Today is the second half of yesterday, entirely dedicated to Riga. I understand that it is difficult to compete with St. Petersburg, but the Latvian capital also has something to show its guests. ;-) So, what happened on the third day of our travels? Temples, bridges, trading places, hangars for airships were examined, they climbed to different heights to study city panoramas, the islands and the boulevard half-ring of the city were visited, as well as a few more medieval sights. And a traditional lunch at the mill. In general, it is better to see once than hear a hundred times ...
The authorship of the photos is marked with asterisks as in the previous post. But the first half of the reportage is entirely photographs from olesya_go
- she got a very interesting look at our city!
So, in the morning after breakfast began hiking trip on the sights of Riga.
1. The route began at the Old Gertrude Church in the city center, surrounded by Art Nouveau houses:
2. The neo-Gothic interior of the church served as a filming location:
3. Monument to Barclay de Tolly, about which many copies were broken in due time:
4. Fragment of the Orthodox Cathedral on the Esplanade:
5. Detail of the Freedom Monument with characters breaking their chains:
6. Bastion hill, poured in due time from the dug down city ramparts and the park around it:
7-8. There are several bridges in the park, and all of them, of course, are hung with wedding locks. Here are some of them:
9. Powder Tower, once the most powerful tower of the medieval fortifications of Riga and the only one more or less survived. View of the tower from the Bastion Hill:
10. The foal is the favorite of many generations of small residents of Riga. As a child, I also loved to climb this sculpture:
11-12. Clock "Laima", a favorite place for city dates and a fountain near the Opera:
13. And the Opera House itself:
14. The best mayor in the history of Riga. I wrote about him here:
The monument immortalized George Armistead along with his wife and dog for a walk:
15. On the left is the so-called "House under the Three Atlanteans" located in the Old City:
16. Former hangars for airships during the First World War, now the pavilions of the Central Market:
17. And a multicolor pleasing to the eye inside one of the pavilions:
18. Pigeons are already as impudent as in Europe:
19. Near the tea pavilion at the city canal:
20. Owl for sale:
21-22. Views of the Old Town, so beloved by local artists:
23-24. The spire of the Church of Peter, which is to be climbed and the inner view of the central nave of the church:
25. And the views from above, from the observation deck of the Church of Peter:
26. These angles are quite famous on the Internet, thanks to the successful strategic location churches in the heart of the Old City, so I am showing only a few of them.
27. In the foreground is the Reformed Church, in the background are the same hangars for airships:
28-29. The original rooster, which once crowned the spire, and a model of the wooden structure of the spire of the Church of Peter - the tallest wooden structure in Europe at that time:
30-31. Monument to the Bremen Town Musicians (a gift to Riga from the sister city) and a live musician nearby:
32. Trade on stalls of various kinds of souvenirs and objects of decorative and applied arts:
33. Yanya seta (John's courtyard) with the remains of the city wall:
34. The Thinker of the Convention Court:
35. Houses on the street. Meistaru (Masters), attached directly to the Riga fortress wall and thus absorbing it:
36-37. On the left, the "Cat's House", so beloved by tourists for some reason, on the right is the building of the Main Architectural Directorate of the city:
38. Do you see a boy reading here?
39. Do you see a horseshoe here? Legend has it that Tsar Peter I once drove along Kalku Street (Izvestkova) and his horse was relaxed. The blacksmiths who lived here quickly shod the royal horse, while Peter, who possessed remarkable strength, took an old horseshoe and threw it without looking to the side. The horseshoe hit the wall of a house under construction and stuck to the fresh plaster. True, in the new guidebooks around Riga they now write that this is a horseshoe from the horse of Charles XII :-))
On this we say goodbye to the Old Town and move on.
40. Zakusala Island (Hare Island). The TV tower is now considered the tallest technical building in the European Union. It is now necessary to climb it:
41. ** Inside you can see a layout of a television tower and a diagram of a telecommunications network throughout Latvia:
42. ** However, upstairs awaits an unpleasant surprise- the viewing windows are dirty here :-( Here are the photos taken in October 2006 - - then everything was much more decent. Nevertheless, our home photojournalist managed to find several points almost at floor level, where the views were better, and I still had to suffer with the processing of the photos that you will see below.
