Riga - A Sophisticated Capital City

Riga is a magnificent surprise to a stranger. A big city in feeling and sophistication, she has come to life again after half a century of Soviet domination. Latvians think of their cities as feminine and Riga is an unquestioned lady! The moment you walk her streets you understand why in the 1930s she was known as "The Little Paris of the North"

Superb architecture, from the medieval to Art Nouveau, an Old City that rivals Prague, operas and concerts, and active artistic life, smart shops and intimate restaurants, all testify to her being once again a major European capital.

Perhaps the best indicator of Riga's cultural strength is that far from old buildings being torn down to make way for highrises, they are being lovingly restored. Almost symbolically, one of the first to be brought back to its former glory was the Opera House. Funds may be in short supply, but energy and imagination are not, and Latvians are rightly proud of a lady who will be celebrating her 800th birthday in the year 2001.

A NOBLE PAST AND A STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM

For countless centuries the unhurried waters of the Daugava river provided a Baltic access to trade with what is now Russia. Riga was founded in 1201 by German invaders, whose Knights of the Sword built fortresses by the river and founded the Livonian Order. Their sway yielded to that of the Bishops, who maintained the city as a semi-independent state and Hanseatic town. To this day Riga has magnificent churches and if you take the lift inside the restored spire of St. Peter's Church, you will step out on to a viewing platform with spectacular views of a township that runs from medieval houses and fortress towers to late 19 century Art Nouveau facades. Running out from the Old Town, past the Freedom Monument, is the Brivibas (Freedom) Boulevard. In this century alone the Boulevard has been named after Alexander of Russia, Hitler and Lenin! Now it is Brivibas again and you can feel freedom in the air of Riga.

EXPLORE THE OLD CITY

Miraculously the old city (Vecriga) has been neither badly damaged by war nor disfigured by high rise development. Now pedestrianised, it is a delight to explore. Contained between the Daugava river and the park along the Pilsetas Canal, once the line of the city walls, it is a microcosm of architectural development from the 1200s to the 1900s. Doma Laukums is the main square and on summer evenings it is alive with people drinking beer, feasting on barbecued food and enjoying the warm sun.

The Dome Cathedral itself houses one of Europe's finest organs and is a frequent venue for concerts. Look out too for the powder tower (Pulvertornis) of 1330, the old city walls, the Art Nouveau houses on Alberta iela, and Kalkuiela, which is the Fifth Avenue of Riga. There is an open air art gallery on the garden square and street musicians play.

Numerous small bars and restaurants satisfy just about every taste. By contrast the new the new city stretches out in every direction, although contained by a green belt of forests. Among these woods are the Ethnographic Museum and the vast auditorium of the Mezaparks open air stage, both worth visiting, especially during festivals.

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