attractions located in a relatively small area. For example, the Town Hall Square is the former center of the medieval city, from whose balcony the city council declared their orders to the inhabitants of Riga, and where those convicted for witchcraft took their last road in the era of the inquisition, or the Swedish gate, which was broken in the wall of a residential building in the 17th century and still serves as an entrance to the Old Riga. These are the only ones of the eight city gates that survived the Swedish reign!

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Домский собор	Дом черноголовых	Большая и Малая гильдии	Городские парки
Церковь Св. Петра	Дом Черной кошки	Средневековые улочки	Посольский район

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Being located at the juncture of the main paths from Eastern Europe to the north and west, Riga formed the center of crafts and marketing, so there always were lots of both local and foreign merchants in Riga...

Not only the Large and Small Guilds, but also one of the beautiful works of the medieval architecture, the House of the Blackheads, belonging to society of young and unmarried foreign merchants, were built for them. The transactions were made, contracts were signed, and secular parties and public holidays were held. This is where Catherine II, Alexander I, Bismarck ... came.

During World War II, the House of the Blackheads was destroyed. The new authorities did not see the point to rebuild it. Although there must be a reason that it was once decorated with a mystical inscription: "If I'm destined to crumble, build me again". So, in 2001, on the day of the 800 anniversary of Riga, the monument of architecture was reborn.

The Hanseatic city outstood not only in the Middle Ages ... His active development just over a century ago coincided with a fashionable direction in architecture, Art Nouveau. Speaking more correctly, in Latvia it was called after the German manner. In turn, in Austria the style became known as Secession, in Russia as Modern, in England for some reason under the French term Art Nouveau, and in France, on the contrary, as the Anglais Style.

The result is that 40% of the modern city is performed in Art Nouveau style, which many tourists and architecture connoisseurs enjoy. The houses frightening with imbalances will certainly attract your attention. One can hardly ever else meet so well-preserved buildings as in Albert or Elizabeth Streets.

If you get into the Riga, a sequence of points on your route is completely irrelevant, listen to your inner voice, and walk at a leisurely pace, enjoying the narrow streets surrounded by legends and tales.

You can feel the atmosphere of a home meal right off the bat due to wooden furniture, modest interior, and, of course, food. There are no authentic recipes, loud music, clocks on the wall or waiters; practically all the dishes are prepared in your eyes, and it's impossible to put in doubt the freshness of the ingredients!

Kronvalda bulvāris 3a, Riga, LV-1010, Latvia phone +371 67323150 mo-fr: 10.00 - 21.00 sa: 10.00 - 21.00 su: 10.00 - 19.00

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