43. ** View of the island of Zakusala:
44. ** In order not to repeat ourselves with the previous reportage, there will be only those objects that were not there before. South Bridge:
45. ** Multilevel interchanges of the South Bridge:
45. ** Island Bridge:
46. ** Moscow suburb with the high-rise building of the Academy of Sciences:
47.** Old city:
48.** Shopping center"Riga Plaza" and new residential buildings:
49-50. ** What was really visible through the glass, unfortunately. The spouse wrote a letter to the Riga City Council asking if something could be done so as not to embarrass the city in front of tourists. Let's see if they answer ...
51. ** The hang-glider circled in the sky around the TV tower. Who cares, here on the Internet there were photos taken from this glider, although not on this day: http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/aleksandr-gonduras/album/112499/?&p=1
52. ** From the Hare Island and from below there were quite good panoramas:
53. A traditional lunch for our guests is here. Mill "Lido" - part of the largest timber frame in Europe:
54. Improvement of the restaurant territory:
55. I won't show goldfish in the pond there, but the show of gnomes is to the delight of visitors.
One day is clearly not enough for a more or less thorough acquaintance with the city. But there is nothing to do, the return tickets have already been bought, so we will try to squeeze the maximum out of the day so that there will not be so "excruciating pain" afterwards ..
We are starting the “express method of getting to know Riga”. We will certainly take care comfortable shoes, make sure that the camera battery is fully charged and the flash drive is empty - the "home video" has been copied to the computer ..
It's time to go!
Rise. 7:30 am
We won't be able to get enough sleep today, we wake up, (not) do exercises, wash, have breakfast, and go ahead to meet the city.
Our task is to get to Old Riga by 10 am. If you already live in Old Riga, you can use the small handicap for a relaxing breakfast or to laze in bed.
A walk in Old Riga will take at least four hours, we recommend taking our route "The 20 Most-Most Attractions of Old Riga" as a basis.
If the weather permits, stay near and go up to the observation deck - a wonderful view of the city opens up from here.
Rest is a rather tedious thing, especially when it is associated with active sightseeing. It's a good idea to refresh yourself on the way, and our advice is simple - choose the cafe you like and enjoy a cup of coffee and a bun.
We will plan a substantial snack at a later time.
Dinner. About two o'clock in the afternoon
So, the route through Old Riga has been trodden, on the way we looked into the courtyards and churches we liked, the time is already about two hours, it's time to have a snack. Since there is little time, the best choice is the Lido bistro, located in the center, the address is st. Tyrgon, 6.
Had a snack, drank beer or juice. It turned out quickly (with our time trouble - the most important thing), satisfying and inexpensive (which is also useful) - for 5-7 Euros per person in the center of Riga, it is not so easy to have a hearty lunch.
Enough to sit, the sun will set soon, and we have not yet completed half of the program. Riga, how not to twist, and we have no right to ignore this fact.
Our goal is tram number 6, stop "National Opera" (stop near the Freedom Monument. If we are facing the Old Town, and the Opera building, respectively, behind our back, then our direction is to the right (female to the left). The schedule can be viewed) ...
A short break in the tram, we pass four stops, get off at the terminal.
Here it is, the most expensive district of Riga, in every second house there is either an embassy or a bank, if an apartment lives either an ambassador or a banker. There are also presidents who are corrupt .., oh, honest politicians, as well as ordinary working people .. no, after all, it's hardly simple .. A square meter costs 3-4 thousand Euros, people need to work for a year to have a couple of meters of living space accumulate. Politicians, however, also need to work a lot, but they somehow manage to live here with non-banker salaries .. It's a paradox, however ..
The route is straightforward - we go without turning down Elizabetes street. On the right is the park, on the left - luxuriously restored 4-5 storey buildings of the early XX century.
We reach the crossroads of five streets, to our left - to Strelnieku street. We slow down, we will meet the best examples of style in Riga.
The ultimate goal is Albert Street, only half a kilometer long, on which every building is architectural monument... We dedicated to her virtual walk in the article ““.
In order not to carry a computer with you, you can print (or download to your phone) a PDF version of the guide.
No copyright infringement, the guide has been prepared by us for free use - you can download, copy, or upload on social networks. Information should belong to everyone! Links to guidebooks are at the end of the article. So, we promoted ourselves a little, let's move on ..
