Riga City Guide

Old Town & Art Nouveau

From the huge Central Market in its zeppelin hangars into the medieval heart: to the ornate House of the Blackheads, up St. Peter's tower for the best view, to the Baltics' largest cathedral, the Three Brothers and the Swedish Gate. On to the Cat House and the Freedom Monument, then up into the Art Nouveau showpiece street Alberta iela and the Latvian National Museum of Art.

1. Central Market (Centrāltirgus) – The walk begins at the Central Market, one of Europe's largest, housed in five vast halls originally built as zeppelin hangars. Among stalls of smoked fish, berries, cheese and flowers beats the city's lively heart - a good, sensory start.
2. House of the Blackheads – On the Town Hall Square stands the House of the Blackheads, a magnificent guild house with a richly decorated, playful red-and-gold façade. Destroyed in the Second World War, it was faithfully rebuilt and is now the old town's postcard shot - especially photogenic head-on from the square.
3. St. Peter's Church (Tower) – The Gothic St. Peter's Church towers over the old town with its 72-metre spire. A lift takes you comfortably to the viewing platform - from the top the whole sea of red roofs, the Daugava and the modern city beyond lie at your feet. Riga's best all-round view.
4. Riga Cathedral (Doms) – Riga Cathedral, founded in 1211, is the Baltics' largest medieval church - a massive brick structure with a quiet cloister. It is famous for its huge organ of over 6,700 pipes, once the world's largest; regular organ concerts fill the nave with sound.
5. The Three Brothers – The "Three Brothers" are three adjoining dwelling houses from three eras - the oldest dates to the 15th century and is considered Riga's oldest house. Their three different gables side by side tell the city's building history in a single frame.
6. Swedish Gate – The Swedish Gate of 1698 is the only surviving city gate of Riga's old wall, a plain passage through a residential building. Its name recalls Swedish rule; legends surround it, and the cobbled lanes around are among the old town's most atmospheric.
7. Cat House & Līvu Square – The Cat House, a yellow Art Nouveau building, carries two black cats with raised tails on its turrets. Legend says the aggrieved owner once had them turned rear-end towards the neighbouring guild - a charming detail and a favourite photo motif against the sky. The square in front, Līvu laukums, is a lively spot with guild houses and cafés.
8. Freedom Monument – The Freedom Monument of 1935 is the heart of Latvian national pride: atop a 42-metre column, the female figure "Milda" raises three golden stars for Latvia's historic regions. Even in Soviet times it remained a symbol of independence; a small guard change takes place on the hour.
9. Alberta iela (Art Nouveau) – Riga is regarded as the world capital of Art Nouveau, and Alberta iela is its showpiece street: façade upon façade piles up masks, lion heads, sweeping ornaments and figures, many by architect Mikhail Eisenstein. A stroll with your gaze constantly upward; in one house a museum shows a faithfully furnished Art Nouveau apartment.
10. Latvian National Museum of Art – To finish, the Latvian National Museum of Art in a grand historicist building at the edge of the Esplanāde park: five floors of the most important collection of Latvian art from the 18th century to today, plus Russian and Baltic works. A fitting finale, and the tram takes you from here back to the centre.