When I told friends I was going to Riga, some of them looked a bit confused. All they really knew of Riga was its reputation for cheap beer and no-holds-barred nightlife. This makes the city a firm favourite on the stag do circuit, but it’s got so much more than its appealingly affordable booze.
Riga might be a small capital city but it’s not short on offerings. It survived years of Soviet control and now enjoys the status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with people coming to the city specially to see its inspiring art nouveau architecture.
You’ll find a colourful city centre rich in history and art. The old town itself has a protected status thanks to buildings dating from the city’s foundation in 1201 and an unparalleled art nouveau neighbourhood that was once home to Isaiah Berlin before he moved to England with his family.
Strolling around the city you’ll come across many examples of art nouveau architecture to stop you in your tracks. In total, there are over 800 Art Nouveau buildings in Riga, but finding them all would be quite an ambitious task, so I’ll try to guide you to the most noteworthy ones.
Alberta Street (Iela)
One of the city’s most prolific art nouveau architects was Mikhail Eisenstein (1867 – 1921). He is best known for his collection of buildings on Alberta street famous for its unusual sculpture, coloured bricks and tiles, geometric ornaments and uniquely shaped windows. The street itself is named after Bishop Albert who founded Riga in 1201.
While the Art Nouveau style until reaching Riga was still fairly consistent around its influences – nature, shapes, plants and flowers, colourfulness – suddenly Eisenstein went in a direction nobody else has been before, involving human, mythical and even zoological elements into his design.
Another well-known Latvian architect was Eižens Laube (1880 – 1967), considered one of the fathers of the style of National Romanticism. I completely fell in love with the apartment building at Alberta 11, which captures this style of art nouveau design, mixed with medieval and gothic undertones.
Visually speaking, it might not be considered as beautiful, with raw exposed concrete, but that only adds to why I love it. It reminded me of elements used in Brutalist architecture.
Riga Art Nouveau Museum
The architect, Konstantīns Pēkšēns (1859 – 1923), designed no less than 250 buildings including the iconic edifice at Alberta 12, which the architect once called home and that now houses the Riga Art Nouveau Museum.
This museum is your opportunity to visit the interior of one of the buildings on Alberta Street. I would recommend going just for the staircase leading up to the top floor apartment that hosts the museum.
The entrance fee is very inexpensive and the museum is complete with exquisite furnishings. Being a massive chess fan, I was particularly overjoyed to see a gorgeous chess table complete plant motifs. There’s also a short film to watch, it gives you a good insight into the birth of art nouveau, including how it flourished under a period of rapid economic growth.
Art Nouveau Museum: Tue – Sun, 10 am – 6 pm | Website
Elizabetes Street
One of Eisenstein’s most iconic buildings can be found at the corner of Elizabetes street nearby Alberta street. The building with the blue façade with the incredibly long faces at the top is one of the most photographed buildings in the city.
Jauniela Street
While Alberta and Elizabetes street might be the most famous spot for taking in art nouveau architecture, Jauniela is located in the heart of the Old Town and offers more to see and do at the same time including its close proximity to the St. Mary’s Dome Cathedral and the City Hall.
Where to stay in Riga
Why not keep to the architectural theme by staying at a hotel noted for the architecture? Check out Neiburgs (picture) which is one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Riga.
If that’s a bit pricey for your budget, take a lot at Hotel Justus which is sandwiched between lots of beautiful Art Nouveau buildings for the next best thing.
Audēju Street 7
Now a bookshop, this was the very first Art Nouveau-style building completed in 1899. The facades of the building are adorned with geometric shapes, floral designs and other relief ornamentation characteristic of the art nouveau.
Vidus Street 11
Just look at how stunning this door is!
How to plan your visit to Riga
To ensure you don’t miss a thing, join a guided walking tour of Riga where your guide’s expert knowledge brings the city to life through storytelling. Highlights include some of the best examples of Art Nouveau architecture, the Dome cathedral, Latvian Parliament and many other attractions.
Further Reading: 20 interesting things to do in Riga, Latvia
How to get around Riga
Riga is a very walkable city, especially if you plan to stick to the main tourist areas. If you do want to venture a bit further out, you can make use of the public transportation system, which includes buses and trams. Single-use tickets can be bought straight from the driver.
If you plan to travel to Riga by train, I recommend purchasing tickets beforehand via the Trainline.
5 responses
I have been looking for places last minute to take my wife for her birthday. I think Riga might be what am looking for. Do you know any good quality restaurants in the city?
Hi Peter. Riga is perfect for a romantic break. The city has a surprising number of excellent restaurants. My favourite was ‘Restaurant3’ located in the Old Town – I can’t recommend it enough! I’ll provide a link to their Trip Advisor which highlights other details including their address. It’s worth looking at other recommendations on there too: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g274967-d8343969-Reviews-Restaurant_3-Riga_Riga_Region.html
Have fun! 🙂
Wow. I really need to visit Riga after seeing all these buildings, didn’t realise the city was so beautiful!
Hi Jenny. Riga is definitely one of Europe’s most underrated cities. I, like many other people, are so surprised by how beautiful it is when they arrive. Glad to hear you’re keen to visit!
congrats,
Riga is a great place for art nouveau
With arabesque shapes and volutes, the art nouveau is based on the aesthetics of curved lines, it precedes Art Deco and the roaring twenties. Art Nouveau is defined by inventiveness, the presence of rhythms, colors and ornaments inspired by trees, flowers, insects, animals, it was also called “noodle style” by critics
for more information about art nouveau, I recommend https://www.decoenligne.org/l-art-nouveau/