• Explore Old Riga (UNESCO World Heritage List)
• See original Art Nouveau and Gothic style architecture
• Climb to the top of St Peters Church for a fantastic view of the Old Town
• Spend a sobering hour or two in the Occupation Museum
• Relax in Jûrmala, the largest resort town in the Baltics.

Riga is the largest and most cosmopolitan of the Baltic cities.  It has an impressive preserved collection of architecture, spanning it’s 800 year existence and illustrating its long and varied history.  This rich cultural heritage is complimented perfectly by Riga’s abundance of cafes and elegant restaurants.  It is no surprise that Riga was one of Europe’s Cities of Culture in 2001.

The former walled city of Riga, called Old Riga, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.  Today’s Riga is a truly delectable mix of Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau, Soviet and modern chic, all bound together by a delightful network of cobbled streets.  Many of the original 13th Century buildings remain intact, such as the Riga Dome Cathedral, which used to be the largest place for worship in the Baltic’s and has an organ with 6768 pipes!  Gothic style St PetersChurch was built within the first decade of Riga’s existence and most of it has survived throughout the 800 years.  Its wooden tower was not so lucky, collapsing in 1666, rebuilt in 1667, only to burn down in 1668 and again in 1941!  Climbing to the top of this tower offers a spectacular panoramic view of the old town.  Three of the oldest stone buildings in Riga, called The Three Brothers are a perfect symbol of the cities diverse range of architecture and show the contrast of Medieval and Baroque architecture in the city. 

Soon after its founding, Riga joined the prestigious trade organisation of the Hanseatic League.  The city experienced strong growth and when Sweden took control in 1629, was one of the largest cities in the Swedish empire.  The Swedes lost it to the Russians in 1710 but Riga continued to be one of the most dominant economic players in the region.  By the beginning of the 20th Century, Riga was an extremely rich city and this is when all of the flamboyant Art Nouveau style buildings were created.  In fact, there were so many buildings in this style that today; forty percent of all buildings in central Riga are of this design.

In contrast to the stunning Art Nouveau, the brown brick structure, referred to as Stalin’s Cake, which now houses the Latvian Academy of Sciences, is a prime reminder of Riga’s Soviet time.  The equally unattractive cement building of the LatvianOccupationMuseum contains many stories from the Soviet occupation.  An excursion to this, the most visited museum in Latvia, is a truly worthwhile, yet sobering, experience.

To taste the true essence of Riga, cross the river to the four enormous half pipes of the Riga Central Market. If it’s fresh produce, gourmet foods or even some local famous Latvian honey you are looking for, you will find it here.  Previously Soviet aircraft hangers, the size of the market buildings is almost more mind blowing than the amount of produce inside.  In fact, it is the second largest city market in Europe.