The round Powder Tower dates back to the 14th century and is the only survivor of the 18 original towers that punctuated the old city walls. Nine Russian cannonballs from 17th- and 18th-century assaults are embedded in its walls. In the past the museum has served as a gunpowder store, a prison, a torture chamber and a frat house. The museum details the political and military history of Latvia from medieval times to NATO and the present day.
Latvian War Museum
Old Rīga
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.53 MILES
Like a huge painting that you can spend hours staring at, as your eye detects more and more intriguing details, this must-see Rīga sight is in fact a…
0.27 MILES
Forming the centrepiece of Rīga’s skyline, this Gothic church is thought to be around 800 years old, making it one of the oldest medieval buildings in the…
0.75 MILES
A real-life house of horrors, this imposing fin de siècle building is remembered by generations of Latvians as the local headquarters of the notorious…
0.93 MILES
There is hardly a place in Latvia that can tell such a poignant and optimistic story as this quietly stunning memorial. Žanis Lipke saved over 50 Jews…
Rīga Ghetto & Latvian Holocaust Museum
0.77 MILES
The centrepiece of this arresting and challenging museum is a wooden house with a reconstructed flat, like those that Jews had to move into when the Nazis…
3.92 MILES
Between 1941 and 1944, the Nazis – aided by Latvians – shot more than 35,000 Jews at 55 different sites in this forest. It is one of several killing sites…
Museum of the Barricades of 1991
0.22 MILES
Latvia's independence came after enormous struggles. One of the most remarkable stories involves the barricades built by thousands of citizens around…
22.33 MILES
These striking pine-covered cliffs loom above a pristine white-sand beach dissected by a glistening stream. This is one of the most enchanting places…
Nearby Old Rīga attractions
0.05 MILES
The entire north side of Torņa iela is flanked by the custard-coloured 18th-century Jacob’s Barracks, inhabited by cafes and boutiques.
0.08 MILES
A former tower hill, which used to be a part of the city wall, It is now the highest and arguably the most romantic feature of the park that runs along…
0.09 MILES
The spooked black cats mounted on the turrets of this 1909 art nouveau–influenced building have become symbols of Rīga and Instagram stars. On any tour,…
0.09 MILES
Built into the city’s medieval walls in 1698 while the Swedes were in power, this arched gate is the only one left in Old Rīga. Set in the largest…
5. Statue of Rūdolfs Blaumanis
0.11 MILES
One of Latvia's greatest writers, Blaumanis (1863-1908) wrote the short story 'In the Shadow of Death.' one of his most famous works. This statue was…
6. Memorials to Victims of 20 January 1991
0.12 MILES
On 20 January 1991 Soviet riot police stormed the nearby Latvian interior ministry, killing five people. The stone slabs serve as a memorial to the…
0.13 MILES
Built in 1924 as a gentle way to encourage Rīgans not to be late for work, this clock is a popular meeting place, carrying the branding of a popular…
8. Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
0.16 MILES
This museum colourfully details Latvia’s Soviet and Nazi occupations between 1940 and 1991. Some of the exhibits are disturbing, including first-hand…