Thursday, September 28, 2023: Riga, Latvia

Certainly, Latvia was not on our bucket list. That said, Riga, the capital, is a gorgeous city! It is on the UNESCO World Heritage list and, as we were going to discover, for a very good reason. 

We joined a walking tour, taking a bus from the port to the “Quiet Center” where there was building after building in the Art Nouveau style. Our guide, Gunta, informed us there were at least 800 of these buildings in Riga, making it the highest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in the world. We walked around several blocks while Gunta identified the 4 styles: NeoClassical, Perpendicular, National Romantic and Eclectic.

One surprising building was in the neighborhood housing the Russian Embassy. A 2-story high banner showing a not-so-very complimentary image of Putin was on display. After Russia invaded Ukraine, the Latvians changed the street name to “Ukrainas neatkarības iela” forcing the embassy to change their address on all documents. At the park across the street were a dozen or so flagpoles, all with Ukrainian flags. Take that, Putin!

We returned to the bus to travel across the suspension bridge over the Daugava River to catch a better view of Riga’s Medieval skyline. We stood in front of a modern building at the river’s edge and listened as Gunta pointed out each and every building and church spire.

The “Stalin’s Birthday Cake” building was originally built for the Collective Farmers but after it was finished, he decided it was too big for farmers and had administration services move in. Not an attractive building!

Back over the bridge where we had a great view of the Rotterdam and into Old Riga, the Medieval city center. Passing the modern National Library building known as The Castle of Light, was designed by Gunner Birkerts, a Latvian-American who designed the Corning Glass Museum in Corning, NY. 

We began our walking tour in Old Riga, in the town square where the Hanseatic group, the Blackheads, had a building. It had been reconstructed in 1999 from the original 1334 building. Gunta mentioned that the astronomical clock at the top of the building was unique for the 14th century so once finished and working, the clock maker’s eyes were gouged out. Ugh! Hope that was just an ugly rumor!

The town square with City Hall and St. Peter’s Church had been in use from the 14th through the 19th centuries. The city grew and spread and the population decreased in the center. WWI and WWII had a significant impact on the city, particularly WWII due to bombing damage. While many buildings escaped destruction, several had to be reconstructed. The cobblestone streets and pedestrian-friendly walkways added to the charm.

We did not tour St. Peter’s Church, however we walked around it while Gunta gave us a bit of history. St. Peter’s was built in 1209 and destroyed several times either by fire or by war. A couple walls and pillars are all that remain from that time. In 1941, it was mostly destroyed with very little saved. The reconstruction is magnificent! We stopped at a bronze sculpture with animals atop each other and gazing through an opening, symbolizing viewing the outside world after the collapse of the Berlin Wall. 

We strolled to the Monument of Freedom, marking the end of the Old Center and the importance of the monument. It was unveiled in 1935, prior to Soviet occupation, and symbolizes the unity of the 3 Latvian tribes, honoring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence.

Gunta had other stories about the area, how the canal was filled in and the Liv Square created. As we walked towards Liv Square, we passed the Powder Tower, a 17th century defense tower, as well as buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries.

The houses around Liv Square have been built into the old city wall as it was no longer in use. This attractive square lead us to a fascinating building with a great story: the yellow Art Nouveau building has 2 cats on the roof “aiming” at one of the Hanseatic guild buildings. When the owner’s application for membership was rejected, he exacted his revenge in an architectural element!

Continuing around Old Riga, we passed by St. Jacob’s Church and were directed to look up at the small bell at the top of the spire. Legend has it that it would ring if there was an execution (or if Napoleon was coming, a wife was cheating, and on and on. So, all the time!).

We walked by the Swedish Gate that lead into an area known for brewing beer. This gate is one of the original gates through the city wall from the 17th century, allowing access from the military barracks into the city. The symbol of Riga is a key and has its origins back when Riga was a walled city in the Hanseatic League. Gunta informed us that the city walls were open during the day but locked at night. When a person of importance wanted to enter the locked city, they were issued a key.

We continued our walk in the old center, finding ourselves in front of the “Three Brothers”. These three Medieval buildings are among the oldest in Riga and currently house the Latvian Museum of Architecture.

Further along we came upon the Riga Cathedral, a famously well recognized landmark of Riga, built in 1201.

Walking onward, behind the Cathedral, past a restored Medieval restaurant, shops and back into the Town Hall Square to admire Roland.

We were given some free time to shop, spending euros as needed. A small notebook, a “cat” toothpick holder and two flavors of Riga Black Balsam, the national drink of Latvia were purchased. We did not sample this adult beverage but plan on doing so once back in the USA. A suggestion is to serve it over ice cream—will do!

Retail therapy over and time to head for the bus. We walked past an enormous Soviet-style sculpture known as the Monument to Latvian Riflemen and down to the edge of theDaugava River. Riga was an absolute surprise given its amazing architecture and robust history as an important Hanseatic city. This is a place worth revisiting!