Riga

Riga

Established in the early 13th century along the banks of the Daugava River, medieval Riga is the capital of the newly established nation of Latvia. The city's strong German flavor, dating back to the days of the Hanseatic League, is evident in its architectural styles, fashions and cuisine as well as in the sheer numbers of Germans who visit each year. Highlights of the city include the Dome Cathedral and the House of Three Brothers.

Activities

The Freedom Monument, affectionately called Milda by locals dates from 1935. It's a national shrine for Latvians in memory of people who were deported to Siberia in Soviet times Great and Small Guild Halls - Both buildings dating back to the 14th century; it was the home of the merchants and the city's artisans The House of Blackheads dating from 1344, was used to house traveling, single members of the merchants guild Cat House - the story goes that 100 years ago, the Latvian owner of the building was "not welcomed" into the the powerful Great Guild across the road. To be insulting to his enemies, he ordered the cats to be turned around, ... backside up... A lengthy court battle ensued, "the cats" were eventually turned around and he was admitted to the Guild The "Three Brothers" is a collection of medieval buildings which depict different stages in the architectural development of Riga (medieval to Baroque) The Old City Walls and the Swedish Gate are the oldest remaining portion of the Old Town "fort type" walls The Riga Castle was built in 1330, it’s currently the residence of the president of Latvia The Academy of Sciences, built by the Soviets, the local nicknames for this "Empire State Building" copy include "Stalin's birthday cake" or "the Kremlin" Laima Clock - The famous meeting point in Riga The Dome Cathedral is the largest place of worship in the Baltics and don't miss its organ which is one of the biggest in Europe (6768 pipes!) The Occupation Museum of Latvia 1940-1991 houses an extensive collection of papers, photographs and manuscripts from the period of the Nazi and Soviet occupations of Latvia The Ethnographic Open Air Museum is a place where you can see "Latvian life as it used to be lived" The History Museum of Latvia displays the evolution of Latvia and its people from the Neolithic to the 19th century The Museum of Riga’s History and Navigation is the oldest museum of Latvia, it was founded in 1773. This museum displays a collection of half a million items which give a fascinating insight into the development of Riga over the centuries The Museum of Nature -: Four floors enable you to discover an extensive collection of stuffed animals imaginatively mounted The Mentzendorff’s House is a historical house which belonged to a wealthy Riga merchant. It's worth seeing it for the 18th century frescoes and the true medieval atmosphere

Shopping

The central market is one of Europe's largest markets and also its most ancient, dating back at least to the city's info structure in 1201. Riga's market was not always so large nor was it always in its present location : currently, the central market is housed in five great Zeppelin hangars behind the train and bus stations, five huge aircraft hangars which were erected between 1924 and 1930. Amber is still among one of Latvia's top souvenirs all the more so since it is better value here than in the rest of Europe. Amber has been a source of Baltic prosperity since the earliest times

Food

To stay in Riga without going in the local restaurants called "lidos" would be considered as absurd by the fine connoisseurs. A whole range of "lidos" hold in Riga's streets and even if you don't intend to eat there during your stay, don't hesitate to come into, just to taste the very traditional Latvian atmosphere : all keep a comfortable country-style décor.

Currency

The currency in Latvia is the Latvian lat (LVL)

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