Things to see and do Rīga

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.

A must-see in Riga! It's housed in three former zeppelin hangars built before the First World War. Inside the sheds or outside on the stalls, you'll find traditional products sold by farmers: cheeses, vegetables, meat, cold meats, flowers, honey, fresh and smoked fish... It's a great way to familiarize yourself with Latvian local produce. The central market remains a popular place for locals, thanks to the quality of the goods on offer. Part of it has even been transformed into a food court.

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.

Several wooden houses dating from the 19th century have been beautifully restored, at the corner of Kalnciema and Melnsila streets. There are now various shops and restaurants and above all, a very typical and warm market every Saturday. A lot of fruits, vegetables, drinks and various foods are sold by small producers. Most of them are organic and come from the surrounding farms. There are also stands of local artisans and designers. A band plays on site, which makes the atmosphere even more pleasant.

Considered the metropolis of Art Nouveau, Rīga proudly displays a third of the buildings from this architectural and artistic movement. But the richness of this heritage is mainly due to the eclecticism of the facades. In addition to conventional Art Nouveau, there are also beautiful examples of the so-called "national romanticism" and Nordic Art Nouveau. We can start with the buildings on Elizabetes Street, at the corner of the Esplanade Park, which are known for their Art Nouveau facades, designed by Eisenstein, the father of the film director. Number 10b, built in 1903, is full of figures related to symbolism and remains the major monument of this movement in Latvia. Number 33, on the opposite side of the street, is also a victim of the "fear of emptiness" that characterizes typical Art Nouveau facades, and is displayed in all its splendor. Alberta iela Street (from no. 2 to no. 12-9, the apartment of the painter Jānis Rozentāls) represents one of the most beautiful and rare concentrations of Art Nouveau facades in the world. It should be noted that this street, has not yet benefited from the renovations that have been taking the city by storm in recent years. On Strēlnieku Street, No. 4 also offers an abundance of sculptural and ornamental motifs. In the old town, No. 8 on Smilšu Street also looks good. Through the glass door of the building, the visitor is given the opportunity to see the Art Nouveau paintings and sculptures that also decorate the entrance.

Rīga's visit logically begins with the historical heart of the th century, that is, the old town (Vecrīga), with its maze of cobbled streets and full of life, its restored monuments, churches and old buildings to the Germanic influence inherited from the time of the Hanse. Of these 590 buildings, 79 are classified as historic monuments!

Built in the ^19th and early ^20th centuries, this part of Rīga is today considered the least secure district of the city, and is also the least restored. However, it's here that you can still see the rare wooden buildings from the early ^20th century. Just behind the Academy of Sciences are some beautiful courtyards, Art Nouveau houses and the Belarusian Embassy.

Central market. The particular interest of this district lies in the Central Market(centrāltirgus), housed in three former zeppelin hangars built before the First World War. If you're looking for communist relics, old books or second-hand tools and spare parts, head for the Latgale flea market held in Sadovnikova, south of the central market, following Gogola iela.

Continuing south on Sadovnikova iela, you reach the former ghetto, where thousands of Jewish inhabitants were massacred or deported to the Salaspils camp during the Second World War. The Riga Ghetto and Holocaust Museum is a must-see. Open 7 days a week, 10 am to 6 pm. Admission by donation; www.rgm.lv.

Right next door is the Spikeri district, with its rehabilitated warehouses.

A Jewish Museum (Muzejs Ebreji Latvijā) , located at Skolas iela 6, on the^3rd floor. It traces the history of the ghetto (for a better understanding, guides can accompany the visit). Open Sunday to Thursday, 11am to 5pm. Admission by donation; www.jewishmuseum.lv.

Academy of Sciences, Turgeneva iela at no. 19, impossible to miss this huge Stalinist building. The local nickname for this impressive Soviet construction is "Stalin's crushed birthday cake" (crushed, because those in Moscow are three times as big!). It was intended that a portrait of Stalin should be added to the façade when it was built, but the idea was abandoned, much to the relief of Latvians. Many hammers and sickles still adorn this building, which is not very popular with the population. There was talk of demolishing it, but in the end it's still there. This 23-storey building houses an Academy of Sciences, private companies, a bank and, above all, the famous cupboard of dainas made entirely by author K.Barons. On the ^16th floor, you'll find all the folkloric richness and originality of the Latvian people. You can climb to the top for a panoramic view of Rīga and beyond.

