Latvia – Riga, Pieriga and Vidzeme (Valmiera, Alūksne) August 4-6, 2019
On July 5, 2019, I drove through eastern Latvia, mostly agricultural country with few towns all spread far apart. I was on my way to Estonia.
Madona City Museum, Madona. Archaeology Stone Age to 18th century – a lot of jewellery and axes both stone and iron. It appears that there was little flint here. English labels. Churches of the area – zero English. Manor houses of area upstairs – zero English. Some modern pottery and many wood barrels and tankards. Large exhibition of textiles – actually all wall hangings. €2.50, 1.20 reduced
CESVAINE
Cesvaine Palace. This is a grand fairy tale palace faced with intricately fit rough stone, orange tile roofs with many chimneys and gable windows and a large round “keep” or tower in the NE corner with a high conical roof. Private and can’t be entered.
Gulbene Municipality History and Art Museum, Gulbene. This small regional museum has some local art, modern ceramics from Riga and then a hodge-podge of quaint local artifacts. A few pieces of art were quite good. €1.20 reduced
Stāmeriena Palace, Stāmeriena. This grand manor house was having a complete restoration with completely new roofs and façade. It is private and can’t be entered even when it is lived in.
Getting here was a nightmare of road construction after Gulbene.
==============================================================
Latvia – Riga, Pieriga and Vidzeme (Valmiera, Alūksne) August 4-6, 2019
CÉSIS
1577-78 Russians besieged the castle and inhabitants ignited the gunpowder stores and die rather than fall into the hands of Ivan the Terrible But castle retaken, Russians tried twice again but failed each time. Swedes captured the “wolf a cannon able to fire 20kg balls for 3kms(at Gripsholm castle in Sweden)
Cesis Old Town
Cēsis Castle.and Cesis History and Art Museum
Medieval Castle, a stone castle, basically a ruin inside with a large round tower that can be entered. A craftsmen workshop area has some interesting displays.
New Castle. Has the history museum with a video, sound and light show. All labels and story boards in Latvian with English cards. Gives the history of the city and Latvian flag.
Exhibition Hall. Has the Art Gallery. Local artists with little special. €8, 4.50 reduced
St. John Church. The exterior is badly in need of restoration and the tower was covered in scaffold. The lower side walls and base of the columns has had the plaster removed exposing the rough brick and consturcton technidques. It is a 3-nave church. The apse and ceiling have been restored with all the rib vaults painted. It is quite nice.
Āraišu Windmill. This is a lovely round, tapering stone windmill. The arms and roof have been restored
SIGULDA
This small white church smelled very nice. It is plain white inside and out. The altar had a large portrait of Jesus in a wood frame. The pews were unusual with only a thin board backrest.
Castle of the Livonian Order. Only the east end is standing with a tower that can be climbed and a church. At the SW corner is another small tower. In the centre is a stage and seating. Part of the east wall is replaced with a wood wall and roofed walkway. There are views down to the valley below. €2, 1 reduced
Sigulda Aerial Tramway. Opened in 1969, this cable car traverses across the Ganja River valley and Ganja National Park to Krimulda Castle on the north side. There is only one car that holds 12-15 passengers and it goes back and forth across the valley every half hour. €8 one-way, €12 return
Sigulda Adventures operates in conjunction with the cable car. Ride a zip line that travels down the cable car line suspended on your stomach. Each run is timed with the cable car return as it brings the car back up to the cable car station. €55, tandem 95 In the evening, there is a bungee jump from the cable car. €60, tandem 105
Krimulda Castle. Technically not in Sigulda proper, it was built around 1255 using large boulders. In 1601, Polish troops burnt it down and it was abandoned. It can be reached by the cable car, trails up from the valley or by car (park in the cable car lot). All that remains are a long section of the bottom of one wall and the 20m high end wall containing two windows. Free
GAUJA NATIONAL PARK. This park consists of the Gauja River Valley that runs just north of Sigulda. The park was created in 1956 to protect the cave and other sandstone outcrops on the banks of the river. There are no homes or buildings in the river valley, just trees, large expanses of grass, walkways and lots of space to relax.
Gutmanis Cave. This is a wide mouthed, shallow cave on the north side in the river bottom. About 16m deep, a tiny stream flows out of it. The sandstone walls in the cave and around the mouth are carved with deep graffiti dating back to the 17th century. most on flat surfaces that have been carved in the walls. This is the oldest tourism attraction in Latvia. It is thought that the waters have special healing powers. They were once used by a man called the “gut man” to heal people. The cave is named after him. There is a paid parking lot just downstream from the cave.
