Riga is the capital city of Latvia and the second largest in the eastern Baltic. It has about one third of the centre nation’s population. The Place is experiencing some very large scale restoration projects on many of its buildings currently. The things that people are mostly drawn by in Riga are its old towns and unique atmosphere above everything else. The following are some of its major attractions.
Aglona Basilica
The Aglona Basilica is built in the late baroque style and supports two towers, which happen to be 60 meter tall. Arches, groins, vaults, this historical site has it all. Being one of the most sacred places in the world, the church has some great treasures like the collection of paintings of which the ‘Our Miraculous Lady Of Aglona’ is one. That specific painting is uncovered only during religious occasions or festivals as the work of art is believed to harbor healing powers.
Cesis Old Town
Cesis old town is located in the centre of Vidzeme and is a must see destination in itself. It is openly dubbed as the most gorgeous town in all of Latvia as it harbors medieval castles and parks plus even the buildings and houses all have the old red tiles on the roofs and an architecture that incorporates enclosed yards. Which sort of gives the town that opulent and romantic appeal.
Some of the monumental places in this town is the St. Johns Church, which was once the largest church in all of Latvia. Another is the Cesis castle which has been rebuilt and extended a few times.
The Turaida Museum Reserve
The Turaida Museum Reserve is simply breathtaking. The 42 hectares of land leaves no space with its dominating beauty of architectural sites, archeological finds, and artistic monuments of historical importance. Visitors can see all of this from the timely exhibitions they offer and the activities that are concentrated on the preservation of cultural value.
Turaida means ‘God’s Mountain’ in the ancient tongue of the earlier Livonian inhabitants. The first thing that attracts people to this place is the scenic landscape and the way the buildings are situated as if rising from between the vast foliage.
Milda
The infamous freedom monument in Riga, also known as Milda, stands as a national shrine for Latvians. It was made in 1935 based on the design of Karlis Zale. The first thing you might notice about the Monument are the three stars in the sculpted maidens hand, these three depict the three regions of the country. Locals today place flowers at its base, which years ago was enough to deport someone to Siberia. The friezes that are crafted on the bottom of the sculpture denote the Latvians singing.
Art Nouveau
The Art Noveau buildings are really something. Most of the buildings located in central Riga. The look is extremely exciting. Many of these buildings were made by M Eisenstein who is the father of the famous movie director Sergey Eisenstein. If you ask around the central streets of this city and look at the houses you will notice that it is decorated with a beautiful combination of things like steeple, clocks etc.
The Presidents Castle
The Riga Castle was founded after the old Konventa Seta was destroyed. The castle right now is being inhabited by the president of Latvia and proudly holds the national flag. The best part about this palace is that it houses several museums inside it, like the museum of music, theatre, foreign art, and history.
Sources
http://www.latvia.travel/en/sight/turaida-museum-reserve
http://wikitravel.org/en/Riga
http://www.latvia.travel/en/sight/cesis-old-town
http://www.latvia.travel/en/sight/aglona-basilica