Landmarks of Latvia

Turaida Castle (Sigulda)
Just 50 kilometers from the Latvian capital is a beautiful provincial town - Sigulda. An honorary landmark of Latvia, the Turaida Castle of the 13th century, became his hallmark. Once in the Middle Ages, there was a bishop's residence, the Livonian Order was located here, and even a garrison of Swedish soldiers was housed. Today, the fortress keeps the imprint of antiquity, so the castle today has acquired the status of a museum complex, and a museum-reserve has been created on its territories.

The museum complex includes not only the castle, but also a lot of surrounding historical buildings - there are 37 such buildings in total. The castle itself was founded in 1214 by the Bishop of Riga on the right bank of the Gauja. Unfortunately, the fortress has not retained its original appearance since those times, so it went through a lot of reconstructions, but nevertheless, it has not lost its appearance. Survived to this day and numerous legends that exist about the castle and its inhabitants, and the very name of the castle, in translation meaning "Divine Garden".

The key and oldest element of the castle is the main tower. Now an observation deck is equipped on its upper level, and a museum exposition is located on the lower level. In addition to the tower, exhibitions of exhibits are held in the southern and western buildings of the castle. Archaeological excavations do not stop on the territory of the museum-reserve to this day, new finds are discovered, which subsequently replenish the museum's collection.

Today, Turaida Castle has become a popular tourist attraction - along with excursions, holidays, exhibitions are regularly organized on its territory, concerts of classical and modern music are held.

City of Kuldiga (150 km from Riga)
In the heart of the historical region of Kurzeme, on the Venta River, there is a beautiful provincial town of Kuldiga. It is rightfully considered one of the most picturesque cities in Latvia, because it is here, in a small area, that you can find a lot of amazing sights of Latvia - for example, flying fish, the largest waterfall in Europe, a cave labyrinth and ancient palaces.

Today it is already difficult to imagine that several centuries ago this city was the most important trading point, ships were built here, grapes were grown, wine from which was even supplied to neighboring countries.

Gauja National Park (Gauja river valley)
To visit some of the sights of Latvia, it is advisable to allocate, perhaps, immediately a multi-day trip. These places include the Gauja National Park, which is spread over an area of ​​more than 900 square kilometers in the valley of the Gauja River - that's where you can find something to see in Latvia.

This is the largest park-reserve in Latvia, which is characterized by a variety of landscape forms, numerous springs, cliffs, caves, rocks, multicolored sandstone outcrops, unique natural and cultural monuments.

In total, there are more than 500 different attractions in the Gauja National Park, including ancient settlements, castles, churches, mills, estates, and many other archaeological, architectural and historical monuments.

Jurmala (20 km from Riga)
The resort city of Jurmala is a real pearl of Latvia on the coast of the Gulf of Riga. The first resort villages of Jurmala began to form here back in the 18th century, and already in the 19th century, most of the city's districts acquired the status of a resort. For more than two centuries, Jurmala has been a place for an excellent and interesting holiday, and you will definitely find something to see in Latvia if you get to this unusually beautiful city.

The list of sights of Latvia in Jurmala includes more than 400 buildings of different directions. A characteristic architectural feature of the buildings are the facades, richly decorated with lacy wood carvings. The choice of sights is wide, and the list can be supplemented endlessly.

The open-air museum reflects the life of the Latvian village, where several centuries ago on the territory of modern buildings there were only dilapidated fishing shacks and boats.
The Museum of Prison History, founded in 1999, was opened in honor of the 80th anniversary of the country's prison system, and today exhibits prison dummies, executioners, a pit simulator and various prison props.
The Aspazija and Rainis Museum, built in 1903, contains a lot of personal belongings of the famous Latvian poetess Elsa Rosenberg, as well as various furniture and unique household items from past centuries.
Livu Aqua Park is one of the largest water parks in Europe, it consists of 3 levels and a 25-meter tower. Its design is made in the Caribbean style, and visitors to the water park feel like real pirates on an ancient ship.
Theater of Luminous Paintings - presents paintings by the famous artist Ermolaev in two forms: day and night. The transformation of a day view of a painting into a night view is a bewitching sight.
Telohod Jurmala is the oldest motor ship, which was once the only way to communicate with Riga. Today you can take a sightseeing trip from Riga to Jurmala on it.

Rundāle Palace - Museum (Zemgale region)
An outstanding architectural monument, Rundāle Palace, which has become a joint creation of the outstanding architect Rastrelli , sculptor Graff and Italian artists Zucchi and Martini, is the most important cultural heritage and valuable landmark of Latvia. This architectural masterpiece is located in the very center of the country, in the cultural and historical region of Zemgale.

The entire palace complex occupies a vast territory of more than 60 hectares, the main part of which is occupied by hunting and French parks. In the vicinity of the complex, you will also find something to see in Latvia - the nature there is very picturesque, while another attraction is very close - the Bauska Nature Park.

Rundāle Palace includes 138 rooms on two floors, but the interior furnishings, unfortunately, have not been preserved - the decoration was not spared by devastation and war. Therefore, the exhibits that are presented in the museum of the palace were purchased and brought from other museums. Restoration work was carried out by the best specialists in Latvia and Russia. According to sketches and historical records, the decoration was restored - interior decoration, wallpaper, chandeliers, furniture, utensils were recreated. Now the castle, saved at the cost of hard work, receives numerous visitors.

In addition to the castle itself, the park area deserves no less attention. So, the French garden was created in the 18th century, and since then its design has never changed. The park is a classic example of European landscape art. Nowadays, costumed performances are periodically held here, fireworks are organized.

House of the Blackheads (Riga)
The House of the Blackheads in Riga is one of the main symbols of the Latvian capital and the sights of Latvia. Cultural events, concerts, exhibitions, and excursions are regularly held here. Also, the house temporarily became the residence of the Latvian President, in connection with the repair of the Riga Castle.

The founding of the House of Blackheads dates back to 1334. Since its foundation, various meetings and events of Riga societies have been held here. By the end of the 15th century, the building was leased to the Blackheads Society, after which it was named later.

Who are the Blackheads? This is a brotherhood of young Riga merchants under the patronage of St. George, but later the patron saint of the brotherhood was considered to be Saint Mauritius, whose symbol in the form of a black head began to be depicted on the coat of arms of the brotherhood.

During the Second World War, the House of the Blackheads was significantly damaged, and in 1999 it was rebuilt almost from scratch. Nowadays, it houses a museum and a concert hall, which often hosts classical music concerts.