Turaida Castle. Built in 1214, it was the castle of Riga Archbishopric, a residence of governors, home for district administrators and a military fort, that reached its culmination in the 16th century. It was renovated in the second half of the 20th century and contains exhibits on the times and construction history of the castle. Artifacts from the archaeological excavations are presented.
Only the south wall with its buildings and the high tower, now standing separately with no attached walls are intact. Old short ruined walls are on the north. It is on the north bank of the river valley. One of the most famous of Latvian landmarks, it is a grand red brick castle with two connected round towers that presents its best view from the valley it overlooks.
The Turaida Estate/Turaida Museum Reserve has 21 preserved buildings with a 1750 wooden church, a memorial to Maija, a girl whose life story has turned into a famous legend, folk-song park with 26 sculptures, governors residence, the cart house, smithy, sauna, a fish cellar and 17 ponds. €6, 4.30 reduced
RIGA (pop 633.000)
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. Being home to 632,614 inhabitants, a third of Latvia’s population and the largest city in the three Baltic states. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Baltic Sea. It lies 1–10 m above sea level, on a flat and sandy plain.
Riga was founded in 1201 and is a former Hanseatic League member. Riga’s historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture and 19th century wooden architecture. It is home to the European Union’s office of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).
In 2016, Riga received over 1.4 million visitors. The city is served by Riga International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in the Baltic states.
HISTORIC CENTRE OF RIGA.
A World Heritage Site, it is full of narrow pedestrianized lanes with cobble, some very rough. Riga is a very popular tourist town. On a Monday, there were many tourists and walking tour groups. On one of the large squares is Blackheads House (1334, renovated 1999), with a great brick façade – has a cultural centre, cinemas and congress meeting rooms.
St. John’s Church. The highlight is the pained red/grey/blue ribs with cross rosettes on the ceiling. The arches over the side pews are also painted in a variety of styles. The altar is white with marble statues and some gilt. Free
St Peters Church. This Lutheran church, was first mentioned in 1209 and the only remnants are it he outer nave walls and some pillars. It was reconstructed in the 13th, 14th and 16th centuries. The tower was finished in 1671 but all was destroyed in a fire n 1677. The reconstruction was destroyed in another fire in 1721. Artillery destroyed it in 1941 and in the reconstruction the 7th gilded rooster was placed no the steeple. The bell music began in 1976 and plays the Latvian folk melody “Rīga dimd” five times a day and bells ring at the top of every hour. The tower has an elevator installed that allows visitors a view of Riga from a height of 72 metres (236 ft). Renovation of the interior of the church ended in 1984. The Polish company “PKZ” restored the main facade and portals in 1987–91. The St. Peter’s Latvian Lutheran congregation resumed services in the church 1991, and the church was returned to the ownership of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia in 2006.
During World War II, the church lost an impressive bronze candelabrum made in 1596 – 310 cm high and 378 cm wide, previously called a standing lantern, and was returned in 2012. The statue of the rooster on the top of the church weighs 158 kg and 140 grams of gold were used to gold plate the statue.
Peitav Synagogue. Built in 1907, it is lovely inside with blue walls, richly decorated columns that are hard to describe and a stained glass ceiling panel. The ceiling is darker turquoise and with white gilt borders and star rosettes. Synagogues are always peaceful places because of the little wall decorations. There is also a Latvian Jewish History Museum in Riga that is free (90% of Latvia’s Jews were killed in WW II. €3, no reduction
Latvia Sport Museum. Normally closed on Mondays, I jiggled the door and the lady let me in and gave me a personal tour, necessary as there is no English. Latvia has won 96 medals in the Olympics and several are on display – many in javelin. Downstairs is a volleyball and basketball display with a 2.10m woman (1952-) with size 50 feet. Upstairs is winter sports. €.71
Look At Riga 5D. The feature is a 12-minute “Flight Over Riga” with many special effects
including ‘bubble’ features. €9
Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation. Established in 1773, it is one of the oldest museums in Europe.
Historical affiliations: Imperial Free City 1561–1582, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1582–1629, Swedish Empire 1629–1721, Russian Empire 1721–1917, German Empire 1917–1918, Republic of Latvia 1918–1940, Soviet Union 1940–1941, Nazi Germany 1941–1944, Soviet Union 1944–1991, Republic of Latvia 1991–present
Founding. The river Daugava has been a trade route since antiquity, part of the Vikings’ Dvina-Dnieper navigation route to Byzantium. A sheltered natural harbour 15 km upriver from the mouth of the Daugava — the site of today’s Riga — has been recorded, as Duna Urbs, as early as the 2nd century.
