Places to visit in Riga
A rainy autumn day in Riga
A wonderful solution for car parking and walking in the old Riga. At the entrance to the multi-level piercing on the barrier you get a card for payment. You can pay in the machine in cash with banknotes or coins (except for small things less than one euro) or by credit or debit card. Parking is hourly, if 24 hours the total price is 18 euros. Parking card also gives a discount in the nearest cafe. Translated with Google Translate
Tornu Street (a tower tower, apparently from a thorn, runes of tourists or Tours is a giant. By the way, the old Riga legend of the giant Big Kristaps, the patron saint of the city) is connected with this area between the Yakovlev barracks and a fragment of the fortress walls. The square tower in the wall is called the Ramer Tower. The barracks, originally built for the quartering of Swedish soldiers after submission of Riga to the Swedes in the 17th century, were rebuilt by order of Peter the Great and called Yakovlev by the name of the defensive tower of the northern wall, which, along with the sand tower (later gunpowder), played an important role in urban fortifications. The barracks served military purposes until Latvia gained independence. Today there are cafes, shops and even apartments. Translated with Google Translate
Swedish Gate is called so of course in connection with the Swedish period in the history of the city. About this gate (as well as about many things in old Riga) there are legends and various stories are told. So, for example, they say that one brewer built the gate in order to get to Aldu street (brewers street) faster. Or, they say that a girl and a Swedish soldier were bricked up alive in the gate, whose love was impermissible in the eyes of the then moral guardians, and only a truly loving couple can, at midnight, pass through the gate, hear the whispering of those who have not paid for their lives. Translated with Google Translate
People have always had to keep stocks. In basements, in warehouses, in attics. The red house along the street Trovkshnyu with a high attic, equipped with a remote crane to lift goods directly under the roof. And at the end of the street you can see the building of the Latvian Seym - the parliament. It is unicameral, it has 100 deputies from five districts and elections are held every 4 years. Translated with Google Translate
Kloster Street - the monastery is so named after the monastery and the church of Mary Magdalene. As well as the church of St.. Jacob. (Yakub) The monastery at the church of Mary was called the monastery of singing maidens, it was inhabited by unmarried daughters of noble citizens, and the bell on the church of Jacob rang when an unfaithful wife or husband passed by. They say that the bell was removed because of the constant ringing. Translated with Google Translate
The three brothers are three ancient houses, one adjacent to the other and built in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The eldest of the brothers is white. It is a bit deep. The open area in front of the house and the stone benches in front of the entrance indicate that at that time there was no land shortage in Riga. A small window indicates the thrift owners - the larger the window, the greater the city tax. The middle brother is built in the style of Dutch mannerism and its beautiful windows indicate that taxation has changed somewhat. The youngest of the brothers is called green. And by color and height :) Translated with Google Translate
This is one of the most beautiful buildings of Riga, built in the neo-renaissance style. It housed the Riga Stock Exchange since 1855. Architect Harald Bosse, who designed the building for the stock exchange, was born in 1812 into the family of a Riga painting professor whose grandfather was from Germany. Bosse has built many buildings and private houses in St. Petersburg, his own house is also located in the city of Petra on Vasilyevsky Island. Bosse built quite a few churches for Lutherans and reformists of the French, Estonian communities. His tenement houses and mansions adorn the St. Isaac's Square, the embankments of the Moika and Fontanka rivers. But the Orthodox Church in Dresden made it famous, where the architect studied and where he returned to in the last years of his life. So, dryly and briefly, one can describe the life of a man who was born in the year of the beginning of the Patriotic War of Russia with Napoleon’s army and died a year when in Paris it was decided to establish an Olympic committee and hold the Olympic games, the Dreyfus case began, and in Odessa Isaac Babel. He lived almost the entire 19th century, from the Napoleonic wars to the revolutionary movement, he was an innovator in the architecture of St. Petersburg and worked with Karl Bryullov and preferred to return to conservative Dresden at the end of the years and become famous for the orthodox church in the Lutheran city. In his fate, the entire 19th century is in full view. Translated with Google Translate
Dome Cathedral was founded by Bishop Albert - the founder of the city, here he was buried. It is said that its spirit is guarded by the cathedral, the largest medieval church in the Baltic countries. Nevertheless, the spirit of Albert did not save the cathedral from almost complete destruction during the fire in 1547. Albert could not take part in the opening ceremony of his brainchild - the construction of the cathedral was delayed for more than sixty years. Restoration of the cathedral after the fire required large funds and it was decided to erect one in the center instead of two towers on the facade. One of the famous sights of the cathedral is its organ, built in the second half of the 19th century. Its height is 25 meters and it has almost 7,000 pipes. It was for this body that Franz Liszt wrote several works. The weathervane of the cathedral is the famous one and a half meter golden cockerel. Free admission. Probably the most impressive thing is to listen to the sound of the organ of the Dome Cathedral. Translated with Google Translate
