The best museums Latvia

Art Nouveau is an artistic movement born in France at the end of the 19th century. It is based on the aesthetics of curved lines and was born in reaction to the excessive industrialization of the century. If you are interested in Art Nouveau, this museum is worth a visit. It occupies the former apartment of Latvian architect Konstantīns Pēkšēns (1859-1928), who was responsible for over 250 buildings in the city. The museum recreates a middle-class apartment from the 1920s. On its website, suggestions for itineraries on this theme to discover the city.

If you don't know anything about Latvian art, you'll come away much better informed, as this museum offers a retrospective of all the country's artistic movements, from their origins to the present day. In the basement, through large windows, you can observe the museum's hidden collections. It's quite original and not to be missed. Finally, on the first floor, don't forget to take a look at the works of Latvian contemporary artists and the temporary exhibitions.

Built in the ^17th century by Dutchmen David and Margarethe Hoyer, this is the oldest house in Liepāja. Widowed, Mrs. Hoyer opened an inn to earn her living, even welcoming Tsar Peter the Great. After meticulous restoration, the house is now a museum. On the first floor, the inn and private areas of Mrs. Hoyer and her family have been recreated, with a restaurant serving the cuisine of the period. The upstairs, which was occupied by notary Christoph Wilhelm Stender in the ^19th century, has been furnished to resemble a bourgeois interior of the period.

Typical Latvian villages from the 18th^{and 19th} centuries are recreated in the middle of a 100-hectare forest. These farms, wooden houses, churches and windmills offer a panorama of the different aspects of rural life in the Latvian provinces, and a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with the crafts of each one. Visitors are greeted by staff in period costume. Summer: folk dance festivals and craft fairs.

Located in the Rīga Stock Exchange building, beautifully renovated, this museum is the pride of Latvians. You will find works from ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, Rome, Far East and India from the fifteenth century to the present. Temporary exhibitions change monthly.

One of Latvia's wealthiest men, Jānis Zuzāns, loves art and, over the years, has amassed the largest collection of Latvian art in the world. This collection is beautifully displayed at the Zuzeum, in a former cork factory. Here, local and international artists engage in dialogue on a wide variety of themes, using equally varied means of expression (paintings, sculptures, installations...). There's plenty to stimulate your imagination and feed your curiosity. Art mediators are on hand to discuss the works. A real plus.

The glass factory, founded by the Russians, dates back to 1887 and was for a long time the main economic source of the town. In the museum, on the top floor of the building, there are many pieces such as glasses, plates, lamps, vases... marked by the periods and styles related to them. Affected by the crisis, the factory closed its doors in 2009, but the museum continues to welcome visitors at any time of the year by prior arrangement.

Learn about Latvia's rich and troubled history from prehistoric times to the end of the ^20th century. Although the museum is a little old-school and lacks explanations in languages other than Latvian (there are explanatory cards in English), it boasts an impressive collection of various objects, clothing, documents... telling the story of a fascinating national epic. The museum is due to return to Riga Castle once its renovation is complete.

This museum of the history of the train in Latvia is a good visit for the whole family, but it will also appeal to history and mechanical enthusiasts. You will discover various wagons from the time of the Soviet and German occupation, as well as archival photos in a large brick exhibition hall. The museum has the largest collection of full-size vehicles in the Baltic States, as well as uniforms, tickets and other railway-related items.

When Latvia fell under the control of the USSR during the Second World War, many artists went into exile, willingly or unwillingly, over the following fifty years. The museum has therefore made it its mission to bring together the works of these uprooted artists, as well as those of contemporary artists working elsewhere: paintings, sculptures, installations and more. Like a red thread, we find memories and symbols that link all these artists to the mother country.