Must-see attractions in Central Rīga

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…

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…

Pilsētas kanāls, the city’s old moat, once protected the medieval walls from invaders. Today the snaking ravine has been incorporated into a thin belt of…

Affectionately known as ‘Milda’, Rīga’s Freedom Monument towers above the city between Old and Central Rīga. Paid for by public donations, the monument…

If you’re curious about what lurks behind Rīga’s imaginative art nouveau facades, stop by here to see the restored apartment of Konstantīns Pēkšēns (a…

This museum colourfully details Latvia’s Soviet and Nazi occupations between 1940 and 1991. Some of the exhibits are disturbing, including first-hand…

This small and rather informal space briefly recounts the city’s history of Jewish life until 1945 through artefacts and photography. Rīga’s Jewish…

The expansive Esplanāde is a large park dotted with tall trees, wooden benches and open-air cafes. The Latvian National Museum of Art graces it on one…

Its polished gilded cupolas gleaming through the trees, this Byzantine-styled Orthodox cathedral (1883) adds a dazzling dash of Russian bling to the…

From Brīvības, pass the swirls of colour at the 24-hour flower market along Tērbatas iela to find the inviting Vērmanes dārzs. During the summer months,…

Surmount the wonderfully lavish stairwell up to the 5th floor to find the former apartment of Janis Rozentāls, one of Latvia’s most celebrated painters,…

Latvia's main gallery, sitting on the edge of the Esplanāde's leafy grounds, is an impressive building that was purpose-built in a baroque-classical style…

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…

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…

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…

This gracious red-brick neo-Gothic church is dedicated to St Gertrude, the patron saint of travellers. Surrounded by flamboyant art nouveau architecture,…

This museum traces Latvian history from the Stone Age to the hipster age. If the exhibits have a temporary feel it's because the museum is meant to return…

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…

One of the great Latvian writers, Rainis – his pen name – created works that called for independence and have become part of the Latvian identity. He died…

On 18 November 1918 Latvia declared its independence at the baroque National Theatre.