Even before the ideas of freedom of equality and fraternity were finally destroyed in Paris, the very foundations of absolutism, where the state is king, the wealthy burghers of Riga, imbued with ideas of education, founded the museum of the city’s history, which is still one of the oldest museums in the city’s history in Europe. It was created in 1773 and its exposition tells the history of Riga from the day of its foundation until 1940. The museum occupies the premises of the former Dome Monastery and adjoins the Dome Cathedral. Its foundation is due to the family of the Riga city doctor N. Martini and directly to his grandson N. von Giemsel. It was on the basis of their private collection of coins and objects that archaeologists created a museum. Translated with Google Translate
The souvenir market is located on the square between Tirgonu and Kalgyu streets, as well as in the passage behind the city mayor’s office building, which connects the square with Malaya Yaaniel street. The passage was not impressed either by choice or by cordiality. But in it lies the trunk of an old old tree near which a plate is installed, telling that the tree is a contemporary of the pharaoh Tutankhamun. But on the square, tents and tents delight and their diversity and hospitality. Here is a large selection of traditional crafts: products from flax, leather, glass, clay, wood, amber. Very interesting original and beautiful designs, a lot of beautiful and high-quality ceramics and in general, it is cool here. Translated with Google Translate
St. Peter’s Church is one of the oldest churches in Riga. It is mentioned in the annals of the 1209th year. The most interesting is the fate of the spire of this church. The height of the entire tower is almost 120 meters, half of which is on the spire. The wooden spire of the tower repeatedly suffered from fires and destruction. One of the times he fell on a neighboring house and killed eight people. Another time, they say, Peter the First saved the spire of the tower from fire. The last time during the German siege of the city during the Second World War, the spire of the tower was destroyed from a direct hit by a shell. the spire was restored only in 1973. At the top of the spire is the famous Riga cockerel. It is a weather vane that informed the residents of Riga about the direction of the wind. One side of it was painted black and the other was golden. When the wind blew from the sea, the cock turned the golden side and the merchants and traders knew that it was possible to enter the harbor, and when the wind blew from the land, the cock turned its black side and it was clear that the deals would not take place. Translated with Google Translate
Near the Cathedral of St. Peter on the street Skarnyu stands a monument to the Bremen music. It was presented to Riga by the sister city of Bremen. The scene of the monument reminds one of the plots of the Grimm brothers' tale when the characters gathered in the pyramid and peek into the burglar hut. They say that this is a hint of the times of the Cold War, when from the west they tried to look behind the Iron Curtain. I did not really like this hint. Many years have passed since the collapse of the USSR, and time has shown that we should not pin hopes, we should not demonize and idealize and we should only hope for ourselves and believe in ourselves Translated with Google Translate
Through the courtyard of the convention you can get to a very interesting place in Riga - this is a bar dedicated to the famous Latvian drink - the black Riga balsam. It is said that the formulation of the balm, initially as a healing drink, was invented by Abram Kunta. Moreover, they were or were not talking about the fact that Empress Catherine the Second, who was visiting Riga, was seriously ill. The only thing that could save her - this is the famous balm Kunze. This event gave life to the balm. No less interesting is the history of counterfeits, prohibitions and restrictions on the sale, the preservation of the fine line of a drink between an alcoholic beatter and a truly healing balm. Be that as it may, the recipe, restored in 1956, has reached our days. The only thing that is known for sure: the balsam is drawn on 25 different herbs. The decoration of the bar also corresponds to the history of the drink: it is something between a pharmacy and a tavern, something between a house of a medieval alchemist and an English tea salon. The menu includes a variety of hot and cold cocktails based on Riga balsam, wonderful coffee, wonderful tea and accompanying chocolates and cakes. From myself I can only add that nothing has not warmed me so much and did not make me happy on this rainy day, like this wonderful bar of the Riga Balsam! Translated with Google Translate