Albert Street has been passed, the time is eight o'clock, strength is running out, there are 758 photographs in the camera. A hearty lunch has already been converted into pedestrian energy (I wonder if this exists?), It's time to think about a quiet evening rest.
If you have the strength, you can return to the Old Town and hang out in some restaurant, for example Lido (just kidding, Lido is not good for the evening, let's look for something more leisurely). Let's do this - walking along the charming streets of Riga, we choose the restaurant we like.
To say that restaurants are located in Old Riga on every corner would be an understatement, rather, there are a couple more between the two corner establishments.
If you don't have the strength, we stay in the embassy district, there are fewer restaurants here, but it won't be difficult to find either.
Digesting impressions. Nine o'clock in the evening
Having settled comfortably and ordered dinner, we sip beer (the best varieties are Piebalgas, Valmiermuža, Užavas. Aldaris Luksus - only if nothing more decent is offered ..), and thoughts are annoyingly spinning in our head:
"..Tomorrow morning to leave ..
.. what about her sandy beaches and cool Baltic Sea.. they say there are more stars on the boardwalk in summer than local residents..
.. and I also read somewhere that it is one of the three largest museums in the world ..
.. and it would be nice to take a walk along (they said, Western tourists go there as if to a museum, especially to the fish pavilion) .. and further, along the restored Daugava embankment ..
.. and what the creative districts of Riga are - I heard somewhere that interesting wooden buildings have survived there ..
.. it would be interesting to go to ..
..that's also my mother-in-law advised to listen, she was here in 74th year .. she proved that the Riga instrument for a long time was the largest instrument in the world .. it drives, probably, as usual ..
.. it would be nice to give up, there is a Schengen, the Petrovs swam, they said - the night on the ferry, the next morning is already there .. and it costs some pennies ..
.. eh, I will have to come again .. "
And the main thought
"..And why am I in Riga just one day .. so little .."
And we warned you ..
Duration of the route: 3-5 hours
A walk in Riga is relaxation for body and soul: architectural surprises, fresh sea air, original exhibitions, shady green parks, crowded bars, cozy cafes, luxurious restaurants ... And in order not to get lost, we have compiled for you the most optimal route around the city, which includes all the significant sights of the city.
St. Peter's Church (Rīgas Sv. Pētera baznīca)
Address, website: Skārņu iela 19, Centra rajons, Riga
http://peterbaznica.riga.lv/ru/novosti/
Start your walk from the observation deck of St. Peter's Church. It is better to come there early in the morning, while there are not so many people willing to go up. The platform offers a breathtaking view of the old and new town, river, parks - go up, you will not regret it. Entrance cost € 9.
The church is Lutheran, so do not expect magnificent decoration, everything is very modest and even on the dome instead of a cross there is a weather vane. The temple often hosts paid and free concerts, you can listen to the singing chorus and even get on exhibition pictures.
See this link for the schedule and prices.
Dome Cathedral (Rīgas Doms)
Address, website: Herdera laukums 6, Centra rajons, Riga
http://www.doms.lv/index
An old church made of small brown bricks, with a beautiful clock tower and laconic interior decoration,stained glass windows and body located in the Old Town. The entrance costs a few euros, so it's up to you to decide whether you want to spend money or not, but peeking in with one eye to take a look around the room and see the luxurious vaulted ceiling is worth it.
The cathedral often hosts organ concerts, look for the schedule on the website. Fairs are often held on the square in front of the cathedral, especially on holidays.
Elizabetes iela
The address: Elizabetes iela, Riga
One of the most beautiful streets in Riga starts at the Port of Riga and runs through the city center to the Central Station. Almost every building on this street has a historical or architectural significance so don't forget to look around. Embassies of many countries are located on this street, so if you lose your passport, this is the place for you.
In addition, on Elizabetes street there is best restaurant a city famous not only for its amazing decor, but also for its fantastic cuisine (and, by the way, not the most exorbitant prices) Vincent.
Alberta iela
The address: Alberta iela, Centra rajons, Riga
A whole street of amazing architectural sights in style Art Nouveau(or Art Nouveau, as they say in Latvia). You have to come here and just walk slowly, stopping every three meters, examining the thresholds, steps, balconies, roofs, curls, sculptures, thousands of details ... house no. 5, built back in 1900. By the way, most of the houses on the street were built by the father of the famous Russian director Sergei Eisenstein - Mikhail.
