Walking Tour: Discover Riga’s Old Town and Its Art Nouveau Gems

During the tour we will see the most important cultural and historical highlights of Old Riga – The Town Hall Square, St. Peter’s Church, Convent Yard, St. John’s Church and St. John’s Yard, Livu Square, Riga Cathedral, the residential house complex “The Three Brothers”, St.Jacob’s Church. There are also a lot of luxurious Art Nouveau buildings in Old Riga, once inhabited by the richest and most influential residents of Riga.

Riga St. Peter's Church - the dominant and highest peak of the city, is one of the oldest and most valuable buildings of medieval monumental architecture in the Baltic States. St. Peter's Church is the highest in Riga and a notable 13th-century Gothic architectural monument of national significance.

The oldest residential complex in Riga has survived from the 15th century. The three houses, which had been cramped together, had long been called the Three Brothers - legend has it that men of the same family built them. The buildings, which are several centuries old, now house the Museum of Architecture and the National Center for the Protection of Cultural Monuments.

The House of the Blackheads is in the heart of Old Riga, near the Town Hall Square, facing the Riga City Council. The house is very deservedly called grand and royal, and it is a must-see for every city guest.

Wrought-copper cats stand on the corner turrets of a building facing the Great Guild on Līvu Square, their backs arched and tails poised as if readying for the final leap. The famous and peculiar building, once scandalous and even been the cause of a lawsuit, was named the Cat House because of these figures. Today, the cats are not only squatting on the roof of the building, but they dwell on the ground floor too.

Riga Cathedral has won the heart of Old Riga since July 25, 1211. The church gained its current appearance at the end of the 19th century, but nowadays, a rich cultural life takes place there - concerts of local and foreign artists and various art exhibitions are held.