Latvia is known, perhaps, primarily for the festival in Jurmala. In addition, in a small country (population less than two million people) there are many interesting places. We have selected ten activities that will help everyone who has long dreamed of visiting Latvia have an interesting time.
Walk through the historical center of Riga
The historical center of Riga was formed shortly after the construction of the town hall in the 1330s. Following it, the New House, better known as the House of the Blackheads, was built. On Town Hall Square, decrees were announced, sentences were read and executed, as well as tournaments and theatrical performances. The city developed quickly – by the beginning of the 16th century it consisted of four hundred buildings, and a third of the houses were made of stone. In the 17th century, city authorities had to fill up part of the Riga River (Ridzini), and 100 years later the river was completely diverted into an underground canal leading to the Daugava.
Excursions from local residents in Riga
And at the very beginning of the 20th century, the Old Town underwent a thorough redevelopment – some streets widened, straightened, and some residential buildings had to be demolished for administrative and financial buildings. In the modern Old Town, you should definitely look at the Freedom Monument, erected in 1935.
Also in the historical center is the Latvian National Opera, a monumental building where you can watch the best performances and theatrical performances in the country. And there, nearby, stands the famous Orthodox Cathedral of Peter and Paul.
Buy a souvenir at the fair on the street. Calnciema
On the left bank of the Daugava River there is Kalnciema Street, which is famous for its numerous galleries, shops, restaurants and a large concert venue. On Sundays, fairs are held here where you can buy fresh and inexpensive farm products – cheeses and cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables. There are also shops with pottery and various small items that you can buy as souvenirs of the country. Tourists also praise the national cuisine restaurant Maja, which focuses on using only natural products.
Look at the House with black cats
In Riga there is a rather ordinary-looking house, which is interesting with two figures on the roof. These are sculptures of cats with raised tails. Legend has it that the wealthy owner of the house was constantly denied membership in the Great Guild of Riga. The homeowner was offended and ordered two identical figures of cats from the sculptor. He placed the sculptures on the towers, turning their tails directly towards the windows of the office of the head of the Great Guild – the institution was located across the street.
Then a protracted trial began: the elder of the Great Guild demanded that the cats be turned around, but the witty owner of the building won the proceedings for a long time. However, then the pieces were placed on the “correct” side, and the conflict was settled. Now there are several restaurants and a casino on the ground floor of the building.
Listen to the organ in the Dome Cathedral
The Dome Cathedral houses one of the largest and oldest organs in the world. The instrument, which was created in 1884, consists of 6,768 pipes (according to other sources – 6,718), its height is about 25 meters.
Riga Dome Cathedral is the largest in the Baltics built in the Middle Ages. It took sixty years to build, from 1211 to 1270. There is also the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation, where you will find half a million exhibits, including the legendary Riga ship built at the end of the 12th century and discovered during excavations in 1939.
Take a selfie from the observation deck of Turaida Castle
Turaida Castle, once called Treiden Castle, was founded in 1214. It was built on the site of a wooden castle of the Livs (Baltic-Finnish people), which was destroyed by the crusaders. In the second half of the 18th century, the castle was seriously damaged by fire, and it was not reconstructed. Only two hundred years later work began on its restoration.
The castle is located in the Gauja National Park, which covers an area of 42 hectares. The best way to look at the nature around is from the main tower of the castle, which is 38 meters high; you can also set up a tripod there and take a beautiful panoramic photo as a souvenir.
Walk around the entire Cinevilla movie town
The place is located in Slampe, which is about fifty kilometers west of Riga. The film town was built for the film “Guardians of Riga” (2007, director Aigars Grauba), and later they decided not to dismantle the scenery in order to shoot other films there.
Cinevilla takes you back to the early twentieth century. Here you can dress up in period costumes, take a ride in a car that is almost a hundred years old, and see how the filming process took place. Here you can ride ATVs, fly over the city in a small plane and even play paintball.
Try not to extinguish the candle during the tour of Wenden Castle
Near the town of Cesis there is the largest order castle in Latvia. It was founded in 1209, it was a well-fortified structure. In the middle of the 18th century, Wenden Castle burned down; reconstruction began about thirty years later. The last restoration dates back to 1962.
Before the tour starts, you will be given a lantern with a lit candle so that you can better experience the flavor of this place. The impressions from walking around the old castle by candlelight are much more vivid than they would be with electric lighting, because this is exactly how the castle was seen by its inhabitants in the 13th century.
Tie a sea knot in the Jurmala Open Air Museum
The museum houses a huge number of items used by fishermen in the nineteenth century. There is a traditional fisherman’s house of that period, as well as associated buildings such as a bathhouse, a barn and small storage areas for equipment. Any fisherman will be delighted with the collection of equipment – the museum contains a collection of fishing rods, tackle and other equipment that were used two hundred years ago when fishing.
Also here you can demonstrate your skills in repairing nets, tying knots and weaving ropes. In addition, tourists are offered to eat local fish and try beer.
Determine the rarest car in the Riga Motor Museum
The museum’s collection was formed by members of the vintage car club in 1989. Here you can see truly rare and unique cars, such as the Russo-Balt with a wooden body and the RAF. However, many may have found “rafiks”, which were used as minibuses and ambulances. But now they almost never meet.
Much attention is paid to the cars of Soviet party leaders: armored ZIL and ZIS. In addition, there are other cars that are highly respected among connoisseurs of classic cars – Packard, Ford Model T and other legendary cars.
Estimate the cost of the Mezhotno estate
The family estate was built at the very beginning of the nineteenth century in the classicist style according to the design of Giacomo Quarenghi. The customer of the project was Princess Charlotte Karlovna Lieven, who visited the residence only once, accompanied by Empress Maria Feodorovna. And the last owner of the estate, before it became the property of the cultural and educational department of Latvia, was the military leader Anatoly Pavlovich Lieven. The building, made in the style of classicism, stands out for its monumentality and restraint of design.
There is a park around, which includes a winter and summer garden, as well as a front yard. You can stay in this luxurious building – the third floor is reserved for a 4* hotel. The interior of the rooms follows the design of the 19th century.
When traveling, pay for purchases with a OneTwoTrip loyalty card, and up to 10% of the order amount on OneTwoTrip, as well as up to 2% of any purchases paid for with the card, will be returned to your account.
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