If you get hungry and want to try something original, go to your favorite cafe local cafes Neiburg - excellent menu, great service and reasonable prices.
Livs square (Līvu laukums)
The address: Līvu laukums, Rīga
This square is one of best places for quiet rest... A small square lined with trees and beautiful buildings, the most famous of which are buildings of the Big and Small guilds. This square comes theater of Russian drama. Chekhov, on the square itself, exhibitions, expositions are often arranged, souvenirs are sold.
It's cool here in summer: murmurs fountain and even lawn has a wave-like shape, and in winter this area is filled with an ice rink and opened christmas market... On the square you will find cozy Cafe with terraces where you can slowly drink coffee, watching people walk by and ordinary Riga life. Probably such places are the most the best way to monitor the life of another country.
Jauniela street
The address: Jauniela iela, Riga
The history of this street begins in 1599. The official main attraction is Palace of Peter I, very modest and minimalistic ( the address: st. Palasta 9), and unofficial - all other houses built in different styles and directions. This short (no more than 400 meters) street is at the same time the most colorful - the whole history of the city at a glance. In addition, it is she who is familiar to us from the films about Sherlock Holmes and Stirlitz.
Park Bastion Gorka (Bastejkalna parks)
The address: Centra rajons, Riga
Bastion Hill is both picturesque, green and shady the park and wonderful observation deck
which we propose to complete the walk. The park, located on the banks of the Riga Canal, is decorated with flower beds, bridges, grottoes, lanterns, sculptures, ponds with ducks that you can feed - in a word, perfect place to end the day. And from the Bastion Hill itself, which you will find in the depths of the park, opens beautiful view the city and the canal.
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Of course, Riga did not start from the Town Hall Square and we were not the first to admire its architectural ensemble. Therefore, I will limit myself to a couple of pictures.
Have noticed this building
which does not flaunt its modernity, does not shout about it, but tactfully complements the ensemble of the Town Hall Square.Between this building and the house of the Blackheads, there is another structure - the Blue Guard Warehouse.
The city has maintained all sorts of armed detachments since the middle of the 13th century, which from the 14th received the name of the Guard. The Blue Guard was founded in the 1st quarter of the 18th century by the clerks of Riga merchants and named after the color of their uniforms. The Blue Guard had a glorious military history, participated in all significant military campaigns. The Blue Guard existed until the end of the 19th century, but its Warehouse still occupies a worthy place even with such masters of Riga as the House of the Blackheads. Here is another photo of this house, which at one time housed the Riga Fire Society.
The public building acquired such a modern look in 1999.
From the Town Hall Square, Tirgonu Street - merchants - is adjacent to the Town Hall Square, retail space... Traders settled on it, there were merchant shops.
At the corner of Maza Monetu and Maza Jaunielu - Flower House. At the beginning of the 20th century, it housed a pharmacy, probably homeopathic, judging by the coloring.
The former pharmacy is located at the corner of an ordinary street, which is a dime a dozen in old European cities.
And not about Maza Moneta (Small Monetnaya) V. Klopotovsky, a journalist, wrote - LIKE A CRACK IN A PIGLET LANDSCAPE, CURVE AND NARROW-OLD! ...
And this street was listed in my Riga program under No. 1 - Jauniela.
She is the Flower, she is Baker Street, the heroine of Soviet cinema.
Almost everything was filmed abroad then in Riga. Tallinn, too, really got the role. There was a pet shop in this house, where Professor Pleischner dropped in.
The one that is one-story, covered with snow.
And he threw himself out of the window of this house.
Although the house is not only remarkable for this, it is another example of combining eclecticism with modernity.
The decoration of the portal is charming - a mascaron against the backdrop of the sun. The whole building is completely asymmetrical, although somewhat heavy, especially against the background of the surrounding buildings.
As in the rest of the city, Jaunielu Flower-Baker Street has an endless stream of visitors. Despite winter, non-tourist time
Riga guides work hard. They have something to tell and show. For example, this house where Peter I stayed.
Or this building. Fascinating! And on the ridge of the roof, did the chimney sweep sit down to rest?
