Riga, the capital city of Latvia, is home to remarkable architecture. Its historical center with a high concentration of Art Nouveau architecture was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. Founded in 1201, the port town served as a major center of the Hanseatic League, an economic confederation of northern European countries. I visited the city for four lovely summer days. After checking in at Irina Hotel, I went out for a walk and tried to familiarize myself with the streets and the sights in the city center.
Vermanes Garden is the second oldest park in the city. Lucky for me, the hotel lies just a few steps away from the garden park. Named after the rich widow Anna Gertrud Vērmane (1750-1827), who donated a lot for the construction of the park, Vermanes serves a social venue for concerts, bazaars, picnics, playground for children, and home to snow-men and colorful lamps in winter.
Most of the beautiful architectural features of the city can be found in the Old Town. According to UNESCO, the city had the highest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in Europe in the early 1900’s, 50 are located in the medieval part and more than 300 are scattered all over the historic town. If you are unfamiliar with the Art Nouveau architectural movement, visit this page: Art Nouveau Movement.
Here are some of the admirable architectural features of the city, along with famous landmarks and attractions:
And here we go, Riga’s most popular building: the House of the Blackheads! With all honesty, I was personally awed by the magnificent building, the fairytale facade and intricate and sophisticated designs! Judge for yourself:
The House of the Blackheads was built in 1334 for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild with mostly unmarried German merchants as members. During the world wars, the building was bombed by the Germans, and the remains were demolished by the Soviets in 1948. However, the Latvians worked together to rebuild the House from 1995 to 1999. So, the pink building visitors admire now is just the reconstruction. Good job, Latvia!
Another interesting building I saw in Riga was the Russian Orthodox Church, aka the Nativity Cathedral. It was my first time to enter an orthodox church and my, did you know that orthodox churches don’t have chairs to sit on during religious ceremonies?
I also get a genuine feel of medieval Europe by walking through the Swedish gate, another popular attraction. The gate was built in 1698, when Riga was the largest province of Sweden. Legends has it that the merchant who commissioned the building of the gate wanted to avoid paying texes when bringing goods to the city. So, he demolished his house, which was situated on the spot, to build a gate, making the transport of goods to Riga easy and free of charge.
Ah, perhaps I should change the title of this post to “Riga, city of legends”! Latvians has plenty, from the Swedish gate to the Cat House and now, to the Bremen Town Musicians. The monument is based on Grimm’s fairy tale about a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster which were considered old and useless by their owners. The clever animals decided to become musicians, so they went to the German city of Bremen, lived a life of freedom, and saved a house from burglars. The monument is located outside the Church of St. Peter.
Now, let’s go explore the rest of the Old Town. 😉
You see, there’s lots to see in Riga, so you’ll never really get bored! I was also very luck to have met Couchsurfers and together, we visited a terrifying and creepy KGB headquarter, enjoyed a cruise along the River Daugava, and attended the Puku Balle (Ball of Flowers), the biggest flower show in the Baltics! More about the said experiences in the next entries! Så spennende! 😉
Thanks for reading and cheers! ❤
PinayOdyssey 
Riga seems like a wonderful city! I don’t know why but I get pleased easily when a city has an amazing architecture. And those Latvian Street Performers remind me of the Beauty and the Beast. Know the scene where Gaston and his brothers are singing? 😉
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Baltics have been in my radar so long. I adore European’s architecture and so to see this kind of structures makes my heart beat faster to go now to Riga. I just love the mix of historical buildings to contemporary arts in the street. Hopefully by next year I can visit this part of EU.
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European architecture always has a special place in my heart. They have this “wow” factor whenever you see them. I haven’t been to where you’ve gone but I’ve been to London to Paris and I appreciate their old architectural designs. It says a lot about their history. I wish I could have seen your photo in a larger quality image, so I can see the details of your pictures too. Still a good post. Keep posting! 😀
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When I went to Italy, I also loved the architectures there. Just looking at the roads there was worth Instagramming compared to the streets here in the Philippines. But these architectures you posted are really beautiful too. I loved the Nativity Cathedral the most because it’s popping out.
http://thetopknotters.com
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Despite the way technology has influenced a lot of countries, Europe stays grounded with in preserving its culture. It’s really architecture haven in there and I envy you for being able to marvel at all of those structures with rich histories!
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I adore the architecture we have here in Europe, adorned with fine details and what must have taken years to complete, beautiful!
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what a lovely place to spend a few days. I really liked those two buildings with the pointy facades, what a treat for the eyes. I also like looking at the architecture when traveling. It’s so much better to look up than down when walking! I would love to visit Riga and it’s beautiful architecture. Wonderful photos in your post.
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Riga indeed is a very interesting place.. I’ve always been appreciative of architectural designs.. And everything in here are just amazing! For a while i kept looking at the Nativity Cathedral and every details on it… It was cleverly designed… Lovely photos you got there! 🙂
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European architecture is one of a kind and so detailed in it’s creations! I am always so amazed buy how much time each building takes to design! I wish more buildings were like this in the US.
xoxo, Candice
http://candicenikeia.com
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Riga reminds me of the Japanese animation I saw last week. Place looks elegant and beautiful.
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I have to agree. Generally, I like European architecture. There is so much history and culture in Europe. But Riga is on another level. It deserves to be flocked by more tourists. Those architecture alone is already one reason why people should go to Riga. I mean, pictures are nice, but to be there is another thing. It appears to me too, that there is not really that much people compared to say… Rome. And the city looks really clean!
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I usually know a lot about beautiful architectural buildings. But I am amazed how I did not know about Riga. Such beautiful places. I love all the pictures. 🙂
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