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Keri's Travel Blog
Riga is the capital city of Latvia – a Baltic state that some living down-under may not have heard of. Like many, if not most cities in the Baltic, Riga is very old. It was founded in 1201. Its historical centre is stunning as you will see from the photos I'm posting – and is now a UNESCO heritage site.
An entire precinct of the city is comprised of Art Nouveau architecture dating from the late 19th and early 20th century. The buildings are magnificent. The rest of the old city is made up of a mix of architectural styles: Gothic; Baroque; Neoclassic; Medieval and others.
Dominating one square is a beautiful Russian Orthodox church, with shimmering gold domes (I think they’re probably brass or copper). The inside of the church is beautiful – loads of Russian iconography – heavy gold leafing and so on. But no photos allowed!
The parks are also beautiful. Grassy riverbanks, pretty bridges, charming lamp posts, statues, fountains and flowering garden beds everywhere. We wandered through the narrow cobblestoned streets and allowed ourselves to get lost – every now and then you’d spot a tower or spire, and make a beeline for it – invariably you’d lose sight of it behind a building, only to spot another one and head for that instead.
We came across a Kiwi Bar – it wasn’t opened but it looked to be some kind of sports bar or pub. Probably owned by a Kiwi expat or a local who has ties to New Zealand.
I got a message on Facebook today from one of my aunts that we have a cousin in Riga, he is the Italian ambassador to Latvia. Shame I didn’t know that beforehand – we could have met up perhaps.
Like other countries in the Baltic, Latvia has seen a succession of rulers and occupiers through history including the Polish, Swedes, Russians, German Empire, and Nazis.
Despite the overwhelmingly historic nature of Riga, the city is also very modern. There are new buildings, structures, bridges and road systems everywhere. Thankfully these do not encroach on the old city and that’s a blessing. Australia, especially Melbourne could learn a thing or two in this area. The state government and other authorities there seem quite content for developers to tear down anything of historic value and replace it with modern monoliths.
Thank goodness for cities the likes of Riga and others that we have visited. Take a look at some of the photos I have posted and you will see what I mean about the beauty of this enchanting city.
Best
Keri
An entire precinct of the city is comprised of Art Nouveau architecture dating from the late 19th and early 20th century. The buildings are magnificent. The rest of the old city is made up of a mix of architectural styles: Gothic; Baroque; Neoclassic; Medieval and others.
Dominating one square is a beautiful Russian Orthodox church, with shimmering gold domes (I think they’re probably brass or copper). The inside of the church is beautiful – loads of Russian iconography – heavy gold leafing and so on. But no photos allowed!
The parks are also beautiful. Grassy riverbanks, pretty bridges, charming lamp posts, statues, fountains and flowering garden beds everywhere. We wandered through the narrow cobblestoned streets and allowed ourselves to get lost – every now and then you’d spot a tower or spire, and make a beeline for it – invariably you’d lose sight of it behind a building, only to spot another one and head for that instead.
We came across a Kiwi Bar – it wasn’t opened but it looked to be some kind of sports bar or pub. Probably owned by a Kiwi expat or a local who has ties to New Zealand.
I got a message on Facebook today from one of my aunts that we have a cousin in Riga, he is the Italian ambassador to Latvia. Shame I didn’t know that beforehand – we could have met up perhaps.
Like other countries in the Baltic, Latvia has seen a succession of rulers and occupiers through history including the Polish, Swedes, Russians, German Empire, and Nazis.
Despite the overwhelmingly historic nature of Riga, the city is also very modern. There are new buildings, structures, bridges and road systems everywhere. Thankfully these do not encroach on the old city and that’s a blessing. Australia, especially Melbourne could learn a thing or two in this area. The state government and other authorities there seem quite content for developers to tear down anything of historic value and replace it with modern monoliths.
Thank goodness for cities the likes of Riga and others that we have visited. Take a look at some of the photos I have posted and you will see what I mean about the beauty of this enchanting city.
Best
Keri
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