Old Riga. Riga began to develop as a centre of Viking trade during the early Middle Ages. Riga’s inhabitants occupied themselves mainly with fishing, animal husbandry, and trading, later developing crafts (in bone, wood, amber, and iron). By the 12th century, it was an ancient port with warehouses storing mostly flax and hides. German traders began visiting Riga, establishing a nearby outpost in 1158.
The RC Church declared a crusade against the Livonians. Bishop of Livonia Albert landed in Riga in 1200 with 23 ships and 500 Westphalian crusaders. In 1201, he transferred the seat of the Livonian bishopric from Ikšķile to Riga, extorting agreement to do this from the elders of Riga by force. 1201 also marked the first arrival of German merchants in Novgorod, via the Dvina. To defend territory and trade, Albert established the Order of Livonian Brothers of the Sword in 1202, which was open to nobles and merchants. The Christianization of the Livs continued. In 1207, Albert started to fortify the town. Albert had ensured Riga’s commercial future by obtaining papal bulls which decreed that all German merchants had to carry on their Baltic trade through Riga. In 1211, Riga minted its first coinage, and Albert laid the cornerstone for the Riga Dom. The Danes landed in Livonia, built a fortress at Reval (Tallinn) and set about conquering Estonian and Livonian lands. In 1226, Albert consecrated the Dom Cathedral, built St. James’s Church, (now a cathedral). Albert died in January 1229. The German hegemony he established over the Baltic would last for seven centuries.
In 1282, Riga became a member of the Hanseatic League. The Hansa was instrumental in giving Riga economic and political stability, thus providing the city with a strong foundation which endured the political conflagrations that were to come, down to modern times.
As the influence of the Hanseatic League waned, Riga became the object of foreign military, political, religious and economic aspirations. Riga accepted the Reformation in 1522, ending the power of the archbishops. Subsequently Riga was controlled by the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, in 1621, during the Polish–Swedish War (1621–1625), Riga came under the rule of the King of Sweden. Riga remained the largest city in Sweden until 1710, in the course of the Great Northern War, Russia under Tsar Peter the Great besieged plague-stricken Riga. Along with the other Livonian towns and gentry, Riga capitulated to Russia and became an industrialised port city of the Russian empire, in which it remained until World War I. By 1900, Riga was the third largest city in Russia after Moscow and Saint Petersburg in terms of the number of industrial workers and number of theatres.
During these many centuries of war and changes of power in the Baltic, and despite demographic changes, the Baltic Germans in Riga had maintained a dominant position. The 20th century brought World War I and the impact of the Russian Revolution of 1917 to Riga. Latvia, with Riga as its capital city declared its independence on 18 November 1918. Between World War I and World War II (1918–1940), Riga and Latvia shifted their focus from Russia to the countries of Western Europe. The United Kingdom and Germany replaced Russia as Latvia’s major trade partners. The majority of the Baltic Germans were resettled in late 1939, prior to the occupation of Estonia and Latvia by the Soviet Union in June 1940.
During World War II, Latvia was incorporated in the Soviet Union in June 1940 and imposed a regime of terror, opening the headquarters of the KGB, massive deportations started. Hundreds of men were arrested, including leaders of the former Latvian government. The most notorious deportation, the June deportation took place on June 13 and June 14, 1941, estimated at 15,600 men, women, and children, and including 20% of Latvia’s last legal government. The building of the KGB located in Brīvības iela 61, known as ‘the corner house’, is now a museum. Stalin’s deportations also included thousands of Latvian Jews. (The mass deportation totalled 131,500 across the Baltics.)
Riga was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1941–1944 when the city’s Jewish community was forced into the Riga Ghetto and a Nazi concentration camp was constructed in Kaiserwald. On 25 October 1941, the Nazis relocated all Jews from Riga and the vicinity to the ghetto. Most of Latvia’s Jews (about 24,000) were killed on 30 November and 8 December 1941 in the Rumbula massacre. By the end of the war, the remaining Baltic Germans were expelled to Germany.
