The historical center of Riga
Most people usually do a little bit of research before to go abroad. There are many different ways to gather knowledge about the most important sights, restaurants and activities. One of the probably best ways is to look up recommendations on travel platforms as you always get opinions from all over the world. At trip-advisor “Vecrīga” (Old Riga) is listed as the number one thing to do in the Latvian capital and has over 3000 votes from delighted visitors.
The historical center is the original area of Riga before the city was expanded. It used to be surrounded by a huge wall but as it got torn down Daugava river filled the space and created the famous Riga City canal. In the 1980’s were closed to traffic and became pedestrian area. The charming maze of narrow cobblestone streets got listed as UNESCO world heritage. The unique atmosphere of the old town is due to a mixture of architectural styles including Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance and Nordic.
There are a few monuments which you should definitely include in your walking tour through the colorful heart of the city like the 13-centry Riga castle, St. Peters Chruch, the building of the Brotherhood of Blackheads, the Freedom Monument, the Cat house and the Swedish gate.
In order to get a first impression of the city center and the location of the sights check out: http://www.vecriga.info/index.html
It allows you to properly plan your tour with pinpointing the most important buildings and gives you information about their origin and background. So whether you are really interested in history or just want to show off with your knowledge, you will feel like a true insider wandering through the colorful and charming city streets.
