Latvia, Riga, cross the Baltic Sea to experience a different "Paris" style Three Brothers House of Blackheads St. Peter's Basilica, St. Mary's Cathedral Gunpowder Tower Bremen Band Statue Cat House Freedom Monument Other Street View Riga Central Market

Latvia, full name Republic of Latvia, is one of the three small Baltic states. It is bordered to the north, south and east by Estonia, Lithuania and Russia.

The capital, Riga, is located at the intersection of western and eastern Europe, Russia and Scandinavia, and is known as the "Paris of the North". The Old Town, the historic center of Riga, is located on the east bank of the Daugava River and is known for its ancient churches, which were listed as a World Heritage Site in 1997.

<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="155" > house of three brothers</h1>

Even in the old town, where monuments are abundant, there are even more attractive monuments. The House of Three Brothers is such a existence.

The House of Three Brothers does not refer to the house of three brothers, but to three houses built at different times. At 17, 19 and 21 Massa Pilsen Street are three buildings built in the 15th, 17th and 18th centuries.

They represent the architectural styles of Riga in different periods. For example, in the 15th century, the biggest feature is that the windows are particularly small, which is related to the "window tax" charged at that time, and the smaller the window means that the less tax to be paid.

<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="167" >the palace of the blackhead</h1>

Originally, this was the trading house of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads, and the holy Mauritius was revered as the patron saint, so it was called the Palace of the Blackheads.

The original building was blown up during World War II and even completely torn down by 1948. It was not until the 1990s that the historical building was rebuilt over a period of five years, referring to the information on the historical pictures.

The overall gothic appearance of the building with the gable shape of the Dutch Renaissance, with an aqua blue background and a gold-encrusted Gothic clock hanging high in the center of the building, is one of the most dazzling buildings in the town hall square.

<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="177" > St. Peter's Basilica</h1>

St. Peter's Basilica was originally the largest wooden church in Europe, but it was engulfed by a fire more than three hundred years ago. Peter the Great thought that the church had been destroyed ominously and ordered its immediate rebuilding.

However, the arrival of World War II caused the church to be destroyed again, and it was not until the 1970s that the church was rebuilt by the Soviet Union, the wooden structure was changed to a metal frame, and an elevator was installed to make it easier for visitors to go up and down the church to enjoy the scenery of Riga.

<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="185" > Basilica of Santa Maria</h1>

The Basilica of Santa Maria is a Catholic domed cathedral, more commonly known as the Cathedral of Riga. It is the largest medieval church in the Baltic states and one of the oldest religious buildings in Latvia and the entire Baltic region.

Over the centuries, it has been rebuilt many times due to lightning strikes, strong winds, fires and even wars. As a result, the buildings seen today include Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau, a cathedral that blends multiple cultures. Particularly noteworthy is the organ and stained glass inside the church. Stained glass on the north side of the church depicts important events in the history of the church and Riga.

Riga Cathedral has one of the most historic organs in the world, founded by the German organ company E. F. Walcker &amp; Co. was built from 1883 to 1884, with a total of 6718 pipes of different sizes, it was the largest pipe organ in the world at that time, and is currently the fourth largest in the world.

<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="195" > powder tower</h1>

The red brick cylindrical tower resembles a turret topped with a green conical lid that was originally part of the defense system of the city of Riga.

The walls of the powder tower have the remains of bullet holes in large and small novels, reminiscent of the bullet holes in the sihang warehouse in Shanghai, and can't help but sigh that the peaceful years were not easy to come by. The interior of the rebuilt Powder Tower has become the Latvian War Museum.

<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="204" > a statue of the Band Bremen</h1>

This 2-meter-high bronze sculpture, from top to bottom, is a chicken, a cat, a dog and a donkey, from Grimm's fairy tale Bremen. Created by german sculptor Gerhard Márquez, it was given by The German Bremen as a gift to rival Riga as a sister city.

< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="211" > cat shop</h1>

If you don't know much about the origin of this cat, you will be bored, because it is just a black cat made of two iron pieces on the roof. The roofs of riga's old houses are generally rooster-shaped, as locals believe that roosters bring good luck. And it is well known that in the Middle Ages cats were not popular, especially black cats, they were considered symbols of the devil. Therefore, people at that time were very taboo about the image of black cats. The reason why the black cat appears on the top of this building is because the owner of this house built it for the purpose of cursing.

Opposite the building was the then prominent Chamber of Commerce of the Great Kilter (a chamber of commerce of wealthy German merchants), and the owner of the house wanted to join the Chamber of Commerce, but the Chamber refused on the grounds that there were problems with his character. Out of anger, the owner of the house came up with such a bad idea and aimed the cat's butt at the Chamber of Commerce. Of course, the farce also ended with the concession of the owner of the house under the mediation of the court, who turned the cat's head to the Chamber of Commerce instead of the ass.

Of course, today is different from the past, and now there is no fear of being a black cat all the time, and this maverick symbol has become a unique attraction in Riga.

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<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="223" > Freedom Monument</h1>

Equivalent to the Chinese People's Heroes Monument, it commemorates the soldiers who died in the Latvian War of Independence and symbolizes Latvia's freedom, independence and sovereignty.

The limestone and granite pedestal records historical events in reliefs, the inscription "Fatherland and Freedom" is inscribed on the stele, and at the top of the monument, on the base of the petal carving stands a bronze Statue of Liberty, who holds up three golden stars in her hands and publishes the representation of Latvia's Kurjem, Vidjem and Lattagar.

<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="233" > other streetscapes</h1>

<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="244" > Riga Central Market</h1>

The five giant sheds that stretch along the riverbank are the Riga Central Market, which was transformed from the shed of the old German Zeppelin spacecraft. It is the largest market in Latvia and Europe, and has now been selected as a World Heritage Site along with Riga. If you want to buy souvenirs, here is the best choice, the price is fair, and the child is not deceived.

There are not only live deep-sea fish and colorful roe, but also rye bread, smoked herring, saffron raisin bread and so on. In addition to eating, there are also a variety of handicrafts with Latvian characteristics that are handmade. If that doesn't satisfy you yet, there are plenty of vendors waiting outside the market to explore.

Latvian honey is quite famous and is one of the must-buy when coming to Latvia. In fact, you can see a wide variety of honey in the markets of the three Baltic countries, the price of pure natural is cheap, and if the weight of the luggage allows, it is worth bringing back more.

The price level of the three countries is in order: Estonia&gt; Latvia&gt; Lithuania, so when traveling to the three countries, if you want to buy souvenirs of special products, you can buy more in Lithuania and Latvia, and Estonia's economic level is more developed, and the relative price is more expensive.

A cup of coffee + breakfast are served here every morning

Salmon pie full of salmon meat (left), the seafood deli area in the market is really cheap and delicious.

Self-media | Traveler made