A great way to informally and richly spend a weekend or vacation is a trip to one of the Baltic capitals. For example, in Riga - a city that surprisingly combines medieval mystery and modern rhythm of life. In the capital of Latvia, you will find everything you need for a perfect vacation - beautiful architectural monuments, cozy cafes with excellent cuisine, the morning freshness of parks and a vibrant nightlife, a wealth of museum exhibitions and the elusive charm of the narrow streets of the old town. During the trip, the curious tourist will have something to see - in Riga every house and monument is carefully preserved, new museums are opened and they try to make sure that guests become good friends and return to the Baltic seaside again and again.
TOP-10 sights of Riga
The Dome Cathedral
The Cathedral of the capital of Latvia rightfully heads the list of city attractions. The largest of the Baltic churches that have survived from the Middle Ages, the Riga Dome Cathedral was founded in 1211. Initially, it was built in the Romanesque style, but later acquired the features inherent in the Northern Gothic.
The main attraction of the Dome Cathedral is its organ, which was made in the 1880s in Ludwigsburg. The instrument is impressive in size and musical characteristics. The organ includes over 6,700 pipes ranging in length from a few millimeters to 10 meters. Air is supplied by six bellows, and you can play on four keyboards at the same time. The central part of the former instrument has been preserved on the organ's façade. The decorative carvings on it were made in the 16th century in the early Baroque style.
St. Peter's Church
The most recognizable spire in Riga, by which the inhabitants of Latvia determine their capital in a photograph of any quality, belongs to the old city church of St. Peter. The first mention of it dates back to 1209. The church was built on donations from the people, and one of the first city schools was opened under it.
The Gothic bell tower was added in the middle of the 15th century. The temple received a Baroque facade in the 17th century. Then three portals, richly decorated and preserved to this day, became the decoration of the church. The authorship belongs to the Rostock architect Johann Rummeshotel.
The tower of the temple is considered the symbol of Riga:
- The first octahedral wooden spire was built at the end of the 15th century and existed for about 200 years.
- The spire on St. Peter's Church first acquired its modern look in 1690. For a long time it remained the tallest in Europe - 123.5 m together with the tower on which it was installed.
- In 1721, lightning struck the tower. Emperor Peter I took part in extinguishing the fire. It was not possible to save the Riga landmark, but the Russian sovereign ordered the restoration of the spire. The work was completed in 1741.
- Exactly 200 years later, on St. Peter's Day, the spire was again destroyed by a direct hit from a German howitzer shell.
The modern spire completely repeats the appearance of the previous one, but is made of metal. It has two platforms, from where you can look at the panorama of Riga and its environs from a bird's eye view.
Riga castle
The history of one of the most important sights of Riga began in 1330. The castle was built by Livonian knights, expelled from the city limits. The fortress was repeatedly attacked by the residents of Riga, and therefore it was rebuilt and reconstructed. When the Livonian Order was abolished, the castle passed from hand to hand - from Poles to Swedes, and in the 17th century it was used as a prison.
The modern purpose of the Riga Castle is the residence of the head of state. The building also houses the exposition of the national museum.
House of Blackheads
This historic building in old Riga often advertises Latvia in tourist guides. Photos of the House of Blackheads can decorate any album or postcard.
Its history began in the 30s of the XIV century, when the building was built by the Great Guild. Then the members of the Brotherhood of St. George, whose symbol was the black head on the coat of arms, became the main tenants, and the word "blackheads" appeared in the name of the house.
Until the 16th century, a wealthy and influential company of merchants ruled the social life of Riga, and in the House of Blackheads stock exchanges were held during the day, and balls, receptions and concerts were held in the evening.
The early images of the House of Blackheads have not survived, but the facade acquired its present appearance in the first third of the 17th century. The authorship of the facade, made in the style of Northern European Mannerism, is attributed to Dutch architects.
Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation
Among the impressive list of museums in the capital of Latvia, this one takes the most honorable place. The Museum of History and Navigation is the oldest in the city and one of the very first in Europe. At the heart of its exposition is the collection of the doctor Nikolaus Himsel, who has collected the most interesting objects and artifacts all his life.