The Soviet Red Army re-entered Riga on 13 October 1944. In the following years the massive influx of labourers, administrators, military personnel, and their dependents from Russia and other Soviet republics started. By the end of the war, Rīga’s historical centre was heavily damaged because of constant bombing. After the war, huge efforts were made to reconstruct and renovate most of the famous buildings that were part of the skyline of the city before the war. Such buildings were, amongst others: St. Peter’s Church which lost its wooden tower after a fire caused by the Wehrmacht (renovated in 1954). Other example is The House of the Blackheads, completely destroyed, its ruins were subsequently demolished. A facsimile was subsequently constructed in 1995.
In 2004, the arrival of low-cost airlines resulted in cheaper flights from other European cities such as London and Berlin and consequently a substantial increase in numbers of tourists.
For both €6.50, 4 reduced
Riga Cathedral. Has a big flat brick façade culminating in the high central tower €5 (I dislike churches that charge)
Our Lady of Sorrows Church. A relatively small 3-nave Catholic church, the highlights were the unique barrel shaped confessionals, oil paintings above the arches and Ways of the Cross, also painted. Free
Riga Castle. Supposedly a medieval castle, it looks much more modern – a 4-story chateau with crumbling yellow paint on the west and south. A large round tower is on the northeast corner. The north wing is the presidential house. Two goose-stepping guards walking in perfect unison in opposite directions were in the front. The castle itself in the back is closed as it is being renovated to house the Latvian Museum of National History.
St. James’ Cathedral (St Jacob’s Catholic Cathedral of Riga). Dated 1225, it has a dark red brick flat façade rising to a high clock tower with a grand green copper spire. Closed from 1-2:30.
Latvian War Museum. Lots of photos, documents and weapons. In WW I and the subsequent Russian Civil War, Latvia lost 35% of its population. Little in English but a “book” to follow. Free
Freedom Monument. This honours soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920). It is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of Latvia. Unveiled in 1935, the 42-metre (138 ft) high monument of granite, travertine, and copper often serves as the focal point of public gatherings and official ceremonies in Riga.
The sculptures and bas-reliefs of the monument, arranged in thirteen groups, depict Latvian culture and history. The core of the monument is composed of tetragonal shapes on top of each other, decreasing in size towards the top, completed by a 19-metre (62 ft) high travertine column bearing the copper figure of Liberty lifting three gilded stars.
In 1987, about 5,000 people gathered at the monument to commemorate the victims of the Soviet regime and to lay flowers. This rally renewed the national independence movement, which culminated three years later in the re-establishment of Latvian sovereignty after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Dailes Theatre. This is a professional Latvian theater founded in 1920 and today is in a functionalism architecture style building with three halls: large hall, small hall and chamber hall. It is typical for the theater to stage large-scale and dramatically tense performances of the form, as well as talk about significant personalities of history and culture of its time. The theater repertoire includes works by both Latvian and foreign authors.This theatre hall holds dramas and musicals in Latvian.
KGB building (The Corner House). In a former mansion used by the Latvian government for security, this house (entered by a door on the corner of the building) was taken over the Cheka, as the KGB were known at the time. The Germans in WW II also used it. After the war it the center of KGB repression. Partisans especially were targeted. Wire taps, informants, interrogations were all part of the process. Cells were in the basement. Many were sent to Siberian labour camps. This continued until independence in 1991. The museum is mainly large story boards in a large room followed by a film. Free, English tours €10
St. Alexander Nevsky Church. Yellow with a large green dome topped with a small blue spire, this small round Orthodox church is lovely inside. The walls, sides below the dome and painted in geometrics. Large white columns separate the central area from the periphery. There are many large ad smaller framed icons and a small white gilt iconstasis with an ornate silver jacket around Mary. Free
Riga Nativity of Christ Cathedral. This large Orthodox cathedral is covered with murals inside. Lovely geometrics line the arches and sides of the dome with the usual mural of Christ at the top. Gilt iconostasis are in the apse and 2 side chapels. Many heavily jewelled icons in frames are everywhere and the high cut glass chandelier is very intricate. The exterior is red and cream bricks with several columns adorning the small round windows and 2 gilt domes. Free
Domina. A modern shopping mall in east Riga, it has only one level making it a long walk anywhere under glass skylights. I couldn’t park in the inside parking at it was too low for my van (1.9m) and there isn’t much parking ourside.
Riga Central Market. This very large market has several linked buildings each with its own type of produce and an outdoor area with more fresh produce, it has fresh and processed fish and meat, cheese, a huge selection of vegetables and fruit, flowers, coffee and food vendors. Also clothes, shoes, kitchen utensils and suitcases. Very popular and attractive.
