Riga was my hometown before I moved to USA. It will be always a city that will make my heart warm. 💗 I can talk about this city in million posts and I only wish I would have more pictures to share. When I used to travel before Steemit, I usually would not take so many pictures of architecture and streets. So now, I have to work with the ones I have, but I promise when I will come back to Latvia I will take a lot of cool photos.


So, let’s start with the history of Latvia and Riga…

Latvian history began around 9000 BC. In the first half of 2000 BC, early Baltic peoples arrived, which are the forefathers of the Latvian people. Latvian territory was famous as a trading crossroads. “Route from the Vikings to the Greeks” mentioned in ancient chronicles stretched from Scandinavia through Latvian territory along the river Daugava to the Ancient Russia and Byzantine Empire. The Germans founded Rîga in 1201. It was the largest and most powerful city on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.

Here is a more detailed timeline..

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And here are some really cool places to see if you are planning to travel to Riga..

House of the Blackheads

House of the Blackheads is a beautiful building that was a home for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga in 14th century. The building was bombed to a ruin by the Germans on June 28, 1941 and the remains were demolished by the Soviets in 1948 (which is extremely upsetting!) The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999.

Towards the end of the 14th century, the guilds uniting Riga’s merchants and craftsmen were joined by a brotherhood of banquet caterers to upper classes which quite significantly called themselves Blackheads. Its members included young and unmarried merchants of foreign, mostly German, descent. When traveling and supplying exotic goods from overseas, they managed to protect their ships and caravans from pirates and robbers. The Blackheads chose St. Maurice as their patron saint, who traditionally was depicted as a black soldier in knight’s armor. After obtaining their tenant’s rights and entering holy wedlock, members of the brotherhood become part of Riga’s patrician elite, serving as councilors, members of the Great Guild and respected members of the city’s community. The 17th century merchant organization, the Brotherhood of the Blackheads, became the sole tenant of the House of the Blackheads.
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St. Peter's Church

St. Peter's Church is a Lutheran church dedicated to Saint Peter. First mention of the St. Peter's Church is in records dating to 1209. The church has a Gothic and Romanesque building styles.

On May 10th, 1721 lightning struck and set fire to the tower and church, which damaged everything but not church and tower walls. By 1723 the building had a temporary roof and later the ceilings and interior was renovated. Also, on 29 June 1941 there was an artillery fire that destroyed church’s new renovations. New conservation and restoration began in 1954. A sphere and rooster were set atop the steeple on 10 May 1690. This tower was the tallest wooden construction in Europe at the time.

This is how it looks inside today..

The tower has an elevator installed that allows visitors to see the view of Riga from the height of 72 metres (236 ft).

This is what you can see from the tower..

Radisson Blu Latvjia Hotel - Skyline Bar

Radisson Blu Latvjia Hotel is the 5th tallest skyscraper in Riga. The building is 95m tall and has 27 floors. It was built in 1976 in Soviet modernism style, but the exterior has been remodeled in postmodern style with more glass in 2001.

The picture of hotel is the first picture of this post (large building behind me).

Skyline Bar is a really fun lounge with live Dj that I really recommend. ...And here I am having fun with my family and friends at Skyline Bar.

Old Riga Streets

Walking down the streets of Old Riga is like going on a treasure hunt, exciting and adventurous. You can find many beautiful and colorful buildings, modern buildings, and very old historic buildings in the same place. Most buildings in the city has some kind of history.

This is a Powder Tower , which was originally served as one of the Riga defensive system buildings. I couldn’t find the exact date of the construction, but the first tower was built in the 13th century.

Latvian National Opera and Ballet

The National Opera House was constructed in 1863. In the beginning it was a German-speaking theatre, but later in 1893 there was an attempt to create a Latvian national opera. In 1944, following the occupation of Latvia by Soviet Union, and incorporation into the Soviet Union, the Latvian National Opera became the Latvian S.S.R. State Opera and Ballet Theater. In 1990, the theater was renamed the Latvian National Opera, but later was closed until 1995 for renovation.

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..and here I am inside the building watching a performance.

P.S. While I was writing about my city, I realized how much I still did not see. We don’t appreciate things when we have them close to us and now when I am so far from Riga, I just want to go back!

Pictures were taken with Samsung s7 and Nikon D7000

Other sources: 1, 2, 3