Background
Riga was a major centre of the Hanseatic League, drawing its prosperity in the 13th to 15th centuries from trade with central and eastern Europe. UNESCO says the medieval centre reflects that prosperity, and that when the suburbs were laid out in the 19th century, first in wooden neoclassical buildings and then in Jugendstil, Riga acquired what is generally recognised as the finest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe.
Vecrīga, the old town, was once walled on all sides but the river; when the wall came down the Daugava was diverted into its line to make the city canal. The Art Nouveau streets of the Centrs district, many by Mikhail Eisenstein, are part of the listing.
- 13th c.Riga grows as a Hanseatic trading centre
- 1860–1914The suburbs around the old town are built
- 1897The original Roland statue on the Town Square
- 1990sThe old town's streets are closed to traffic
- 1997Inscribed as World Heritage
Find Your Way Around
The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them
- 1House of the BlackheadsThe merchants' guild house on the Town Square, now a museum.
- 2Riga CathedralThe Dom, on the old town's largest square.
- 3St Peter's ChurchClimb the spire for the view.
- 4Alberta ielaThe Art Nouveau street and its museum.
- 5Triangula BastionThe best view terraces in Riga, over an excavated piece of the old walls.
Know Before You Go
From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides
Old Riga and Art Nouveau
From the GoGo Riga guide · Open the Riga Guide ›
- 09:30House of the Blackheads45 minThe guild house.
- 10:30St Peter's Church Tower45 minThe spire view.
- 11:30Riga Cathedral45 minThe Dom.
- 14:00Art Nouveau Facades of Alberta iela1 hrEisenstein's street.
- 15:15Riga Art Nouveau Museum1 hrA restored apartment of the period.
Best Time to Visit
Best months: May–Sep. Freezing days in Nov–Mar.
Typical highs
Climate: NASA POWER
Pair It With
Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance
