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 Riga, A Baltic Treasure Riga, Latvia's capital and international gateway is considered to be the cultural center of the three Baltic Republics. |
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Not to be confused with the Balkans, the three Baltic Republics, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, bordering northern Europe's Baltic Sea, were the most European of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Since 1991 and the dissolution of the USSR, all three have become independent republics and, most recently, proud new members of NATO. Their joyous relief at coming out from under the Soviet umbrella and their eagerness to show off their varied and fascinating cultures--long hidden behind an iron veil--are evident in their efforts to share them with the West and America in particular.A turbulent history of both military and cultural invasions by Vikings, Roman legions, crusading Teutonic knights, imperial Russian armies, and most recently by Panzer divisions and annexation by Soviet Russia has left a unique legacy in all three countries of marvelously preserved and restored medieval castles and each capital city enriched by an "Old Town" of wonderfully diverse architecture and great historic interest. |
 Historic Riga A good place to begin an exploration of these newly rediscovered treasures is Latvia, the middle republic. Riga, Latvia's capital and international gateway is considered to be the cultural center of the Baltics. This ancient city is noted for what many consider to be the finest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe as well as its guildhalls and churches. In the 13th to 15th centuries, Riga was a major center of the Hanseatic League, a powerful association of merchants trading with Central and Eastern Europe. Riga prospered from its trade. Its Old Town-- historically its Medieval center--reflects this period in its architecture, although most of its earlier buildings have been destroyed by fire and war. In the 19th century it once again became a very important economic center, and the suburbs of the Medieval town were rebuilt, first in classical style wooden buildings and then in Jugendstil, a highly decorative movement of the late 19th century originating in Germany around Munich and expressed in voluptuous illustrations, typography, furniture and architecture. |
 Riga's Old Town The so-called Medieval section of the old city contains a great variety of architectural styles, ranging from classical, Gothic and Art Nouveau to Russian Proletariat to modern. While there is still architectural evidence of the years under Russian occupation--neighborhoods of grim block-like apartment complexes and the Academy of Sciences ("Stalin's Birthday Cake") building--much restoration is underway, and the results are very much worth exploring on foot. Many parts of the old town have been made traffic-free and, in fact, Brivibas bulvaris (Freedom Boulevard) is a pedestrian walkway that separates this section of town from the newer areas.Riga once was a fortified city, walled in by high ramparts with turrets and fortified gates. These walls were eventually torn down, though a few small sections remain with the so-called Swedish Gate being the oldest remaining portion and the Powder Tower perhaps the best preserved. While the walls were built between the 13th and 16th centuries, the Swedish Gate dates back to 1698 to mark the Scandinavians' occupation of Riga. |
 Freedom Riga Another beacon separating the two parts of town is the Freedom monument, also marking the very center of Riga and conceptually the center of Latvia. Capping a high and slender column, the elongated figure of a woman holds three stars over her head, and these represent the three cultural regions of Latvia: Kurzeme, Vidzeme and Latgale. The inscription at the base reads, "For Fatherland and Freedom." Erected in 1935, Milda, as she is known popularly, is a sort of Latvian statue of liberty and the focal point of nationalistic demonstrations to 1991 when she came to symbolize the country's aspirations for complete and permanent independence. |
| Old Town also contains the National Theater, small but of great historic interest as it is the site of Latvia's 1918 declaration of independence from Soviet Russia, a state of affairs that lasted only 20 years until Latvia again came under the direct influence of Stalinist Russia. Near bye, Esplanade Park contains several centers of art: the Academy of Art and the State Museum of Fine Arts. |
 The Churches of Riga Among the many churches of interest in Old Town, perhaps two of the most unusual are St. Mary's Cathedral, the Dom, with its magnificent 6,786-pipe organ--said to be one of the three largest in the world--and St. John's, dating back to 1234 and possibly best known for its south wall. According to one story, two thirteenth-century monks volunteered to be cemented inside the south wall as a plea to Heaven to save the church from some foreign invasion or other. Their sculpted heads project from high on an exterior wall like gargoyles peeking out from their brick tomb, placed there to commemorate this historic if somewhat gruesome event. The record does not show whether their sacrifice was rewarded by Heaven or not.On Maza Pils street a grouping of three houses, known as the Three Brothers, includes number 17, the oldest building in Latvia, dating back to the fifteenth century. Another of the three brothers is Riga's Museum of Architecture. |
  Art Nouveau Riga But, the most noteworthy attractions in Old Town may well be its wealth of Art Nouveau buildings, notably a block of apartments on Alberta iela, some of them the past residences of artists, architects and the father of one of the great filmmakers of all time, Sergei Eisenstein whose innovative editing techniques are studied to this day in film schools worldwide. Noteworthy is the fact that many of these buildings were designed with a specifically Latvian interpretation of the Jugendstil or Art Nouveau style. |
