Riga Castle
One of the most famous and popular attractions in Riga is the Riga Castle, which is visited by Russian and foreign tourists. The history of the Riga Castle dates back to 1330 when it was built after the destruction of the old castle. In 1642, when Riga was under Sweden domination, a new wing was built to the castle by the River Daugava which has survived in its original form to this day. In the days of Czarist Russia castle was rebu...
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The Best Places to Visit in Riga -> Destinations
About The Best Places to Visit in Riga
Latvia is a small and cozy country on the Baltic Sea. The pure nature, the sea, the pine trees, the beautiful architecture, medieval castles and streets in the Old City of Rigato, the exquisite art nouveau buildings, the friendly and unobtrusive natives, with whom it is possible to communicate in Russian-all these give a special charm. Someone is going to Latvia because of nostalgia, someone else because it's the closest "Europe" and you can get for just one night by train. Someone goes to admire the sea and the unique beach of Jurmala - tens of kilometers of pure white sand, framed by pine trees. The Old Town, the Dome Cathedral, Riga, Raymond Pauls, Lyme Vaikule, Brain Storm, Flower Street, Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes, New Wave, KVN, Riga balsam, Dzintars, chocolate Lyme, smoked chicken, cheese, cumin, smoked eel fishing villages, amber and linen are all Latvia.
Riga is the capital of Latvia , the largest city in the Baltic States , the main tourist center of the country. Riga is located on the shores of the Baltic Sea, although the majority of the residents and tourists go to the sea in the resort of Jurmala , just a 20 minute drive from Riga.
Ten reasons to come to Latvia
Medieval history and fabulous architecture
The Old Town consists of medieval houses, churches of the 12-16 century, the area where executed or pardoned, suppressed rebellions, you will not notice how immersed in the sweet atmosphere of the Middle Ages. However, much you've seen for a long time ... in the movie: The Three Musketeers, midshipmen, Knight of Ivanhoe, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and finally the unfortunate Professor Stirlitz Pleischner - all the "visited" these parts. And here is the center, the oddly decorated building of the early XX century in Art Nouveau style. Outside the city locks these German barons, castles, built for the Russian Tsars and their approximaty, now many of them turned into a cozy hotel where you can relax in the quiet tree-lined parks, fun hunting, fishing, horse riding.
Jurmala
Half an hour from Riga and you are in Jurmala - the largest and the most famous resort of the Baltic states. Jurmala is always hospitable and affectionate. The sea, the sun and pine, the pine-ionized clean air smell! The sandy beach is 32 kilometers in length, over which the Blue Flag of the European Union flies, certifying the purity of water, the beach and the high level of infrastructure development. Jurmala is famous for its pleasant temperate climate - a resort that doesn’t absolutely require acclimatization!
The rich cultural life
Once each visitor to Latvia considered binding authority to hear about the magnificent Dome Cathedral - a great tradition that deserves to be continued ! Riga also has a wonderful Opera House, Riga Russian Theatre, with more than a century of history, there are festivals of opera and ballet, folk festivals. Latvia was the mistress of the "Eurovision 2003". In Jurmala each year is a competition for young singers "New Wave" , the festival of "Wailing Kivinen" .
A full range of entertainment at affordable prices
Traveling by boat, hot air ballooning, bowling, golf, paintball, are all readily available and very inexpensive in Latvia. Delicious food The famous "Lido", the Irish and the English pubs, restaurants and cafes almost every ethnic cuisine suit all tastes and size of the purse. Outside the city are many cozy cafes and pubs. Be sure to try the famous smoked chicken, fish of all sorts and kinds of cooking, caraway cheese, sweet rye bread, fresh home-made beer, smoked meat, and for friends grab Riga Balsam and chocolates "Lyme." All very tasty and cheap!
Pure nature
Most of the country's territory is covered by forest. The proximity of the sea, the low population density and the lack of large enterprises have made Latvia clean and tidy corner of Europe. Take some time to get out of the town, at your service, rural cottages with all modern conveniences, fresh air and a deafening silence. Feel the joy of solitude and merge with nature.
Original gifts
Amber, wood, glass and metal… Visit the Ethnographic Museum where are numerous exhibitions and sale of products made of amber, wool, linen, clay, silver, or visit one of the many salons. Foresee your surprise and delight - that is, it turns out, what can be done from amber, wood, glass or metal - and all these can also buy the example of the amazing authors jewelry, made in a single copy. A pleasant surprise will be the price of similar products.
Nightlife
The brilliant night Riga is at your feet. Crowds of people are walking in the streets of Old Town, open the doors of restaurants and cafes and music is everywhere. At midnight, life is just beginning! In Latvia, you will not find shops and cafes with a sign "saying in Russian" - just go and ask, you are always welcome! In 2014 Riga will be the cultural capital of Europe. Together with it the honorary title for a year will share the Swedish city of Umea.