Of course, it is inappropriate to stick Moscow names to foreign streets, but Kalkyu Street reminded of Arbat. Pedestrian. Noisy. Ludna. Beautiful.
Kaleyu-Kuznechnaya departs from it - fire-hazardous forges were moved here in the 17th century. Essentially Kaleju - Ridzene embankment
And repeats the path of its flow through Old Riga. Unfortunately, the river no longer exists, its bed has long been filled up.
The building of the Russian theater was built for the Third Riga Mutual Credit Society. A close look in the previous shot will notice the corner of this building with the inscription in the medallion. This is the most outstanding building on this street. It was heavily rebuilt during the Soviet era and blocked the neighboring Kaleyu-Kuznechnaya Street. That glass gallery connecting the two buildings and hanging over Calleu Street is just the remainder of the annex.
The recent alteration also freed the street and gave the theater such a respectable look.
A horseshoe is attached here by the second floor window. It was lost on a gallop either by the horse of Peter I, or
Charles XII. It is interesting that the Latvian guidebook about Petreni in sleep, not in spirit, there is a legend about Karl. Here Ilya Dimenstein in the book “Russian Riga” (a wonderful edition, easy to read, pleasant and interesting) says that it was the horse of the Russian emperor that lost its horseshoe and is outraged that modern guides have shifted the emphasis to the Swedish Karl. Perhaps they owe Karl more than Peter! Here is the horseshoe itself (I confess, the picture is not ah.)
Perpendicular to Kalku, Meistar (Masters) departs - this is a continuation of Kaleu, which was once the embankment of the Ridzene River
It has preserved medieval buildings. Probably, the cow brought a considerable income to the owners if they erected her sculpture over the entrance.
You can't walk past the Small Guild building! The Union of Riga Craftsmen erected such a palace. Now within the walls of the Small Guild there is a museum and at the gates there is a barker dressed in a costume of a medieval artisan.
The building acquired a modern facade at the end of the 19th century. designed by I.D. Felsko in the style of eclectic English Gothic.
Amatu street divides the Small and Large guilds, hiding from the eyes of the curious another wonderful house, which is a turret
tries to imitate his famous brethren. Or compete with them!
There is no shortage of turrets!
And these cats on spiers are famous for the fact that the customer of the house turned them either with their muzzle or with their tail.
to the building of the Great Guild. He was not accepted into her membership - and the cat turned its tail towards the Guild, changed its decision - and the cat nobly turned its muzzle towards the building. You do not need to have a ward of mind to guess that the house is called that, the Cat's house.
From this perspective, it is noticeable that there are two cats, on both turrets. We slipped the dog, there is somewhere nearby and a dog on the ridge of the building, right in front of the cats. But they paid attention to the decoration of the portal of the building.
The mascaron above the entrance is a personal monogram of that short era, 1907-1914. The clever book says that such masks express the significance of work in the life of every person.
And here is the Great Guild - the building of the union of traders and merchants. Rebuilt after a fire in 1963. its inner hall was refurbished
v concert hall Riga Philharmonic.
It seems that the houses on Kenyu street just parted, parted for a while to clear the passage
and give an opportunity for an inquisitive eye to consider all the details of a large puzzle called Riga.
We stopped at a simple house on the street. Smilshu 8, not included in any guidebook.
And where can he compete with the brilliance of its neighbors. Of course, it is inferior to the decoration and surroundings of 12 on Valnu Street - a street of shops and institutions.
The opera was both a German and a Russian theater. Is it really a matter of nationality?
The main thing is art, and let it be eternal!
Riga does not give time for a break at all. Like pictures in a kaleidoscope - one brighter than the other!
Is it not about these Atlanteans that the poet wrote that WITHOUT DRINKING AND BREAD, THE ATLANTS FORGOTTEN IN AGES KEEP THE SKY ON STONE SHOULDERS.
The globe above is made of glass and zinc and is very effectively illuminated at night.
Did the occupation of its owner, an antiques dealer, influence the choice of decor? The balcony is supported by statues of Athena and Hermes, trying to help the Atlanteans support the weight of the structure.
Valnu Street 21. Probably, out of everything that was the best in the architecture of the turn of the century, Riga gathered a dazzling collection,
bright exhibits put on public display, boasting and proud of them.
For connoisseurs, she has reserved her treasures in narrow and cramped streets.
