Riga

Monday 15 September

The hotel is in one corner of the old city of Riga so after checking in I went out to explore the old city of outside. It isn't as stunning as Tallinn but still very impressive. If I had come here first I would have raved about it. On the plus side it isn't quite so touristy,  rather less of a medieval theme park, as Tallinn was described somewhere. Riga is on a big river, the Daugava, just a few km from its mouth, so I walked down to the riverfront, which isn't that exciting,  and across a bridge, mainly because  I was intrigued by a huge pyramid shaped building on the other side. In fact it is triangular rather than pyramidal and is the National Library, which I later learnt opened only at the beginning of this year. Guess there are more books published in Latvian than I imagined. Great views from the river back towards the old city.

National Library of Latvia

The Old City 

The River, Central Market and Riga's answer to Moscow's Seven Sisters

Railway Bridge across the Daugava

Walked along the river to the castle, which seems to be undergoing extensive renovation, and then back into the old part of the city which has a lovely Town Hall Square surrounded by what appear to be classical and medieval buildings, although  I understand most of them are new since the area was virtually destroyed during the second world war and the square has only been re-created after independence Unlike Tallinn, the city walls have been allowed to decay and some  of them are incorporated into a linear park which has a lake and fountains. All very pleasant in the late afternoon sun.

Town Hall Square

House of the Blackheads in Town Hall Square

Riga Town Hall

Narrow Street in Old City

Bridge Railings in the park, covered in Lovers' Padlocks

Lake/canal  in the Park 

Dancers in the Park

Monument to Freedom

In the evening went to a restaurant cum wine bar called "Garage" recommended  on Trip Advisor. It was third on the list I had selected in the vicinity of the hotel. The first had closed down and the second proved to be an empty bar in the Metropole Hotel. Garage is obviously popular with locals. Had a carrot and orange soup followed by excellent trout. Since it is a wine bar I had an Argentinean Chardonnay  rather than a beer.

Tuesday 16th September.

Breakfast selection  was pretty good. Went to the station to check out train times. As expected, there are no direct trains to Vilnius  although there are direct trains to Moscow, St Petersburg and Minsk. Realise that what looks like the most convenient train to Daugavpils at about 11 only runs on weekends and public holidays. So unless I want to get up incredibly early, I am stuck with one that leaves at 1612 and  arrives at 1908. On the other side of the railway tracks from the old town is the Central Market housed in enormous hangar-like halls, which according to Wikipedia, were "constructed by reusing old German Zeppelin hangars". It's a good story and Wikipedia cites a Latvian source, but it still seems a tall tale to me.

 

Central Market. Were these Zeppelin Hangars?

Continued to explore the old city and went up the tower of St Peter's Church, which has a lift to the top. Think the job of the lift attendant must be the most boring one ever. Spend all day in a small lift that takes 10 people. Press the top button. Wait 3 minutes, watch them get out. Watch the next lot get in. Press the bottom button etc etc. There is a great view from the top and the church itself is very impressive. Again, it was largely rebuilt in the 1960's and 1970's after massive destruction during the Second World War. 

View from the Top of St Peter's church Tower

St Peter's 

Restored Memorial Tablets including one to Wilhelm Barclay de Tholly who, despite his name, had Scottish ancestors and whose grandson was a Russian field marshal in the Napoleonic war

Visited the Museum of the Occupation which focuses mainly on the series of occupations that occurred after the non-aggression pact between Hitler and Stalin, when the Soviet Union invaded and occupied Latvia, followed by the Nazi invasion and occupation, during which there was mass extermination of the Jewish population, followed by "liberation" by the Soviet Union which initiated a further brutal occupation with mass deportations and executions, which only came to a complete end with the collapse of the Soviet Union. All told, it is an incredibly bleak story of man's inhumanity to his fellows. After that I cheered myself up with a coffee and some plum pie. Very difficult to believe that all these horrors took place in this very civilised, cultivated city. Later looked round some of the newer parts of the city where there is a very pretty pink German embassy and a Russian Orthodox church. In the evening had dinner fairly close to the hotel. Vegetable soup with smoked lard; plenty of saturated fat there, followed by venison.

Wednesday 17th September.

Check out and leave my stuff at the hotel. Take the tram towards an area of the city which is famous for its Art Nouveau or Jugendstihl architecture. Know I have found the right street when I see the tour guide with her large group. The buildings are lovely and remind me again that up to 1914 Riga was fully part of European civilisation with leading architects at the cutting edge of their profession. It was no provincial outpost of the Russian Empire. Perhaps our view in the West is shaped by the stories of those who left poverty and oppression,  of which I am sure there was plenty, but ignores the positive aspects of the old empires. 

Art Nouveau in Riga

After my fill of the architecture, visit the nearby Museum of Jews in Latvia. It is in an old building that doesn't look like it has changed since Soviet times. The museum is very traditional but does a good job of portraying a lively and vibrant community that was totally and systematically destroyed by the Nazis.  Very moving and very depressing.

Walked back to through the park to Dome square and had lunch near The "Swedish Gate" in part of the remaining city wall. "Wild boar" sausages, the menu claims. Regardless of how wild it was, they taste good. From there back to the hotel to pick up my bags and off to the station.

The Swedish Gate in the City Wall