Cultural Capital of Europe
The tradition of the annual award of the status of the cultural capital of Europe was born to different cities in 1985. The first cultural capital of Athens began. In the 2000 th there were as much as 9 - Avignon, Bergen, Bologna, Brussels, Helsinki, Krakow, Prague, Reykjavik, Santiago de Compostela. Being the cultural capital is a big responsibility, but it is very nice. Events in Riga in 2014 fill up a large number of new cultural and entertainment events and those that are held annually (Night of Museums, Old Town, White Night, etc.) will be even bigger and more colorful. So the holiday a year for the people of Riga and guests are guaranteed. A special direction "Riga 2014" develops a program of activities for 2014. It is known that the event would be established within six themes: "The thirst of the ocean," " The Survival Kit", " The Road Map", "Amber lived," " The Liberty Street", " The Carnival of Riga." In 2014 Riga finally opens its doors to a new building of National Library of "The Castle of Light". The construction of a massive and expensive project of a new library, which caused a storm of emotions and grievances for Latvians started in 2008. Riga City Council is also timed to this date. Latvia became an increasingly popular tourist destination in Europe. Guests come here from all over the world in the weekend in Riga , for a vacation by sea in Jurmala and in winter even in Sigulda . Foreign tourists attract accommodations and meals as well as cheap. Travel in Riga to understand the busy life of this Baltic country.
Vote the best in order to establish the winner in The Best Places to Visit in Riga.
Riga Motor Museum
Despite the distance from the center of the city, it is well worthy to visit the Riga Motor Museum because it is the only automobile museum in the former Soviet Union. It is included in the 30-ky best technical museums in the world and in the top five in Europe. The collection includes cars and motorcycles at the beginning of the XX th century, military sports cars, limousines and 30-x years cars (inclu...
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The Dome Cathedral in Riga
Some years ago, this magnificent cathedral, located in Riga, was closed for renovation, but after the renovation its doors were thrown open to welcoming back many tourists and locals. The construction of the Cathedral and the monastery began in 1211 and lasted for many centuries. Finally, the outlines of its Baroque 90 - meter tower acquired in 1766 in the cathedral. Its body is one of the largest in the world. It was built in the 80...
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The Church of St. Peter
The Church of St. Peter, located in the Old City is one of the great monuments of culture. The church of St. Peter's Lutheran Church is known as a cultural and a tourist center. The church of Sts. Peter is mentioned in the story of 1209. The church of St. Peter's was built as a city church. The construction of the church was made due to the donated money by merchants and craftsmen who had their altars i...
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The Freedom Monument
The Freedom Monument is the main monument of the capital symbol of independent Latvia, the heart of Riga today, its center and a popular venue for official ceremonies. The monument was built with money collected by the people. It was opened on November 18, 1935. The monument represents a five-story composition, with a gradual increase in emotional impact. The first tier has a massive base and a terrace. The terrace is lined with pink...
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The Great Guild
Historically, the Grand Guild took the merchants. Riga was the largest shopping center and a member of the Hanseatic League. Also the Great Guild took some high-ranking officials, priests, men of letters, but only from the artisans of goldsmiths. The rest of the artisans had to apply to the Little Guild. The buildings guilds of Riga were multifunctional public facilities: once people prayed here, stored grain and gave shelter and lat...
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The Small Guild
If the Great Guild has historically united and founded by German merchants, the artisan took in the Small - guild masters. In the old days in Riga were up to 150 craft fraternities. In Soviet times the Small Guild was the House of Culture. And now the building of Riga, the Small Guild is a center of culture and folk art. As in the building of the Great Guild, there are cozy places here where concerts...
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The House of Blackheads
The House of Blackheads, initially known as the new house was built in 1334. It was reconstructed several times since 1522, when Mats stones were installed at the entrance, until the 19th century, when at the entrance were sculptures of lions and an extension in the corner, the image of St. George. The Roland statue, installed in the Town Hall Square in 1896 is now in St. Peter's Church and the square is a copy made in 2000. The ho...
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The Laima Clock
The Laima Clock is known to everyone in Riga. There is no resident of Riga, who didn’t ever assign his date to Lima at the clock next to the Old Riga. The Clock was created in 1924 and installed in the square at the Freedom Monument. They then have called Lyme. Although the logo “Laima” appeared to them in 1936.Lima was the name of the girl. Laima was the name of the famous Chocolate Fa...
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The Three Brothers
The Three Brothers is the oldest residential complex in Riga. It is located on the street Little Castle 17, 19, 21 (Maza Pils). The name "Three Brothers" appeared on the similarity with the "three sisters" of the city of Tallinn.The oldest surviving residential building in Riga is located at Little Castle 15 (Maza Pils 15), it is built in the late 15th century, when Riga has established contacts with merchants from ...
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Riga Museum of Art Nouveau
A century ago, Riga, as well as other cities in Europe was inspired by the breath of surprised creative freedom and a luxury style of architecture and life. The nature rejoicing in an armful of flowers, ornaments, curved sleek lines, admiring the beauty of the antique, fantasizing about the sphinxes, griffins, and guard Psakhie, Art Nouveau made Riga beautiful, mysterious and provocative. Look up and discover the most beautiful art nou...
