The Latvian Capital Shines as Never Before

The Latvian capital Riga is easily the largest city of the Baltic states with almost 1 million inhabitants. It is located at the mouth of the Daugava river, the longest river in the Baltics, over 1000km long. The city is located centrally in Latvia and within the Baltic states, so most visitors will end up here after all. But don't worry, despite its size the town and its surroundings are ranked high on many Baltic top sights lists.

Most of Riga's attractions are located in the Vecriga (Old Riga) district, on the right bank of the Daugava, about 15km south of the river mouth. This is the oldest part of Riga and the streets and squares are still lined with wonderful medieval buildings and churches, most notably the 12th century Dome Church, St. Peter's Basilica, the beautiful red brick House of the Blackheads and the Powder Tower, the only remains of the original city walls.

The Pilsetas canal, actually and old moat, lies just east of Vecriga and is surrounded by parks and gardens that make a good place for a stroll. The imposing Freedom Monument, a column topped with the Latvian statue of liberty commemorating Latvia's first time of independence in the 1920s-1930s, towers over the canal, while the neoclassical Latvia University and Riga Opera House are just nearby. Northeast of the city, mainly in Alberta and Elisabetes street, you can find many fine Art Nouveau buildings, mostly by Russian architect Mikhail Eisenstein. Just south of the old town is a largely Russian-speaking part of town called Maskavas Forstate (Moscow suburb), with large zeppelin hangars now housing the Riga market, old wooden houses and the Stalinist-style Academy of Science.

Just west of Riga lies a magnificent sand beach stretching over 30km between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River. It is now the well-developed but still charming resort town Jurmala that attracts many visitors to these shores, especially during warm summer days. 50km northeast of Riga lies Sigulda. The town contains two castles but the main reason to come here is the nearby Gauja National Park, where the Gauja river flows between a landscape of forested hills and sandstone rocks. The park also contains a few interesting medieval castles like the ones in Turaida and Cesis.

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Riga was probably settled in the 12th century by the Livonian tribe. Soon after, German merchants established a trading post nearby. During the Christianisation of the area the German Teutonic Knights took control over most of Latvia, with Riga a semi-independent German-Prussian bishopric. When the town entered the Hanseatic League in the end of the 13th century it grew to an important centre in the Russo-German trade. After the Livonian war in the 16th century Riga became part of the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth. 50 years later Sweden defeated Poland and became the owner of the area. Riga became a major trade centre between Sweden and Russia. When tsar Peter the Great of Russia occupied the city in 1710, he transformed it in an industrial port city. After WWI Riga became the capital of the independent Latvian Republic, but soon became part of the USSR during WWII. After the rapid collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, Riga now shines again as the freshly independent country.

The Latvian language, closely related to Lithuanian, is now the official language of the republic. However, the long occupation by imperial Russia and later the USSR, has left the country with 40% of its population of foreign descent (almost 30% Russians). In Riga the Russians even form the largest ethnic group (43%), before Latvians (40%). This sensitive issue still plays a major role in national politics. Visitors will be happy to know that most people of any descent will speak good English. German is widely understood among older persons.

Official currency in Latvia is the Lats (LVL), pegged to the Euro at a rate of around 1€ = 0.7Lats, but plans are on the way for a complete replacement of the Lats in favour of the Euro. Despite the hordes of tourists that found their way to Riga, the city is still relatively cheap for a western budget. Half the price for most items, but they are rising fast. A decent double room in a central hostel will cost you around €30-€40. Places dubbed "Kafejnica" offer excellent Lithuanian or international dishes for only around €5. "Restoranas" tend to be more expensive but their extensive menus offer excellent choices. Latvian cuisine relies a lot on fresh vegetables like mushrooms and cabbage. Most dishes are local variants of Russian and German food, like borscht (cold or hot beetroot soup), piragi (boiled or baked stuffed dumplings) and sweet or savoury crepes.

