What to See in Riga

Riga Top Attractions

Brivibas Piemineklis (Freedom Monument)

The voluminous Freedom Monument has a sacred place in the hearts and minds of every Latvian. This potent symbol of the nation was paid for and erected by the citizens of Riga in 1935 and somehow survived four decades of Soviet rule. A popular local joke during the Communist era was that the monument was really a travel agent, since laying flowers at it guaranteed a one-way ticket to Siberia. Today, the monument, the tallest of its kind in Europe, is back to its best after a major renovation, and still retains its poignancy, as well as doubling up as a favourite meeting point for the city's youth.

Jugendstil (Art Nouveau)

Ironically, the best place to see Jugendstil (the German-style art nouveau architecture) is in Riga, seeing as it did not suffer the same WWII devastation as many German cities. Riga quite simply has the finest and most comprehensive range of this style of architecture in Europe. The style is unmistakable, with ornate stucco swirls adorning doorways, human faces embellishing facades and outlandish towers growing from the tops of buildings. The best way for visitors to appreciate this architectural treasure-trove is just to wander through the New Town, staring upwards. One of the best examples of Jugendstil is on and around Elizabetes iela, where many of the buildings are laden with all the telltale flourishes of this ornate architectural style.

Riga Doms (Riga Cathedral)

Riga Cathedral is the most photographed religious building in Riga. Its foundations were laid on St Jacob's Day in 1211, by Albert von Buxhoeveden, who became its first bishop. The cathedral is an intoxicating collage of gothic and Romanesque styles. In the interior museum there are displays portraying Riga between the World Wars, as well as maps and postcards of Old Riga. One of the highlights is the world-famous organ, crafted in 1883-1884 by the German company Waclker & Co and decorated with wooden carvings from as early as the 17th and 18th centuries.

Petera Baznica (St Peter's Church)

Another of Riga's most striking edifices is St Peter's Church, which is dedicated to the city's patron saint. This unmistakable redbrick style is common throughout countries that border the Baltic, from Germany through to Estonia. The sturdy church dates back to 1408, when it was built to replace a wooden church on the same site. The wooden spire, the highest in Europe, was obliterated by German shelling in 1941. The 122m (403ft) steel replica, completed in 1973, has a lift that shuttles tourists to an observation gallery offering sweeping views of the city.

Latvijas Okupacijas Muzeja (Occupation Museum of Latvia)

The Occupation Museum is an essential stop that many tourists tragically miss out on. Housed in a remarkably ugly Communist-era building, the museum takes visitors on a journey through Latvia's turbulent, recent history - from the Soviet and Nazi occupations during WWII, right up to the tumultuous events that led to Latvian independence in 1991. Outside, the statue of the Latvian riflemen remains the subject of much local controversy. Website: www.occupationmuseum.lv

Centraltirgus (Central Market)

Visitors wanting to leave the 21st century behind them should head for the five old hulking 1930s zeppelin hangars that are now home to Riga's Central Market. A world away from glossy shopping malls, it is still possible to rub shoulders with Riga's locals, who come to snap up cheap fruit and vegetables. There is also a rabble of stalls outside the main hangars. This is a great place for photography but visitors should watch their camera and other valuables. Website: www.centraltirgus.lv

Mencendorfa Nams (Mentzendorff House)

Mentzendorff House is an impeccably restored late 17th-century merchant's house. Ornately decorated, it still boasts the original period furniture and various historical artefacts.

Website: www.mencendorfanams.com

Latvijas Kara Muzejs (Latvian War Museum)

The Latvian War Museum is simultaneously one of the most interesting museums in the city and also the most controversial. Within the redbrick of the 14th-century Powder Tower, there are displays illuminating the various wars that have ravaged the country. There are good sections not only on the War of Liberation (1918-20), when the Latvians fought off the Soviets and the Germans, but also on the Latvian volunteers who served with the German Waffen SS during WWII. There has been much historical debate on their role in atrocities and the surviving veterans who triumphantly parade through Riga every year are often a source of embarrassment to the government.

Website: www.karamuzejs.lv

Melngalvju Nams (House of the Blackheads)

This stunningly renovated gothic building on the revamped Ratslaukams dates back to the 14th century and later became the headquarters of a group of local unmarried merchants: the Blackheads. In Soviet times, it fell into decline but now it gleams by day and shines at night when it is floodlit. The building's mighty gable rises dramatically 28m (92ft) above the square. The interior is suitably impressive with a rebuilt hall where the Blackheads would once have met.

Website: nami.riga.lv/mn

Tourist Information

Riga Tourism Information Centre (Riga Turisma Informacijas Centrs)
Ratslaukums 6
Tel: 6703 7900 (information centre) or 2203 3000 (tourist hotline).
Website: www.rigatourism.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1900.

There is also an information bureau at the Riga international airport.

Tourist Information Sites

Passes

The Riga Card gives visitors free use of buses, trolleybuses and trams, free train trips to Vecaki and Jurmala, free or discounted museum admission and discounts in shops, cafes, restaurants and on car hire. The card can be purchased in 24-, 48- and 72-hour variations, at the Tourism Information Centre, at the airport, at selected hotels and anywhere displaying the RC sign.