And, as in a real museum, not always allowing you to remove artifacts. But even in this perspective, the originality of the house is guessed. The Lantern of Happiness is installed on it, and it is signed under it, so that it would not be interpreted otherwise. Gleznotayu street.
Probably, under Bishop Albert, the same crows circled over the Cathedral of St. John, although he then looked completely different.
Of course, as often happens, they noticed the birds already when they were looking at the pictures. The temple acquired its famous star vaults at the turn of the 15-16th century.
But entering the cathedral from this vault it is already impossible to take your eyes off. At first, the temple was Catholic. Belonged to the Dominican monks, cat. in 1523 a large religious procession was organized in Riga and its suburbs. If only they knew what a rash step they are taking! The townspeople, disposed towards Catholics very hostile, locked the city gates and did not let the monks back. For many decades the cathedral became Lutheran. It was returned to the Catholics by Stefan Batory when Poland took possession of the city. We were fortunate enough to listen to a magnificent concert of organ music in the cathedral. There were so many listeners that the apple had nowhere to fall. Before the concert, the pastor delivered a short sermon ... in Russian!
The vault of the cathedral was so mesmerizing that I wanted to photograph it again and again.
The winter day is short. Twilight was already descending on Riga, enveloping the city with its mysterious light... It seems that if you stand a little longer on Skarnu Street, the front door will creak and the hostess, dressed in middle clothes. the dress will release the cat and clang with the bolt, closing the doors more tightly.
And in the Cathedral of St. Peter the evening service will begin and the God-fearing townspeople will stream in a stream to its carved portals, fearing to be late for the beginning of the mass:
And from around the corner of house 4 on Marstalu Street a rider will jump out and spur his horse. But you never know what else can happen on New Year's Eve!
A festive dinner was not planned at all, it was a gift from Riga!
In a cozy cafe Province on Kungu street we were the last admitted visitors and the meal turned out to be really festive!
I was absent here for a while, because I went to Riga for several days, where, among other various things and meetings, I took a good walk through the old city. So today I propose to take a short photo walk with me along the streets of Old Riga.
Let's start our walk from the Town Hall Square. Here are located very famous sights of the Latvian capital - the City Hall, the statue of the knight Roland, the House of the Blackheads, the Shvabe House.
In the Middle Ages, it was a market square, but with the construction of the Town Hall building here in 1334, it also became the center of the city's political life. At the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War (Latvia was then part of the USSR) during the offensive German army the square and the buildings on it were almost completely destroyed. Their restoration, which began in the post-war years, stretched over many years, right up to the early 2000s.
The Town Hall building has been rebuilt many times during its existence. The building was restored to its current form in 2003. Now the Riga City Council is sitting here. 
Opposite the Town Hall is a statue of the Knight Roland. Roland's statue is a symbol of the free medieval town... (Such statues can be found in a number of cities in Germany, as well as in Central and of Eastern Europe). In Riga, the first documentary mention of Roladna's statue dates back to 1412. Since then, the monument has been renovated several times. The last time this happened in 1895-96, but in 1970, due to dilapidation, the monument was dismantled, restored and installed in the nearby St. Peter's Church. And its exact copy was installed on the Town Hall Square in 2001.
The undoubted decoration of the Town Hall Square are two red brick buildings with richly decorated facades - the House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads (to the right) and the Shvabe House (to the left). Now these houses are one architectural complex however, this was not always the case.
The Brotherhood of Blackheads was founded in the middle of the 14th century as military organization, but later gradually turned into a trading one. Only wealthy townspeople, merchants, ship owners, foreigners living in the territory of Livonia (modern Estonia and Latvia), and necessarily unmarried, could become members of the brotherhood. (By the way, I can see the House of Blackheads in Tallinn). There is an assumption that this name of the brotherhood came from the fact that its patron Saint Mauritius was black.
The building on the Town Hall Square has been used by the Brotherhood since the 15th century, and took over in 1713. It is interesting that the Brotherhood itself, founded in the middle of the 14th century, existed until 1940. In June 1941, the House of the Blackheads was destroyed, and in 1948 it was finally dismantled. The house that we see today was restored in its former place in 1996 - 2000 for the celebration of the 800th anniversary of Riga.
