View allAll Photos Tagged Riga
The approximately 640,000 inhabitants of Riga make up one-third of the population of Latvia and makes it the largest city in the Baltic States.
Riga is famous for its Old Town (Vecrīga) and city center (Centrs), in which over 800 buildings are of the Art Nouveau (aka Jugendstil) style of architecture. The old town of Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Art Nouveau style involves intricate building facades, with carvings of flowers and mythological creatures, and ornate doorways and windows. Much of the old town was either destroyed by fire or destroyed by the Germans in World War II and remained in ruins until it was rebuilt after the World War II, and further refurbished since Latvia's accession to the EU, to delight of many visiting tourists.
Riga is also popular due to its nightlife and discount airlines that offer cheap flights to/from much of Europe.
Riga is bisected by the river Daugava. Old (medieval) town is in the center of the city on the east side of the river. It is surrounded by a ring of ~19th -- early 20th century architecture, followed by a mix of private 2-floor house districts (many also pre-WW2) and Soviet-era 5-18 floor apartment districts, with an occasional factory (especially near railroad lines). The term "centre" loosely refers to quite a large area around Old town limited by the river to the west, the railroad lines to the east and south, and without a definite boundary to the north.
Towering over the main square of Ratlauskums is Riga's neoclassical town hall. Built in the 17th century, it was totally destroyed in World War 2, but an exact replica was rebuilt in its spot as recently as 2003.
The Town Hall is three-storied building with a tower and a clock on it. Main city problems were solved in the Town hall. It was a symbol of independence and it promoted construction activity in Riga. In this building till 1889 there was a Riga Town hall, later it was replaced by the selected municipal council.
www.citariga.lv/eng/rigas-apskates-vietas/vecriga/ratslau...
One of scenic spots in Old Town is the view to Jauniela street when looking from Krāmu street. The restaurant on Jauniela 16 is called "1221".
Restaurant 1221 is probably the most photographed facade in Riga. Located in a pleasant blue medieval building, it beautifully serves traditional food.
The central market are 3 or 4 huge Aircraft Hangar built by the Germans during WWII. The feeling of the place though is still like in the 40's when planes would still be parked there waiting for taking off.
Follow me on: www.instagram.com/bruno_naredo/
***CLICK HERE to check out my Instagram account***
I'm not sure I've experienced colder weather than in Riga, Latvia last December. Wind chill factor took temperatures down to -17degrees. It did provide some nice clean light though.
This might be my favorite picture I took in Riga while I was there. This one came a bit too warm out of camera (I might have shared like that to some people), but then I felt that adjusting the temperature to a cooler tone would fit the scene better and I'm pretty content with the result.