Medieval unification of merchants and artisans into two guilds, respectively, one for merchants and the other for artisans occurred in Riga at the end of the 14th century. This was connected not only with the type of activity, but, and in many respects, with the national composition. The majority of artisans were descendants and immigrants from Germany, later representatives of the liberal professions joined them. The merchants were from different countries and different backgrounds. Over time, the merchant guild built a large building on the outskirts of the city, and the Great Guild was called, while the craft guild built itself a smaller building in the same part of the city and was called the Small Guild. Today in the building of the Small Guild a concert hall was created. The patron saint of artisans is the holy virgin Mary, while the patron saint of merchants is John the Baptist. This caused a variety of sculptures and elements in the design of buildings, respectively, large and small guilds. Before the guild buildings were built, a Franciscan monastery was located here. They say from this is the name of the street: Amatu from the phrase "gray brothers." Translated with Google Translate
Opposite the Great Guild is a famous house with cats. There is no resident or guest of the city, who would not have heard a saying about this house and these cats. It is said that a certain Blümer - the owner of the apartment building opposite the Great Guild could not become a member of the respected community of Riga merchants. Here, he undertook a sophisticated psychological pressure on the chairman. He placed cats with arched backs and raised tails on the roofs of his house and turned the chairman from the rear to the windows. Long trials and debates could not change the posture of the seals, and only the adoption of Blumer into the union of merchants could rectify the situation; Kotov turned to the guild front, and to the new Riga ass. But not only the piquant story is connected with this house. In 1991, a peaceful demonstration was sent from here to the bastion hill, as part of demonstrations for the withdrawal of Latvia from the USSR. A sniper shot in the back killed two Lithuanian cameramen who filmed the demonstration. Translated with Google Translate
Livy Square. This square originated in old Riga after the Second World War, when part of the old urban development was demolished. Livy is one of the ethnoses of the Baltic-Finnish peoples inhabiting the lands along the Daugava and the Baltic Sea, creating the national basis of modern Latvia. On the square you can see the big guild building, picturesque houses along Meistar street and a house with cats. In winter, a skating rink is poured on the square, and in the summer, during an influx of tourists, a public toilet is open with a cash register and a single cabin for women and gentlemen. Translated with Google Translate
Clothing store. Mostly fashion for teenagers :) We ended up there thanks to our teenager. The shop is located in an old house, apparently profitable. On the stairs leading to the second floor, there is a part of the old painting. By the way, the staircase itself repeats the historical one. Prices in the store are average. The average between the Israeli transcendental and German landed. Choice? Probably a good one :) When you purchase more than 60 Euros, you can get a refand dachshund through the all-European BlueGlobal system. Translated with Google Translate
From this point, beyond the bastion of the passage opens the waters of the Bastion Park. One of the most beautiful parks in my opinion. I was lucky to be in Riga many times. At different times of the year. I've always been good here. This park has a special atmosphere. There is in the park, probably as in many places today, a bridge hung with castles. I have no idea where this tradition came from, nor can I understand it. Why do human relationships, especially love, need to be put on the castle? Oddly enough, right next to the bridge with castles you can see the monument of freedom. One of the symbols of Latvia. It is hardly worth mentioning about it only to mention that it was erected in 1935 during the first independence of Latvia in the square where the monument to Peter the First stood. After the Second World War, the monument was preserved thanks to the famous Soviet architect Mukhina (the work “Worker and Kolkhoz Woman” at the Exhibition of Economic Achievements in Moscow) - born in Riga. Translated with Google Translate
The Bastonnas Hill stands in the park of the same name, and the whole park owes its name to this place. Once, Riga was protected by bastions. Opposite the bastion slide, the Powder Tower stands - the former sand tower. From here went the main trade route to Pskov and Novgorod. When the bastions and city ramparts were dismantled, a part of this space was set aside as a park. A cafe revered by respected residents of Riga appeared on the bastion hill. Doctors of the city even advised the health club in the park with an obligatory cup of coffee in a cafe. Here the architect Agt built a pedestrian bridge over the canal, called the eighth wonder of the world. The tradition says that many well-to-do residents of Riga whose native language was German in the name Agt - heard the word Akht (eight), hence the bridge eight. I still do not understand this Istria, it seems to me far-fetched. But the bridge is beautiful without any connection with Acht or Agt. Ducks, swans swim in the canal at the foot of the hill, and there are walking boats with real "captains" in a cap and jacket. Next time, I will definitely ride on a boat, well ... goodbye, Riga. Translated with Google Translate
Near the parking there is a small, very cozy cafe. Involuntarily I remembered the cafe on the bastion hill, recommended by the Riga doctors as a crown of the matzion in the park. We looked inside, bought some coffee and set off. The road to Trakai is long. Translated with Google Translate