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The Riga International Airport, the largest in the Baltic States, is located around 10km west of the city centre. It offers direct flights to several European and ex-USSR destinations. Other destinations normally require an extra stop-over but services are currently being extended. National carrier airBaltic has an extensive destination list to European destinations like London, Copenhagen, Paris, etc. The Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has direct flights from the British Isles and Germany.

Just north of the city centre lies the Port of Riga, offering passenger services to Lübeck (Germany) and Stockholm (Sweden) at reasonable prices. From Riga bus station, in the south of the city centre near the railway station, both Eurolines and Ecolines have an extensive network of well-priced bus connections to many European destinations a few times a week.

Pasazieru Vilciens is a private railway operator and offers train services throughout the country. Regular commuter trains bound for Jurmala/Tukums (west), Jelgava (south) and Saulkrasti (north) are extremely popular due to the heavy traffic in the city. However, long-distance trains are irregular, so bus transport is a better option for these. The bus station has regular and inexpensive services to different places in Latvia and the neighbouring countries, like .

Riga is quite spread out over different quarters, but most sights and accommodation are within walking distance from the city centre. To reach other areas, Rigas Satiksme has buses and trams throughout the capital. Tram 11 goes from the train station to Riga Zoo, tram 9 passes the port, while bus 22 connects to the airport. All tickets cost around €0.5.

Town Hall Square (Ratslaukums) is the unofficial centre of Riga, located at the place of the original German trading post. The 50m by 50m square leads in the west to Strelnieku Square, named after the giant Soviet-era statue of the Latvian Riflemen, who fought beside the Russian army against German troops in WWI. From here the Akmens bridge crosses the Daugava to Riga's new town.

In WWII the German bombings heavily damaged the square, followed by a near destruction by rampaging Soviet troops. They rebuilt the houses after the war, but as you can see from this Communist era Riga picture Stalin did not want to reconstruct the fascist (i.e. German) buildings. After Latvian independence the new government had them finally rebuilt according their original plans. First of all, the statue in the centre of the square depicts the semi-historical medieval character Roland. In the 15th century many German towns (Riga being one of them) erected a statue of the informal merchantman hero as a symbol of trade being the major source of income these days. The current Roland is a recent copy of the 19th-century statue that was destroyed during WWII.

The northernmost building on the square is the neo-classical Town Hall. The original building dates from the 13th century. During the classical revival in the 17th century, the town council restyled the edifice to its current look. The Soviets tore down the heavily damaged building; only to be reconstructed after Latvia's independence in 1990.

A similar history underwent the impressive red brick building in the southern end. The House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju Nams), was constructed in the 14th century in early Gothic style by the Merchant's Guild. The name "Blackheads" comes from the banner of the Guild's single member's association, depicting the bust of black Moorish Saint Mauritius. Extensive restoration works during the 16th-17th century left the building with a new facade characteristic for German architecture during this period. The front contained colourful statues, metal forgings and an astronomical clock. The 19th century Schwab House next door houses Riga Tourist Information and displays a similar style.

St. Peter's Church towers over these buildings. The original wooden church burned down often and was finally replaced by a stone church in the 15th century. The current design dates from a restoration in the 17th century. The tower was heavily damaged by Nazi troops and was reconstructed in 1970 by the Soviet authorities. They also added an elevator in the church tower (€2 admission) offering a great view on the Town Hall Square and far beyond.

The building that now houses the Latvian Occupation Museum has a completely different history. The ugly-looking Soviet building was erected in 1970 to house the Museum of the Latvian Riflemen, a branch of the Soviet Revolution Museum of the Latvian SSR. Since independence it has been refurbished to display the atrocities of the double occupation from Latvia by Nazi Germany and later Communist USSR.

Riga Old Town (Latvian: Vecriga) is situated between the Daugava river and the tiny Pilsetas canal, thus technically forming an island. This area is roughly rectangular, measuring 500m by 1500m, and can easily be covered on foot. It is here that Bishop Albert of Livonia founded the city around 1200AD as a stronghold for its Christianizing crusade against Baltic pagans. Nowadays the historical centre of Riga still contains buildings of different times, from 13th century churches to 20th century Soviet buildings, leading to an inscription on the Unesco World Heritage list.

