May 22-24
Although we flew into Vilnius, Riga was our first stop on the trip. Riga is known for its Art Nouveau architecture; it has the largest and most impressive showing in Europe [over 750 buildings]. Old town is filled with winding cobblestone streets and alleys while the squares are full of bars, restaurants, churches, museums and live music.
Riga is the largest and most cosmopolitan city in the Baltic states. It is located on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava, their largest river. The 800+ year old city is considered an architectural pearl, filled with Gothic churches, medieval buildings, and Art Nouveau structures. Riga has been under German, Polish, Swedish and Russian rule. The Independent Republic of Latvia was proclaimed on November 18, 1918, at the end of WWI, and the liberation war began. The city began to grow rapidly after the war, until WWII, where it once again suffered.
In 1991, citizens of Latvia revolted against the Soviets and gained the right to restore the Independence of Latvia.
English is spoken by seemingly all people and they are now on the Euro. It is close to the Anchorage Alaska latitude, which means it has long daylight hours in the summer. The sun rose at approx. 4:45 am and set at 10:00 pm [22:00] while we were there. It is a strange feeling when you think it is 7pm when it is really 10pm! It was a nice temperature outside, especially in the sun, and the crowds were minimal, which was perfect. Food and snack prices are cheap and delicious [visit Folkklubs Alla Pagrabs for a great dinner!].
Town Hall Square [below]
The square was the home of the original market square. Prior to the 19th century it was the economic and admin. center or Riga. The square held competitions, tournaments, dances and executions.
The Blackheads House is located in the Town Hall Square. It was built in 1334 for the city's guilds. Over time the Blackheads, a guild of unmarried foreign merchants, became the only occupants. The ground floor had shops, while the guildhall was on the first floor. The step-gabled Dutch Renaissance facade was built in the late 16th century, the clock in 1622 and the figures of Neptune, Mercury, Unity and Peace in 1896. The building was destroyed in WWII by the Soviet authorities. The current building dates to 1999.
In the center of the square is the Statue of Roland. It was built in 1896 but a copy was made in 2000. He was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne. He became the symbol of independence.
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| Town Hall Square |
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| Town Hall Square |
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| Town Hall Square |
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| Town Hall Square |
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| Statue of Roland |
The Latvian Riflemen Monument [below] is located in front of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia [below]. It was originally dedicated to the Latvian Red Riflemen. Some later became Lenin's personal bodyguards. Some of the Latvian citizens feel that it is a symbol of the old communist systems and would prefer to remove it, while others believe it is a tribute to the Latvians who fought in WWI. Presently, it honors all Latvian riflemen, Reds and Whites.
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Museum of the Occupation of Latvia by
Latvian-American architect Gunnar Birkerts |
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| Museum of the Occupation of Latvia |
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| Latvian Riflemen Monument |
St. Peter's Church [below]
St. Peter's was first mentioned in 1209 and was largely built by Livs. None of the original wooden church remains, but there are parts of the walls that date back to the 13th century. The clock tower was destroyed several times and visitors can ride to the top for views overlooking the city.
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| Around Riga |
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| St Peter's Church |
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| St Peter's Church |
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| St Peter's Church |
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| St Peter's Church - I look so small! |
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| City street |
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| Musicians of Bremen Monument |
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| Looking into Jāņa sēta |
It was established in the 13th century and had a monopoly of trade in Riga for centuries. It was built with elements of Eclecticism of the English Gothic style. There was a fire in 1963 and it was reconstructed two years later
Across the street from the Great Guild is the Cats' House. This is a yellow Art Nouveau building and is known for its two cat statues on the roof. The legend states 'before WWI a merchant who owned the building was refused entry to the Great Guild because he was Latvian and membership was reserved for Germans only. In retaliation, he put two statues of black cats - with arched backs and tails up - onto the roof, positioning them so that their backsides faced the guildhall. After a lengthy court battle the merchant gained entry into the guild and turned the cats around.' [1]
The Small Guild was a fraternity of master craftsmen that existed from 1352 to 1936. It is located next to the Great Guild. Renovations have occurred from 1999 to 2000 where the finish was restored based on documents and photographs of the 19th century.
