Riga

Riga, located at the estuary of the Daugava river, where it flows into the Gulf of Riga, is the capital of Latvia and, with a population of 900,000 within its 300 km2, the largest city in the Baltic states. It's also the Baltics' biggest industrial, financial and transport centre.

But there's more to Riga than offices and factories, and the medieval Old Town, dating from the 13th century, with its church towers, ancient houses and cobbled streets, is fascinating and beautiful. Brick houses and warehouses still survive from the Middle Ages, and many other buildings were rebuilt during the 19th century; indeed, of the 590 buildings in the Old Town, 79 are classified as historical monuments.

The highest building in Old Riga, and at one time the tallest wooden building in Europe, is St. Peter's Lutheran Church, at 19 Skarnu Street, first mentioned in the records in 1209. The building of the tower caused much outrage, as it meant that the congregational tower, at 123m. high, was taller than the cathedral; in 1353, the cathedral had two storeys added to it to make up the difference. Today, every three hours, the Latvian folk song "Riga dimd" can be heard from the tower. Take the lift to a viewing area 72m. up the new church tower, for some spectacular views of the city. The church itself has an exhibition hall, but make sure you also see the main interior. Services are held on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. The Dome Lutheran Cathedral, combining Roman, Gothic, Renaissance and modern architecture, is with its abbey, the Baltic states' largest religious building. The dome is famous for its magnificent organ (1884), showcased by the wonderful acoustics; music-lovers will be glad to know that regular concerts take place here and tourists can visit the Riga History and Navigation Museum in the southern and western wings. The old furnishings of the cathedral were plundered in 1524 when the paintings of saints were replaced with grave slabs which were sold: the closer to the altar (i.e. to God), the higher the price. The Soviets banned religious services here, but they were reinstated in 1988, the first service marking the founding of the Latvian Popular Front.

Like most medieval cities, Riga was once encompassed by a fortified wall, a few fragments of which can still be seen. One of the oldest parts, built between the 13th and 16th centuries and restored in 1957-60, is on Jana Seta. Near the Gun Powder Tower on Tornu Street (dating from 1330 and now housing a small gallery) is the part of the wall housing the Swedish Gate, built during the Swedish occupation in 1698; the baroque building above the gate is home to the Latvian Architects' Society.

On Pils Square you can see the imposing Riga Castle, built between 1330 and 1353 by the Livonian Order, and including a convent, four corner towers and the gate tower. In 1988 the Latvian national flag was raised for the first time in decades on the tower of the Holy Spirit; today, the castle is the home of the Latvian president. There are also two museums, the Latvian History Museum and the Museum of Foreign Art, open to the public. The splendidly maintained Mencendorf House, built in the 17th century and furnished in 17th -and 18th-century style, contains the Museum of the People of Riga, a fascinating display of the life of the city's people over the centuries. An important symbol of the city is sculptor Karlis Zale's Freedom Monument, created between 1931 and 1935. Located in the very centre of Riga the statue symbolises the Latvian nation and its struggle for independence and freedom, and since its erection on the 15th anniversary of the declaration of independence on 18 November 1935, it was a thorn in the side of the Soviet administration. Today flowers are laid as a memorial to those who died in the January uprising of 1991.

But probably the most significant memorial of all is the Cemetery of Brothers in Arms, created in memory of the soldiers who perished for Latvian freedom. About 2,000 soldiers, victims of the World Wars or the independence struggles, lie buried here amidst architecture, sculpture and landscaping created by Zale in 1924 -36.

Latvia is known for the elegance of its Art Nouveau buildings, and the finest examples in Riga are the series of rent-houses on Alberta Street, built at the beginning of the 20th century by architect M. Eizenstein. Slightly outside the centre, covering 97 hectares of land on the banks of Lake Jugla, is the Latvian Open - Air Folk Museum, a collection of 18th - and 19th century wooden buildings from all four of Latvia's provinces: Vidzeme, Kurzeme, Zemgale and Latgale. There are farmsteads, artisans' houses, a windmill, a church and a tavern, all of which can be explored, and the museum holds craft exhibitions on a regular basis.

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