Riga is one of the most beautiful cities in the Baltics. Stylish in a European style, it allows you to plunge into the medieval atmosphere, then visit the XVIII-XVIII centuries, and in the interval between travels from one era to another, relax in one of the many cozy bars and pubs. The city has many cultural, historical and architectural attractions, most of which are concentrated in the Old Town.
One of the most significant sights is the Riga Castle, which began to be built in the 14th century, after which new parts were repeatedly added to it. At different times, the castle housed the provincial institutions and the Latvian government, today there is the residence of the president of the country. There are also several interesting museums on the territory of the castle. It is very interesting to take a walk along the streets of the Old Town, such as st. Chaka, Gertrudes, C. Barona. A large part of the buildings on them were erected in the XIX-XX centuries. One of the most interesting buildings - Jugendstil - is a striking example of the Art Nouveau style. The roofs of many houses are crowned with original details: spiers, clocks and all kinds of compositions. Alberta and Elizabetes streets will also be interesting for a walk, most of the buildings on which have been reconstructed. There are three buildings on Maza Pils Street, they are also called "Three Brothers". The fact is that these houses have something in common in style, although they were built at different times. The oldest brother - the first house - appeared in the 15th century. The Dome Cathedral is one of the symbols of Old Riga. The cathedral acquired its present appearance in the 18th century, and today it houses one of the largest organs in the world. The organ is very famous, it sounds good. Concerts and fairs are constantly held in the cathedral, it happens that rallies even take place there. Seeing the Dome Cathedral and listening to the organ is a must-do in Riga. Many buildings in Riga, as in any old city, have their own special history. Particularly interesting in this respect is the "House of Cats". The merchant, who was in no way accepted into the Guild, wishing to teach a lesson to the German bureaucrats who ran the organization, built a house, on each spire of which there was a sculpture of a cat. All the animals were turned back to the Guild building. The construction caused a great commotion, a long investigation was conducted, as a result of which the merchant was accepted into the Guild, after which he ordered to deploy the cats. The building is still in place today, with all the cats. The fortress wall and the fortress itself suffered a lot over the long period of its existence, but even today some of the original elements have been preserved in the ensemble. These are the Swedish Gate and the Powder Tower. The gates were cut in a straight fortress wall, to which the merchant's house adjoined. In this way, the enterprising businessman planned, without paying taxes at the entrance to the city, to transport the goods directly to his yard. The powder tower was erected in the 13th century as a watchtower, and only later, several centuries later, gunpowder began to be stored in it.