Now about the Shvab House. An extension to the House of the Brotherhood of Blackheads existed from the very beginning. It was a small nondescript building that served at different times for different purposes - it was both a warehouse and as a police and court building. Since 1842, the unsightly house passed to the wine merchant H.P. Schwab. He owned a fairly prosperous company and a distillery factory. The company was very popular in Riga and soon the building near the house of the Blackheads received the nickname known today as "Shvabe's house". The next owner of the House of Schwabe, a wealthy ambitious merchant Emil Schmidt, dreamed of joining the Brotherhood of Blackheads, but he was refused. And then he decided to "take revenge" and ordered the famous Riga architect Karl Felsko to make a complete reconstruction of his house, so that its appearance would look no worse than the House of Blackheads located nearby. And that was done.
In 1941, the House of Schwabe shared the fate of the House of Blackheads, and at the end of the 20th century they were restored as a single complex.
Now it is not possible for tourists to get into these buildings, because it is currently the seat of the President of Latvia. In fact, the residence is located in the Riga Castle, but since 2012, large-scale restoration work has been carried out there, which is planned to be completed by 2016. Then the House of Blackheads and the House of Schwabe will again become public.
If you walk a little to the right from here to the Daugava River, you can see the monuments of not so distant history. On the square of the Latvian Red Riflemen there is a monument to these most revolutionary riflemen, erected here in the days of Soviet Union in 1970. The building, which can be seen behind the monument, was once a museum dedicated to Latvian riflemen. Since 1993, there has been a museum of the occupation of Latvia in 1940 - 1991, where we, of course, did not go, but went for a walk along the streets of the old town towards the Church of St. Peter.
St. Peter's Church is one of the most famous sights of Riga. About the temple that now serves as a museum, I. Therefore, I will say in a nutshell that the first mention of the church dates back to 1209 and that to this day the Peter's Church remains the tallest building in Old Riga. The height of the church tower with a spire is 124 meters, and at a height of 72 meters there is an observation deck from which they open.
East facade of St. Peter's Church 
In 1990, a monument to the Bremen Town Musicians was erected directly under the walls of Peter's Church. The sculptural composition was made by the Bremen sculptor Christ Baumgartel and presented as a gift to the Latvian capital by the sister city of Bremen. It is believed that if you rub the nose of the sculptures, then the wish made must come true. And the higher you can reach, the higher the chances of your wish being fulfilled.
Behind the Peter Church there is a very picturesque area, where narrow streets and old houses and temples have survived. This is the Church of St. John - one of the oldest churches in the city, the first mention of which dates back to the chronicles of 1297. Today, in addition to church services, organ concerts can be heard in the church. If I understood correctly, for tourists the entrance to the temple is paid - 2 euros.
Let's walk along Skārņu Street 
There is another building on this street, which was originally a temple. St. George's Church is one of the oldest stone buildings in Riga that has survived to this day. The mention of the Church of St. George dates back to 1208. Then it belonged to the castle of the Order of the Swordsmen. In 1297, the insurgent inhabitants of Riga destroyed the order's castle, but the temple remained intact. For various reasons, in the 16th century, the church was no longer used as a religious building and was adapted into a barn, which existed here until 1989.
In 1989, the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts was opened in the premises of the church. 
Here at this house we turned and went to the very picturesque Livov square 
Livy Square is quite new - it was formed in the middle of the 20th century, after the Second World War. But a complex of interesting residential buildings of the 18th century has survived here, as well as the buildings of the Great Guild (merchants) and the Small Guild (artisans), "House with cats" built in the 19th century. The Chekhov Russian Drama Theater is also located next to Livov Square. I must say that this is generally a very lively place. There are many cafes under open air and restaurants. And the waves formed by flower beds, which are repeated in the drawing on the sidewalk, remind that once (back in the 16th century) the Riga River flowed here, later called Ridzene.
Small Guild Building. 
The small guild in the Middle Ages was the community of artisans, as opposed to the Great Guild, of which Riga merchants were members. The masters considered Saint John the Baptist to be their patron. The building of the Small Guild begins its history simultaneously with the founding of Riga in the first decade of the 13th century (more precisely, in 1210). Later it was rebuilt several times, and in the XIV century even served as a castle of the Livonian Order for several years, until a new castle was built. The modern building was rebuilt in the middle of the 19th century in the style of the English Neo-Gothic, while the old one was simply demolished as it did not fit into the new exterior.
