Riga is the largest city in the three Baltic states and the capital of Latvia. With over 640.000 people the city is home to one tenth of the combined population of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
Latvia is the place of origin for things you may not immediately think of. So the Christmas tree as we know it today was erected there and/or in today’s Tallinn over 5 centuries ago. Today, a work of art reminds of this event.
The historical centre of Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 1935 a 42 meter high monument was unveiled on Brīvības bulvāris (Freedom Boulevard). The Freedom Monument commemorates the soldiers killed in the Latvian War of Independence (1918-1920). Although there were times in Latvian history when the monument was to be removed, it still stands today.
In the old town of Riga is the House of the Blackheads located. The Blackheads were a brotherhood of local unmarried merchants in the 14th century. The building was destroyed by the Germans 1941 and was rebuild in a four year period from 1995.
The in Riga located Academy of Sciences was built after World War II and was modeled after the designs of buildings in the Soviet Union. With a height of 108 meters, the building was the highest in the country for a long time. On the 17th floor of the building is a visitor terrace, which is open to the public and offers a great view over the city.