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| The Great Guild |
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| Cats' House |
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| Cats' House vs the Great Guild |
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| Small Guild |
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| Livu Square |
The Freedom Monument [below]
The monument was built in 1935 where a statue of Peter the Great once stood. It is 42 meters tall and it is a symbol of Latvian independence. Karlis Zale is the sculptor who designed it with a granite base composed of reliefs and statues representing the virtues of work, spiritual life, family and protection of the fatherland. It also has sculptures of Latvian heroes, while a female figure adorns the top. The figure is known as Milda, who is holding three golden stars. These represent the three cultural regions of Latvia - Kurzeme, Vidzeme and Latgale. Flowers were banned from the base of the monument during the Soviet era.
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| The Freedom Monument |
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| The Freedom Monument |
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| The Freedom Monument |
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| The Freedom Monument |
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| Laima Clock |
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| Bastion Hill - Bastejkalns Park |
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| Freedom Monument in the distance |
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| The Powder Tower |
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| St. Jacob's Barracks |
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| Swedish Gate - 1698 |
Dome Cathedral [below]
The Dome Cathedral has Romanesque, early Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau features and is considered the largest Medieval church in Latvia and the Baltic States. Construction began in 1211 and it was enlarged in the 15th century. In 1547 a fire broke out and the Gothic spire burned to the ground. A new one was built in 1595. The cathedral may look as if it has sunken into the ground, but actually the land surrounding it has been built up to keep the flood water from the river out.
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| Dome Cathedral |
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| Doms Square |
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Parliament - at one time it was used as the HQ of
Friedrich Jeckeln, the SS officer who oversaw the killing of
Latvia's Jews, Roma and other 'undesirables' |
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| Modern designs of Riga |
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| Daugava |
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| Riga Castle |
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| Inside the Central Market zeppelin hangers |
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| Inside the Central Market zeppelin hangers |
Latvian Academy of Sciences
The building was Riga's first skyscraper and built between 1953-57. It is nicknamed 'Stalin's Birthday Cake'. The ornamentation on the facade is both Latvian folk imagery and hammer-and-sickle motifs. There is a large balcony on the 17th floor which is open to the public. It is also cheaper than the clock tower [4 euro pp instead of 9].
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| Latvian Academy of Sciences |
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| Latvian Academy of Sciences |
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| From the roof of the Latvian Academy of Sciences |
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| From the roof of the Latvian Academy of Sciences |
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| Nativity of Christ Cathedral |
Art Nouveau plays a very important role in the history of Riga. It can primarily be found in the 'Quiet Center' which is about a 10 minute walk from Old Town. Many of the early examples, from the turn of the 20th century, are categorized as eclectic Art Nouveau. This style uses asymmetry, symbolic ornamentation and details drawn from nature. One can also find the perpendicular style, which places emphasis on vertical composition, and National Romanticism, which incorporated folk motifs and the use of natural materials.
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10B Elizabetes street
designed by Mikhail Eisenstein |
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10B Elizabetes street
designed by Mikhail Eisenstein |
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| Elizabetes iela 33 - by Mikhail Eisenstein |
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| Alberta iela |
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| Walking like an architect - always looking up at the buildings! |
Bikernieki Forest/Jewish Memorial [below]
This was the site chosen by the Nazis for the execution and burial of around 40,000 Jews and other 'undesirables' brought from Germany, and several other occupied European countries between 1941 and 1944. It was opened in 2001 with the support of the German Public Association for War Burial Ground Maintenance, the National Fund of the Republic of Austria, the German government and several German municipalities. It is composed of a field of jagged stones sectioned off to represent a city from which Jews were deported. There is a concrete canopy with a black stone in the center.
There are 55 mass graves marked throughout the forest.
From there we headed back to Lithuania to continue our travels.
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