The building of the Great Guild, where the Riga Philharmonic Society has been located for many years, is right next to it, but for some reason I didn’t take a picture of it. Probably distracted by the "House with Cats", built in 1909, which also has its own entertaining story.
There is an urban legend according to which the wealthy homeowner Blumer, unhappy with the fact that he was not allowed to become a member of the Riga Great Guild, took an act of psychological retribution. He commissioned sculptures of black cats with arched backs and placed them on the pointed turrets of his apartment building, located next to the Great Guild. The piquancy of the situation was that the cats were turned with their tails pulled up towards the windows of the elder's office of the Great Guild. This caused a big scandal and a lawsuit was started against Blumer. However, for quite a long time, it was not possible by any means to get from Blumer that the cats were turned around with their muzzles. Over time, of course, the cats were deployed in the "correct" angle.
There is a Powder Tower not far from the Cat's House. This is the only surviving tower of the Riga fortress wall. It was originally called Sandy and dated back to 1330. The tower was rebuilt several times and received its current name in the 17th century, when small gunpowder began to be stored in it. From 1919 to the present day, the building houses the War Museum.
Near the Powder Tower, there is a very interesting street called Torna iela, along which the so-called Jacob's Barracks stretch. 
Jekaba's barracks were built in 1695, and this event was preceded by the conquest of Riga by the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf. According to the king's order, the inhabitants of Riga were obliged to provide the Swedish soldiers with roofs and food in case of hostilities, so the Riga burghers had no choice but to sponsor their construction. In 1710, after the capture of Riga by the Russian army, Peter the Great ordered to demolish the old wooden barracks and build stone ones - they have survived to this day.
The promenade along the barracks is very picturesque; in the barracks there are cozy cafes and restaurants, souvenir kiosks and shops.
From the street you can dive into the Swedish Gate. The Swedish Gate is the only one of the eight gates of Riga that has survived to this day. The gate was built in 1698 to connect the inner city with the barracks and houses outside the city walls. 
It is believed that the gate got its name in honor of the heroism of the Swedes during the Great Northern War. The Russians at that time occupied many significant towers and in 1710 captured Riga - pestilence and famine forced the Swedes to surrender. Peter the Great, being a military man himself, appreciated the courage of the Swedes and let them go. They left the city through these gates, which later became known as Swedish.
Then we somehow walked through the streets and came out to the Cathedral of St. Jacob. The cathedral was built at the beginning of the 13th century and is the smallest of the cathedrals in Old Riga. 
Not far from the cathedral, on Maza Pils iela street, there is another very famous landmark of Old Riga - "The Three Brothers". It is a group of three remarkable medieval residential buildings, each built in its own century.
The oldest of these buildings - "White Brother" (house number 17) was built in the 15th century. 
The construction time of the "Middle Brother" (house number 19) is indicated on the facade - 1646 
And the "youngest" - "Green Brother" (house number 21) was built at the turn of the XVII - XVIII centuries. 
Today the buildings house the State Inspection for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, the Latvian Architects' Union, the Latvian Museum of Architecture and the editorial office of the Latvian Architecture magazine. 
From the "Three Brothers" we reach the Riga Castle. The Riga Castle is rich and difficult story, which began in the XIV century. During its existence, the castle was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, survived more than one siege and was administrative center rulers of several states. At first, the castle belonged to the Livonian Order. After the Order ceased to exist, the Riga Castle in different time became the seat of Polish, Swedish and Russian governors. In Soviet times, the castle housed the Riga Palace of Pioneers and Schoolchildren. Since 1991, the Riga Castle has been the seat of the President of Latvia.
As I mentioned above, in 2012, large-scale restoration work began in the building, due to which the residence was moved to the House of Blackheads. 
(The photo is not mine. I took it from Wikipedia - "Riga, hrad" by Dezidor - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons -https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riga,_hrad.jpg#/media/File:Riga,_hrad.jpg)
In the 18th century, the Castle Square with a small park was laid out in front of the castle. In Soviet times, this square was called Pionerskaya, and in 1991 the old name was returned to it. Here it is Catholic Church Our Lady of Sorrows, built in 1765.