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Cat House In Riga Of the much older buildings, one that receives considerable tourist attention is The Cat House. The name refers to a 14th century social confrontation that raised quite a bit of fur when the Latvian owner of the building expressed his displeasure at not being accepted into the powerful and prestigious Great Guild whose building stood directly across from his own. He topped his building with the sculpted figure of his black cat, tail raised and rear end facing the Great Guild Hall. A great to-do resulted when the offended guild members got the message. The flap was finally resolved with admirable diplomacy when the offending sculpture was turned around to face the other way, and the owner of the Cat House was accepted into the Guild. Today the Great Guild Hall is home to the Riga Philharmonic Orchestra. |
 Riga's Other Side Latvia is rapidly moving to catch up for lost time. One very visible manifestation of this movement--membership in NATO and an eagerness to move into the orbit of Western Europe and America--is Riga's youth scene, comparable to that of the capitals of Europe. Riga is full of nightspots catering to all tastes. It might be techno, or the softer sounds of blues, or whatever, with international DJ`s and performers coming to Riga more often than ever before. One standout is a funky nightspot with a small stage, black décor, a monster sound system and just about any kind of youth music you might hear in the heart of New York City, and then some. It goes by the catchy name of "Pulkvedim Neviens Neraksta" ("Nobody Writes The Colonel") and caters to the fast-track lunch crowd of young executives during the day and the cool set at night. |
 Riga is also noted for its abundance of restaurants, and one of the more interesting and unusual ones is the Lido Relaxation Center. It is run by a very enthusiastic Latvian entrepreneur, Gunnar Kirsons who has opened a chain of Latvian cuisine restaurants. The restaurant consists of small huts with thatched roofs and a huge log house. You can either go through cafeteria-style or have table service in its theme-park interiors. The food is predominantly Latvian with very much of a Scandinavian orientation--lots of tapas-like selections with pickled fishes in abundance and other indefinable but tasty morsels. There's a stream running through the middle of the restaurant and local folk music usually in the background. |
 A visit to Riga's public market is a must before leaving this interesting city. Located near the railroad station, the market consists of a series of giant sheds in which you will find a staggering selection of foods of all kinds, from wonderful Latvian country cheeses to fresh Baltic seafare. Outside sheds, stalls offer anything from used clothing to the perennial flowers that seem to infuse Baltic culture from north to south. In any of the three republics, it is unthinkable to visit friends without an offering of flowers. However, care must be taken in selecting the flowers. As in Russia it is customary to send uneven number of flowers except for funeral/sympathy arrangements. Some people consider yellow flowers to signify betrayal, jealousy or "the end of relationship," and the list goes on and on, each flower with its own subtle meaning. A word of caution: it is best to visit the marketplace with a native Latvian. Lone tourists toting cameras through the marketplace have been hustled, though street crime is far less common than in many western capitals. |
 The Environs of Riga Latvia is a small country, and most of it is within day-trip driving distance of Riga. Certainly one of the high spots of a visit to Latvia and an unexpected surprise is Rundale Palace, the magnificent 18th century estate, once the home of the ambitious Duke of Courland, lover of Russian Empress Ana. Located about 37 miles from Riga, this splendid palace is, in many ways, the equal of the more famous Schonbrunn in Vienna. The original designer was Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, already famous at the time as the architect of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Damaged during the Napoleonic Wars and World War II, the interior was in bad repair until 1972 when extensive renovations began. Today, more than 40 rooms have been lovingly restored, and Rundale is regaining much of its former magnificence. Its Baroque gardens are also being restored, and the palace is a favorite venue for elegant weddings and receptions. Yet another possibility is an over-night stay in Jurmala, Latvia's most elegant beach resort and the favorite summer place for affluent Latvians. The area is some 15 miles from Riga and consists of a series of seaside villages stretching about 18 miles along the coast between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River. Impressive "cottages" suggest the affluent past enjoyed by Latvia and the present aspirations of a country rapidly embracing free enterprise. There are spas in the area, one of the most prominent being the Rigas Licis Health Spa. It can be used as a hotel, with or without "the cure." If a visitor opts for spa services, the Cleopatra Milk Bath is offered along with a full menu of curative treatments. Its rooms are comfortable and on the spare side, but scrupulously clean and inexpensive. Its cavernous, sunny dining room serves excellent and healthful meals. |
 At the opposite end of the scale historically, but today equally attractive in its own way is Pie Mikela, the farmhouse of gentleman farmer Maris Berzins and his wife Elita, who have turned their establishment into a tastefully furnished inn that offers Latvian national cuisine made from local products. The Berzins have converted one of their barns into an interesting tractor museum featuring some of the earliest American- and European-made farm equipment. Their smiling faces and warm courtesies are a welcome reception for visitors exploring the southern Latvian countryside. The inn is located quite close to Rundale Palace.Some Useful Contacts: |
| TAS Travel Management Company 21, Raina Boulevard, Riga, Latvia 011-371-7820285 E-mail: tas@tas.lv |
Patricia Ltd. Elizabetes Street 22 City Center Riga, Latvia LV-1050 800-878-4260 www.rigalatvia.net |
| PHOTO CREDITS: Rod Lopez-Fabrega; Patricia LTD, Riga; other contributed material; Map = GRID/UNEP United Nations Environment Prgramme |
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© 2003 ROMAR TRAVEL GUIDES
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