The church was built near the River Daugava in 1211 by Livonian Bishop Albert of Riga, who came from Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany. It is considered the largest medieval church in the Baltic states.
In 2011 the copper roofing above the nave was replaced. In 2015 the tower exterior was also re-plated and its wooden support structure renewed.
The church is commonly called the Dome Cathedral, a tautology as the word ‘Dome’ comes from the German Dom meaning ‘cathedral’.
Riga Cathedral formally The Cathedral Church of Saint Mary, is the Evangelical Lutheran cathedral in Riga, Latvia. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Riga.
The Riga Dom Cathedral Boys Choir has performed internationally, recording the Riga Mass by Uģis Prauliņš and other works.
The organ of the Riga Cathedral was built by E.F. Walcker & Sons of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, in 1882–83, and was inaugurated on 31 January 1884.
The roosters sitting on the spires of Riga Old City churches are one of the symbols of Riga.
Riga Central Market is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site list together with Old Riga since 1998.
Riga Central Market was built from 1924 to 1930.
The main structures of the market are five pavilions constructed by reusing old German Zeppelin hangars and incorporating Neoclassicism and Art Deco styles.
The market is 72,300 square metres wide with more than 3,000 trade stands.
Produce has been sold on the banks of Daugava since 1571 and in 1863 trade stand rows were built.
The architecture was influenced by practical need as well as Neoclassicism. The Zeppelin hangars gave the pavilions their look and only certain parts could be accented with Art Deco style.
On October 18, 1983, the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic’s Council of Ministers announced the market as a cultural heritage site.
In 2009 market renovation plans were proposed and plans conceived in 2010.
Riga Central Market is Europe’s largest market and bazaar in Riga, Latvia.
The joint-stock company Rīgas Centrāltirgus is currently owned by the Riga municipality and the Chairman of the Board since 2010 is Anatolijs Abramovs.
House of the Blackheads is a building situated in the old town of Riga, Latvia.
The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried merchants, shipowners, and foreigners in Riga.
The sculptures were made by the workshop of August Volz.
The building was bombed to a ruin by the Germans on June 28, 1941. a week after the launching of Operation Barbarossa and the remains were demolished by the Soviets in 1948. It was rebuilt between 1996 and 1999 with funds provided by Valērijs Kargins, the president of Parex Bank.
House of the Black Heads was officially opened on December 9, 1999.
The presidential residence for the president of Latvia was temporarily located in the building from 2012 to 2016.
The house was known for its wild parties and the Brotherhood is credited with displaying the first public Christmas tree in 1510.
House of the Black Heads is one of the oldest and most renowned building complexes in Tallinn’s Old Town.
The House of the Blackheads now plays host to a museum and has a grand ballroom used for cultural events.
The re-building of House of the Blackheads fulfilled a saying once written on the building’s entrance: “Should I ever crumble to dust, rebuild my walls you must”.
Facts About House of the BlackHeadsFacts About House of the BlackHeads
The Freedom Monument is a memorial located in Riga, Latvia, honouring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920).
The sculptures and bas-reliefs of the monument, arranged in thirteen groups, depict Latvian culture and history.
Following the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 Latvia was annexed by the Soviet Union and the Freedom Monument was considered for demolition, but no such move was carried out.
The monument is located in the centre of Riga on Brīvības bulvāris.
The clock was set up in 1924, and in 1936 it was decorated with an advertisement for the Latvian confectionery brand “Laima”, from which it took its name; it is a popular meeting spot.
The idea of building a memorial to honour soldiers killed in action during the Latvian War of Independence first emerged in the early 1920s. On July 27, 1922, the Prime Minister of Latvia, Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics, ordered rules to be drawn up for a contest for designs of a “memorial column”. The winner of this contest was a scheme proposing a column 27 meters (89 ft) tall with reliefs of the official symbols of Latvia and bas-reliefs of Krišjānis Barons and Atis Kronvalds.
The 42.7-meter high monument is made up of 56 sculptures, divided into 13 sculptural groups on four levels, which depict Latvian history and culture.
Two soldiers stand guard at the monument throughout the day and perform a modest changing of the guards every hour on the hour from 9 am to 6 pm.
She (The Statue) holds aloft three stars indicative of the three historical districts of Latvia.
As of 2016, the monument is regularly monitored and its lower part is cleaned and covered with a protective coating every five years. It is planned to carry out cleaning and restoration of the entire monument in 2017.
The city is served by Riga International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in the Baltic states.
Riga is the capital city of Latvia.
Riga was founded in 1201 and is a former Hanseatic League member.
The city name is pronounced like: Ree-gah.
Riga is a member of Eurocities, the Union of the Baltic Cities and Union of Capitals of the European Union.
The total land area of Riga is 118 square miles.
The Biggest Airport in the Baltic States is the Riga International Aiport and it’s only located two minutes away from the city centre.
Riga is located 29 ft above sea level.
The historic centre of Riga was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
Riga hosted the 2006 NATO Summit, the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, the 2006 IIHF Men’s World Ice Hockey Championships and the 2013 World Women’s Curling Championship.
The city is located on both banks of the river Daugava which separates the city into two parts, Vecriga (Old Riga) and Pardaugava.
The river Daugava has been a trade route since antiquity, part of the Vikings’ Dvina-Dnieper navigation route to Byzantium.
The radio and TV tower of Riga is the tallest structure in Latvia and the Baltic States, and one of the tallest in the European Union, reaching 368.5 m.
The New Riga Theatre was opened in 1992.
Riga’s best-known institutions of higher education are the Riga Stradiņš University, Riga Technical University, and the University of Latvia.
By 1900 Riga was, after Moscow and St. Petersburg the most important city in the Russian Empire.
Riga is known for its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture and 19th-century wooden architecture.
The Southern Bridge was the biggest construction project in the Baltic states in 20 years, and its purpose was to reduce traffic congestion in the city centre.