If you want to explore the old town on foot, a good place to start is the Freedom Monument. The 40m high granite column, topped with a copper female figure holding 3 stars that represent the Latvian regions, was commissioned during Latvia's first independence beginning 20th century. It is situated right on the Pilsetas canal just east of the old town. Along the former moat is the small but pleasant Bastejkalns park, with statues commemorating famous Rigans. In the south is the 19th-century neo-classical National Opera House.

From the monument Brivibas (Liberty) Street runs eastwards into the Old Town. You will soon pass the beautiful Livu Laukums, a square planted with flowers and lined with historical houses like the Small Guild House, resembling a castle, the Large Guild House next door or the "Cat House" of which the roof is topped with two feline statues. From here Meistaru Street runs north towards the Gunpowder Tower (Pulvertornis), the only original remainder of the old town wall. Torna Street runs eastwards and contains a recent replica of the old wall. A little further down the road, Maza Pils Street has three nice medieval houses informally known as the "Three Brothers". Just east lies Riga Castle next to the Daugava river. The original building dates from the 13th century but has been rebuilt several times. The current castle dates from the 16th century with more recent additions and now houses offices and a museum. Vansu bridge just behind the castle offers an excellent panorama on the old town and beyond.

Going for 500m south past the castle and into the old town again you will come to the wonderful Dome Square (Doma Laukums). The beautiful 13th century Dome Church towers over this nice square, filled with cafés and restaurants that set up terraces as soon as the weather allows it. Apart from the Dome, notable buildings on the square are the green-brown Art Nouveau stock exchange building and the neoclassical Komercbankas and Finance Department. South of Dome Square lies that other city gem, the Town Hall Square with the beautiful House of the Blackheads. If you head eastwards for another 500m, you will arrive again at the Freedom Monument.

Riga's Dome Church is one of the oldest and largest churches in the Baltic States. The church was commissioned in the 13th century by the founder of Riga, Bishop Albert of Livonia, leader of the crusading forces that tried forcibly to Christianize the pagan locals. During the 16th century, Riga adopted Lutheranism and the church became the town's protestant cathedral. A smaller Roman Catholic cathedral, St. Jacob's, was built just 100m north by the still considerable community. The two churches continue their function today. A third orthodox cathedral, the Nativity of Christ church, was built during the 19th century, when Latvia was part of the Russian empire.

The oldest part of the church is the choir. This place that contains the altarpiece is still an original, but often restored, part of the 13th century Romanesque building, that was much smaller then the current one. Heavily damaged during the Reformation and the subsequent Livonian war, the nave was reconstructed at the end of the 16th century by its current Gothic design. The beautiful convent, easily accessible from the main church entrance, with its long corridors around a central courtyard also dates from this period. The 90m high bell tower was the most recent addition to the church exterior and dates from the 18th century. Later additions to its interior were the superb pipe organ of Dutch making and reconstructions of some of the glass-stained windows.

The Dome Church is located centrally within the Vecriga (Old Riga) district right on the Doma Laukums (Dome Square), with its excellent restaurants and summer terraces, and only a stone's throw away from the main Town Hall Square. The Daugava river and the Akmens bridge, offering a view on the old town, are 100m westwards. Entrance to the cathedral and the next-door convent is free, except during one of the regular concertos, often using the historical church organ, when a fee of around 5€ is requested. See the Riga Dome's official site for more info on them.