Castle of Light (Gaismas pils – National Library). This is a huge building on the west side of the river. Its unusual triangular, mountain-like shape with its glass flame on the 11th and 12th floors, dominates the skyline coming over the bridge. Opened in 2014, it is 63m high. Inside it has a massive courtyard allowing views of the resources (1.7 million books) and lots of glass. Holds the cultural archives of Latvia, 1000 places to read, exhibitions, concerts and events, The museum looks at the history of books in Latvia and how these have shaped Latvian culture. Guided tours allow access to the top floor with great views across the river to Old Riga.
Soviet Memorial (Victory Monument). Initially “Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders” is a memorial complex in Victory Park, erected in 1985 to commemorate the Soviet Army’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. The complex consists of a 79-meter tall obelisk and two groups of sculptures – Mother Motherland and a band of three soldiers.
In 1997 the monument was unsuccessfully bombed by members of Latvian ultra-nationalist group Pērkonkrusts, two of whom died during the bombing, while six others, including Igors Šiškins, in 2000 were sentenced for up to three years in prison. Nowadays the monument remains a controversial subject, as many ethnic Latvians regard it not only as a symbol of Soviet victory in the Second World War, but also of the Soviet re-occupation of Latvia. The monument’s obelisk is sometimes referred to as “Moscow’s finger”. In 2007 the Popular Front of Latvia and alliance of Latvian WWII veterans sent an open letter to Prime Minister of Latvia Aigars Kalvītis urging him to prevent “any provocations that might discredit the Latvian state” and resolve any issues in regard to the moment’s removal as it is “glorifying the ideals of a regime guilty of genocide that killed about 60 million people, including thousands of Latvians.”
In 2013 more than 11,000 signatures had been collected on the online petition website ManaBalss.lv to remove the monument and reconstruct Victory Square the way it was originally planned in the 1930s, before the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940.
This imposing monument consists of 5 – five sided fluted columns made of limestone blocks, each a different height and with an inclined 5-sided star on top. Beneath is are two massive black bronze sculptures – one of a woman holding her arms in the air and the other a group of three soldiers, one with a gun pointed up and a second his arm in the air. The statues are quite blocky. The whole affair sits on a large elevated platform with a lake behind.
Daugavgrīva Lighthouse. Llocated in Daugavgrīva on the Bay of Riga in 1956, located next to Daugava River. Due to the change in the river’s course, several lighthouses have been built, destroyed, and rebuilt again over the course of history. Currently the lighthouse is open for the public, with the top viewing gallery being accessed by one hundred and fifty spiral steps but my experience was different. It has difficult access. Located just north of the port, the road to the port is gated 1.5km from the lighthouse and requires special permission to enter at the guard house. There was a sign on which someone had roughly drawn a walking route but you would have to pass through the gate and port to cross the bridge. The guard who spoke no English simply put up his arms and crossed them.
JURMALA (pop 49,000)
This beach resort town 25kms west of Riga is known for its wooden, art nouveau seaside villas dating from the late 19th century, Soviet era sanatoriums and long beach. It has an official list of 414 historical buildings. The city is actually a string of 15 small resorts between the banks of the winding Lielupe River that parallels its entire length and the Gulf of Riga. It has been known as a spa destination since the late 1800s, was a favourite summer destination for Leonid Brezhnev and Nikita Khrushchev and became known as the “Baltic Riviera”.
Dzintari Concert Hall. At the east end of Jurmala, this is a great music concert hall. August 5 was the grand opening of the Jubilee Festival, almost a month of nightly concerts ending on August 31. The band playing was the Dynamic Horn Ensemble, an 8-member group of black musicians from the US.
I slept along a very dark, quiet forest road and actually slept almost 9 hours, a personal record.
Jūrmala Beach. 33kms long, this white sand beach has quite shallow water. Large stone Peter and Paul Church. In a remote area of the park this small Orthodox church was built in 1894. The attractive exterior is brown with green/white gingerbread cut outs and green domes. It is not open.
Kemeri National Park. On the west border of Jurmala, it is mostly forest, bogs and has mineral waters and therapeutic mud at the Kemeri Resort. The Great Kemeri Bog is the largest of its kind in Europe and is accessed on a boardwalk. Bird watching is available at Dunduri Meadows and observation towers at Lake Kanieris and Lake Sloka. The Green Dune is a hill of sand dunes several kilometers long. There is a popular barefoot path near Lake Vaogums.