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The Cat House
Built by the architect F. Shefel, the Cat House is located on the square in front of Liv Great Guild on Meistaru 10 street. The building is well-known for the fact that there are two metal cats on the roof of the house. In 1910 this house as a residential and office building, was constructed by a rich Latvian merchant, who was not admitted to the Great Guild. The merchant was very upset and on the roof of his house two cats put , th...
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The Powder Tower
It is not known when the Powder Tower was built. The very name of the tower - Powder, too, appeared later. It is possible that the first tower on the site for protection has been built in the 13th century. The place for the first time in papers was mentioned in the 14th century under the name of Sand Tower. The current tower was built at the turn of 15 - 16 centuries and was built to protect against bullet ...
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St. Jacob Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. Jacob was built in the early 13th century and it is the smallest of the churches of Old Riga. At first it was outside the city walls. The Cathedral burned, was rebuilt, reconstructed and completed several times. From the original appearance of the church it is best that the altar room has survived. In the 15th century, the tower clock appeared, the mechanism of which was outside of the tower under the small roof....
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The Parliament Building ( Seimas)
The building of the Seimas (Parliament) of Republic of Latvia was built in 1867 as the Vidzeme Knighthood house designed by the architect Robert Pflug and the first academically educated Latvian architect Janis Baumanis. The architecture of the building of the House of Knights was focused on the Florentine Renaissance palaces. In 1900 - 1903 the Knight's house greatly expanded the project Common Q. Neumann having a new wing on the...
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The Riga Circus
In 1880 the land on which the circus is now and its property were acquired by a well-known circus performer - Albert Salamonsky. Every summer, he came to Riga to deliver on its site a tent and show the program in which he took part. However, the tent was small and Salamonsky decided to build a stone building. The current building was constructed in the circus in 1888 by the architect Frederick John Baumanis. The Circus bu...
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TV Tower, Riga
The height of the TV tower is of 368 meters. It is one of the ten tallest TV towers in the world and the third in Europe. The observation deck is located at a height of 97 meters, from where you can see the center of Riga, Pardaugava, Riga HPP, and in fine weather, even the Gulf of Riga, the ships in it, and the highest point of Sigulda. The tower was designed by the Georgian architect Nikuradse. Zakyusale began broadcasting in 1986. For the first time the n...
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St. John's Lutheran Church, Riga
Originally on the site of the Church of St. John was a monastery founded by the Dominicans in 1234 and named after St. John the Baptist. After numerous surgeries, around 1500 the church acquired its present appearance - with a high Gothic stepped gable, a gable roof and a small turret. In 1523 the town hall at the Dominican Convent selected. Latvian parish acquired in the property in 1582.However, a small Lutheran parish church of the ...
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The Church of St. Gertrude
The current building of the old church of St.Gertrude was built in 1864 - 1866's by the architect C. Felsko. This is a typical example of eclecticism expressed in neo-Gothic forms. In the external appearance of the church there is a vertical dominance. The decorative turrets that adorn the stepped gable turrets and spiers of the footboard confirm this. The tower of the church with a step-declining volume, the height of 63 meters is cov...
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The Swedish Gate
The Swedish Gate is the only gate of Riga, which has been preserved to this day. The gate is located on Tornya street 11. The gate was built in 1698 to connect the inner city to the barracks and the houses outside the city walls. As well as the rest of the gates of Riga, it is opened at dawn and closed at sunset. The Swedish gate was built in the building of the street as medieval Riga towers – the Tower Jurgen, in the docum...
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Arc de Triomphe or the Aleksandrov Gates
Arc de Triomphe or the Aleksandrov gates are in the park Viesturs. This is the only triumphal arch in Latvia. The author is ID Gottfried. The arch is made after the example of the Roman triumphal arch. It was built in 1817 at the end of Alexander Street (today Brivibas Street) near the air-bridge. The Arch was built in honor of the victory over Napoleon in 1812. The height of the arch is of 10.1 meters, the width is of 9.7 meters, the width of the carriageway...
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The Convent Court
The Convent Court has its origins in the first half of the 13th century, when the Order of the Sword built a castle on the site of the Order. Rigans destroyed this castle in 1297. When the Order began the construction of a new residence in 1330 on the banks of the Daugava River, the former castle suffered the Convent of the Holy Spirit founded an orphanage. From him and then went the current name Convent Court. Since 1554 in the courtyard of the Convent were onl...
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The Verman Garden
The Verman Garden was one of the first public gardens created in the 19th century. The Garden is located in the heart of Riga's streets between Cr.Baron, Terbatas and Elizabetes. The park was officially opened on June 8, 1817. Originally the area was 8 hectares of the park. Now the park has the area of 5 ha. The City has given Anna Gertrud Woermann, a part of the park with exotic trees, a rose garden and a restaurant. Initially, there was a fence around the par...
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