The exposition tells about the history of the city since its foundation in 1201. The founder of the collection lived in the 18th century and was actively interested not only in natural sciences, but also in history. The collection of exhibits was already attended by the Society for the Study of History and Antiquities and the Riga Society of Medical Practitioners.
The first exposition was opened in 1773 in the building of the Anatomical Theater.
Today the collection, which has half a million exhibits, is exhibited in the complex of the Dome Cathedral.
Ticket price: 4 euros.
Museum of Nature
The Latvian Museum of Nature was founded in 1845 by the Riga Society of Naturalists. The museum funds were partially replenished from the collection of Nikolaus Himsel, other exhibits were donated by other caring scientists and doctors.
The museum has six open sections and the greatest interest among visitors is usually the paleontological, anthropological and zoological. The pride of the museum is a unique collection of fossils of Devonian armored fish and even a fully preserved skeleton of a cross-finned fish.
Vermanes Park
The oldest park in the Latvian capital was founded in 1813. The work of landscape designers and organizers was financed by Anna Gertrude Verman, the famous Riga philanthropist and the widow of the entrepreneur Verman, who devoted most of her life to caring for her hometown.
The park quickly became a Riga celebrity. In 1883, one of the first European institutions of artificial mineral waters started working there and a pavilion was built where water was bottled and released to everyone. The stage, where the "Inspector General" was staged in 1849, became an equally popular attraction in the park. On the stage of the summer theater, the orchestras of the regiments stationed in Riga often performed, benefit performances and fireworks were arranged.
Monuments to Anna Gertrude Verman and Mayor Paulucci have been erected in Verman Park.
Art Museum
The Riga Art Gallery was founded in 1869 and opened for the first time in the building of the city gymnasium. Only in 1905, the exposition of paintings moved to a building specially built in the Esplanade area. The architect was art critic and historian Wilhelm Neumann. He also became the first head of the museum.
The collection contains more than 50 thousand exhibits, which are divided into two large groups: works of art from Latvia and foreign masterpieces. In the halls of the Art Museum, canvases by Aivazovsky and Perov, Levitan and Savrasov, Bryullov and Kiprensky are exhibited. The Latvian school of painting is represented by paintings by Julius Fedders and Janis Rozentals.
Powder tower
The system of city fortifications of Riga, first mentioned in the chronicles of the XIV century, has hardly survived to this day. The only part of it that has survived the centuries in an almost unchanged form is the Powder Tower.
Initially, it was Pesochnaya, but after reconstruction and repairs in 1620 by the Swedes, the building became known as the Powder Tower. The fortification housed a powder store. During the siege of Riga in the Russian-Swedish war, several cannonballs hit the tower, which remained in the walls to this day.
During its existence, the Powder Tower managed to serve as a fencing arena and a dance hall, a beer hall and a museum of the October Revolution, a naval school and a student entertainment center. Today, the Powder Tower houses the exposition of the Latvian War Museum.
cat house
The house with black cats has existed in Riga since 1910. The history of its appearance looks very dramatic, if we accept the point of view of the merchant Blumer who built the building, who was not wanted to be accepted into the Great Guild. Offended by the whole world, a rich merchant installed black cats on the roof, with their backs turned towards the windows of the head of the offenders.
Having thus expressed contempt for his colleagues, the merchant fell into a scandal that could not even be resolved by judicial procedure. A good friend of the judge, Blumer paid his honor to not touch the cats. As a result, the court ruling invariably stated that cats are free animals and without their figures on the house, the city will lose its own identity and part of its architectural appearance.
Over time, the animals were nevertheless turned in a decent direction, and the act of psychological retribution reached its logical conclusion. But the Cat's House has since become one of the famous sights of Riga, and to look at the perpetrators of the long-standing scandal, you just need to lift your head up.
The house with cats was filmed in the film Seventeen Moments of Spring. He "played" the role of the hotel, near which Stirlitz met with Bormann. Today, a jazz restaurant and a casino are open in the Cat's House.