Cinevilla. In the NM “Bizzarium” series, this is hard to figure out as there are no signs. It is a collection of old buildings, a fort, “farm”, a locomotive and railway cars, a church and in the middle a hotel that is lived in. There are signs for a Google Play app. It doesn’t seem to get many visitors. Free?
Šlokenbeka Castle, Milzkalne. This houses the Latvian Road Museum showcasing road and bridge construction in Latvia since the 19th century. There are some interesting road markers and horse-drawn graders and rollers. Free
Zentene Palace, Zentene. This is an abandoned derelict manor house with a sign that says Zentenes Skola so must have been a school at one time. There are no signs, it can’t be entered and is not worth the drive, especially as access is by gravel roads.
GO TO Latvia – Kurzeme and Zemgale (Jelgava, Ventspils, Liepāja)
NOMAD MANIA Latvia – Riga, Pieriga and Vidzeme (Valmiera, Alūksne)
World Heritage Sites: Struve Geodetic Arc
Borders
Estonia-Latvia
Latvia (sea border/port)
Latvia-Russia
XL: Valga/Valka
Theme Parks: Lēdmanes pagasts: AB Park
Lighthouses: Daugavgrīva Lighthouse
Ski Resorts: Ozolkalns
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars: Bānītis heritage railway (Gulbene-Aluksne)
Museums:
Gulbene: Gulbene Municipality History and Art Museum
Madona: Madona City Museum
Saulkrasti: Saulkrasti Bicycle Museum
Castles, Palaces, Forts
Birinu: Birinu Pils
Jaunpils: Jaunpils Castle
Milzkalne: Šlokenbeka Castle
Stāmeriena: Stāmeriena Palace
Straupe: Lielstraupe Castle
Turaida: Turaida Castle (Sight)
Zentene: Zentene Palace
World of Nature: Kemeri
Botanical Gardens: Salaspils: Salaspils Botanic Garden
Monuments: Salaspils Memorial Ensemble
Open-Air Museums:
Pape: Open air museum Vitolnieki
xSalacgriva: Munchhausen Landgut Dunte
Festivals
Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Festival
Positivus
Riga: Go Blonde Festival
Riga: Riga Salsa Festival
Riga: Studentu paradīze
Saulkrasti: Saulkrasti Jazz Festival
Skanu Mezs
Saulstari: More Safari Park
European Cities
JURMALA
Sights: Jurmala
Religious Temples: Peter and Paul Church
Entertainment/Things to do: Dzintari Concert Hall, Jūrmala
Beaches: Jūrmala Beach
RIGA
World Heritage Sites: Historic Centre of Riga
Airports: Riga (RIX)
Islands: Kundziņsala
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars: Riga Trams
Museums:
Art Nouveau Museum
Latvia Sport Museum
Latvian Museum of Foreign Art
Latvian Museum of National History
Latvian National Museum of Art
Latvian War Museum
Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation
Riga Film Museum
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Riga Castle
Religious Temples
Riga Cathedral
Riga Nativity of Christ Cathedral
Our Lady of Sorrows Church
Peitav Synagogue
St. Alexander Nevsky Church
St. James’ Cathedral
St. John’s Church
St. Peter’s Church
Modern Architecture Buildings: Castle of Light (National Library) Entertainment/Things to do:
Dailes Theatre
Look At Riga 5D
Zoos: Riga Zoo
Botanical Gardens: Riga: University of Riga Botanical Garden
Malls/Department Stores: Domina
Markets: Riga Central Market
Monuments
Freedom Monument
Soviet Memorial (Victory Monument)
Open-Air Museums: Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum
Aviation MuseumS: Riga Aviation Museum
Railway Museums: Latvian Railway History Museum
Vehicle Museums: Riga Motor Museum
The Dark Side
KGB building (The Corner House)
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
Bizzarium: Cinevilla
Villages and Small Towns:
CÉSIS
Sights: Cesis Old Town
Museums: Cesis History and Art Museum
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Cēsis Castle
Religious Temples: St. John Church
Windmills: Cēsis: Āraišu Windmill
CESVAINE
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Cesvaine Palace
SIGULDA
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars: Sigulda Aerial Tramway
Castles, Palaces and Forts: Krimulda Castle
Castle of the Livonian Order
Turaida: Turaida Castle (Sight)
Religious Temples: Sigulda Evangelic Lutheran Church
Festivals: Opera Music Festival, Sigulda
Caves: Gutmanis Cave