Near the castle, numbers 17, 19 and 21 of Mazā Pils iela form a group of buildings known as the Three Brothers (Trīs brāļi). These are the town's three oldest stone dwellings. The house at no. 17, with its distinctive white façade, dates back to the ^15th century and is the oldest. On the first floor are the rooms where the craftsman and his family lived, worked and sold their wares. Raw materials and products were stored in the cellar and attic. The other two were built in the ^17th and ^18th centuries. In those days, taxes weren't levied on square meters, but on the size of the windows. It's easy to see which of the three brothers was the stingiest! Originally, stone benches carved with family coats of arms stood near the entrances to the houses. No. 19 is now home to the small but charming Rīga Architecture Museum(Latvijas Arhitektūras muzejs, open Mondays from 9am to 6pm, Tuesdays to Thursdays until 5pm, Fridays until 4pm - www.archmuseum.lv - donation on entry).

Not far away, on Jēkaba iela, the Church of St. James (Jēkaba baznīca. Open Sunday to Friday). The cathedral of the archbishop of the Roman Church, it has stood here since 1225. This church stood outside the city walls and was originally intended for the inhabitants of the suburbs. Over the centuries, it was passed from hand to hand before becoming Catholic in 1922.

To the north of the old town, another bell tower dominates the skyline, that of the Dome(doma baznīca). Archbishop Albert laid the foundation stone in 1211, and it remains one of the most remarkable monuments of 13th- to 20th-century architecture. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is an integral part of a cloister, forming the inner court. After the Reformation, the entire building was returned to the city. It also contains within its walls the Dome School, which became the first higher secular school in Rīga. One of the wings of the monastery housed the municipal library, which has now disappeared. Originally built in the Romanesque style, the church now has a lighter Gothic appearance, with larger windows and more impressive vaults. The Baroque style of the tower and gable are from the 18th century, and the magnificent Art Nouveau vestibule of the church from the 20th century. The cloister is still one of the most beautiful parts of the Dome complex. The 118-metre long cloister passage, decorated with arcades opening onto the inner courtyard, is one of the few examples of medieval architecture in the Baltic region. The few remaining stained glass windows in the church date from the early 20th century and come from the twin workshops in Rīga, Munich and Dresden. The Dome, the largest religious building in the Baltic States, is particularly famous for its oversized organ with 6,768 wooden and metal pipes. Made in Germany, it has been enthroned in the cathedral since 1884. It was the largest and most modern instrument of its time. After a long period of closure for renovation and "heritage protection", Rīga Cathedral hosted occasional concerts, as well as rare Lutheran religious celebrations, in 1988, at the time of Perestroika. After years of Soviet-style atheism, the resumption of religious services in the Dome was seen as an event. In the south and west wing of the cathedral, one can visit the Museum of Rīga History and Navigation. The vast Dome Square(doma laukums), which stretches out at the foot of the cathedral, came into being in the 1860s-1880s when the medieval quarter was demolished. But it was in 1936 that the square began to show its present face with the destruction of the northern and north-eastern pediments of the Dome. The square is one of the most lively in the city.

Today, the black cats sculpted on the roof of this Art Nouveau building are the symbol of Rīga. More than a century ago, the Latvian owner of this house was expelled from the powerful Grand Guild by a chauvinistic German. In revenge, the merchant ordered that the cats above his house be turned towards the Grand Guild to present their hindquarters. After a long battle, the merchant was finally reinstated into the Guild, and as a gesture of forgiveness, the black cats were returned to their original position.

Sculpted from 1931 to 1935 by the famous Kārlis Zāle, the Freedom Monument is dear to Latvians. It testifies to the people's love for the homeland, and remains a symbol of their desire for independence. The motto engraved at the foot of the statue, Tevzemei un Brivibai(Fatherland and Freedom), resonates in everyone's mind. The 42-metre high monument was built with donations from the population. In the reliefs of the first level, the Latvian mythological heroes and symbolic characters are represented. Thus, you will recognize Lāčplēsis, the bear ripper. At the top, Milda, the Latvian Marianne, supports at arm's length the stars symbolizing the three regions, the Kurzeme, the Vidzeme and the Latgale (the Zemgale having come into being later). Forbidden to be celebrated during the Soviet era, this monument is today the most flowered and the most loved in the city. In the park next to the statue, Bastejkalns Bastion stands on the edge of the Pilsētas Canal. This hill was created in 1857 with the last remains of Rīga's fortifications. On one of its slopes flows a delightful little man-made waterfall, which, if you follow it, will lead you to the Bridge of Loves. Each lock represents a couple and symbolizes love that stands the test of time. A few meters away, you can see the five slabs of the memorial in honor of the victims of the January 1991 events. Further south, on Aspāzijas bulvāris, the National Opera, directed by Wagner in 1837, was reopened in 1995.

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.

The clock on the Place de la Liberté, facing the hotel de Roma, was offered to the city of Rīga by the Latvian confectionery brand Laima. This is the place for all appointments.

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.

Riga Galerija is a must for art lovers in Riga. Located in the Centra rajons district, this gallery offers a variety of works by local and international artists.

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.