Tourism in Riga, Latvia has been gaining strength since the early 1990s. The capital city and surrounding area is great for visiting museums, castles, medieval cities and much more. For more than 800 years, Riga has been the main place of operation for Latvia. This has lead to an abundance of amazing sights from all throughout history. You could spend months exploring all of the major attractions in Riga, but most people don’t have that much time. This list was hard to compile because of all the great sights in Riga. If you have a comment about the list or you think something should be added please tell us what you think. Without further ado, here is the list of the 10 best places in Riga.
Top 10 Places to See in Riga
10. Academy of Sciences – Following WWII, this building was constructed as a gift from the working class people of the Soviet Union to the Latvians. It used to be a boundary marker for Stalin’s empire, but now it an historic landmark.
9. Riga TV Tower – At 368.5 meters, this is the tallest tower in the European Union and the 12th largest in the world. There is an observation platform at a height of 97 meters which is open every day with guided tours. The price is reasonable and the view of the city and surrounding area is unbelievable.
8. Riga Castle – The castle was built in the 1300s and has been renovated and reconstructed many times. In 1938 the Latvian government made it their home and today it is the official residence of the president. The castle also has many museums inside.
7. Three Brothers – These three building have been nicknamed the three brothers and represent 3 different centuries of architecture. Not much is known about their history except that they were residential dwellings.
6. National Opera House – Following Latvia’s independence in 1991, the Opera House was renovated to be a beautiful landmark of the city. Come for a show or just view the exterior of the amazing structure.
5. House of the Blackheads – This 14th century building was a guild house for merchants from foreign places. During German and Soviet invasions, the building sustained severe damage, but it was rebuilt in the late 1990s to retain its original beauty.
4. The Powder Tower and Old City Walls – The tower earned its name from housing a stockpile of gun powder in its early existence. It was also a lookout tower on the edge of the city and sits adjacent to the former city wall. There is only a small section of the original wall remaining on this site.
3. Dome Cathedral – The largest medieval church in the Baltic countries is also home to one of the biggest pipe organs in the world. Almost 7000 pipes make up the instrument and it is still functioning perfectly for concerts and church services.
2. Freedom Monument – Finished in 1935, the monument was a tribute to the men killed during the first Latvian independence war. The Soviet occupation threatened to destroy the tower or change the façade to represent a new identity for the people. However, it remained unchanged because of its artistic value.
1. St. Peters Church – The spire reaching high into the sky is the most famous landmark in Riga. The tower was formerly made of wood and experienced many fires from war and lightning strikes. Today there is an observation area high above the old town, giving tourists a great view of the surrounding buildings and breathtaking scenery.