An interesting but rather unvisited part of the city is the Maskavas Forstate (Moscow Suburb) district. It encompasses the area south of the Old Town, just beyond the train station. The district had a large Jewish population in the 19th and early 20th century, until Nazi Germany occupied Latvia in 1941. First the Jews were gathered in a newly constructed fenced-off ghetto inside the district, while their houses and synagogues were destroyed. The vast majority of them starved and were laboured to death or were simply killed by the Nazis and their supporters, mainly in the mass murder site of Rumbula forest 10km south. When the Soviet forces took control of Latvia at the end of WWII the area was settled mainly with ethnic Russians, who still form a large majority in the suburb. Today the area is one of the poorest in the city and restorers, seemingly having taken over the old town, are just a rumour here. This need not to be disadvantageous for people wanting to discover Riga's overwhelming Soviet past.

If you come from the old town, a good intro to the district is located just before the railway bridge over the Daugava. Next to the river you can spot the unmistakably Soviet-style monument to the <>failed 1905 Russian revolution. The Krasla Iela road runs under the railway bridge. Here is the real start of the Moscow Suburb. Here you will spot immediately the large zeppelin hangars, accommodating the Riga Central Market, one of the largest markets in Europe. The 5 hangars are all dedicated to a speciality, namely meat, fish, vegetables, dairy products, and grocery items. Outside numerous small stalls sells other items like clothing, books or tourist items. South of the market Maskavas Iela (Moscow Street) contains a few 19th century wooden buildings, while parallel Gogol Street contains the remains of a Synagogue destroyed by the Third Reich.

Between Gogol and Maskavas lies one of the most fascinating skyscrapers of Riga, the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Constructed in 1953, this Stalinist masterpiece nicely balances between the lovely and the grotesque. It used to be adorned with communist hammer-and-sickle symbols and a giant portrait of Stalin was planned but luckily never constructed. Nowadays it houses Latvian and international scientists. Next to the large edifice is a colourful Russian orthodox church, while behind it lies the Jezusbaznica and Elija Streets, containing several old wooden buildings, including the 17th century wooden neoclassical Lutheran Jesus Church, now painted white.

Jurmala, originally known as Rigas Jurmala, which simply means Riga Beach, is Latvia's number one beach resort. It is the most visited place in the country apart from the capital, due to the nice 30km long strip of sandy beach but mainly due to the proximity to Riga. The city, in fact a long stretch of several single resorts, is stretched on an only around 2km wide strip between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe river (see this Google satellite image). Most resorts of the town can be reached easily by regular train connections for just around 1€.

Because of the mild climate in Jurmala, together with the presence of the sea and river the Baltic German elite started constructing holiday cottages on these shores already during the 17th century. The place soon became very popular and the first sanatoria offering mud and water treatments appeared a century later. During the 19th and 20th century the Germans were replaced by the Russian and later the Soviet elite, leading to a second building spree. Most buildings in Jurmala today date from these times. After Latvia's independence in 1991, the town had a brief period of decline but nowadays the glory days seem to have returned, with visitors from all over the world, including Russian nouveau riche.

Of course the main attractions of the town are its excellent sand beaches, from the well developed resorts of Majori and Bulduri to the deserted beaches near Kemeri in the eastern part of town. Kemeri is also home to a National Park, an excellent place for observing the abundant bird life in this boggy area. Nature lovers may enjoy the Lielupe river, running south of the town. Bicycles and paddle boats can be rented cheaply for exploring the river. The oldest part of Jurmala, centred around Majori and Dzintari quarters, still contains many architectonic jewels. Apart from the 19th century colourful wooden townhouses, many of them now housing restaurants and guesthouses, most notable buildings are the neoclassical Dzintari concert hall beside the large 19th century copper-cast globe, the Art Nouveau glass-and-wood former swimming pool just next to the beach and the hotel "Pegasus Castle".

A few high risers are present, mostly built during Soviet times and now restored to pricey but excellent 3-and 4-star spa resort hotels, like the Baltic Beach Hotel or Hotel Jurmala. Its status as a resort town means accommodation for other budgets is also abundant. See the official Jurmala website for a full listing. This excellent website also includes a list of cafés and restaurants. Do remember that during the summer period (end of June till end of September) all rooms are heavily booked and reservations made a few days in advance are highly recommended.