Riga is an architectural enthusiast's dream. The bombing of Germany during World War II devastated much of Europe's best Art Nouveau architecture, or Jugendstil. This means Riga has, in some ways, been carrying the torch for Art Nouveau lovers in Europe. But it's not just Art Nouveau: in Riga, there are also fine examples of Nordic Gothic, Classical Symbolism, Constructivism and more. But it's Jugendstil that leaves its imprint everywhere; around 40 percent of Riga center is in some way, form or shape Jugendstil. Some of the most acclaimed buildings in this style are on Elizabetes and Alberta streets. Buildings by architect Mikhail Eisenstein (father of director Sergei Eisenstein) are at Elizabetes 10a and 10b. Others are at Alberta 2, 2a, 4, 8 and 13. There's also a wonderfully eclectic, fun-loving building just around the corner, on Strelnieku.
BASTION HILL MEMORIALS: Five memorial stones in a central Riga park-a chilling reminder of Soviet crackdowns on Riga in 1991, when five people were killed. Some of the victims were hit by stray bullets as Soviet troops stormed an Interior Ministry building nearby. There's also a museum devoted to the events of that fateful day, located at Kramu 4.
CIRCUS: Merkela 4, tel. 721-3279. Riga's circus is the only one in the Baltics. The stars of the show are bears, horses, cats and dogs. Open from October to April.
OPEN AIR MUSEUM: Brivibas 440, on the outskirts of Riga; tel. 799-4515. Open:10-17. Founded in 1924, this open-air museum is one of the oldest in Europe. The idea was to recreate 18th and 19th century life in Latvia. On display is traditional, full-scale village architecture. Smiths, potters and beekeepers practice their ancient trades before your eyes. On the shore of Lake Jugla, the museum spans some 100 hectares.
MOTOR MUSEUM: S. Eizensteina 6, tel. 709-7170. Open:10-18; Mon. 10-15. From the old city, it's an 8 km drive out on Brivibas, then turn right and go 2 km.; it's the boxy, grayish-silver building on the right. You can also take bus No. 21 from Brìvìbas. Bliss for car lovers, this museum may be a bit of a bore for everybody else. Includes antique cars made in the USSR and Latvia. There are also American and European gems, including pre-war Mercedes, a 1942 Harley-Davidson and early-model Fords. The highlight is the display of cars used by Soviet dictators, including Stalin's iron-plated Tchaika and the dramatically crumpled limousine Leonid Brezhnev rammed into a truck in 1980 while joyriding the streets of Moscow.
OCCUPATION MUSEUM: Strelnieku laukums 1, tel. 721-2715. Open:11-18. History in Latvia, as in the other Baltics, can be a can of worms. This museum makes a good attempt at shedding light on the tragic, sometimes complicated history of Latvia in the 20th century. There's nothing frivolous about this museum: this is a place to ponder the horrors of mass deportations and murder during the German and Soviet occupations. Ironically, this museum-dedicated in large part to debunking the myth of the Soviet workers' paradise-sits just behind a monument to the Latvian Riflemen, the revolutionaries who played a central role in ushering the whole Soviet era in. Among the exhibits here is a replica of a barracks in a Stalinist prison camp and objects confiscated from Latvian Jews before their execution. The exhibitions here are sometimes disturbing. But knowing this history is certainly a key to understanding Latvia. www.occupationmuseum.lv
A related museum is the JEWISH MUSEUM at Skolas 6, which chronicles pre-war Jewish life in Latvia. There were 80,000 Jews here before 1940; most were killed during the Nazi occupation, 1941-1944. On sale at the museum is Fragments of the Jewish History of Riga, which provides details of old Jewish neighborhoods in the capital, plus maps. The only synagogue left in Riga is at Peitavas 6-8.
RIGA ZOO: Meza prospekts 1, tel. 751-8669; in Meýaparks. Open:10-18. Anyone who assumes a zoo established under the Soviets can’t be any good assumes wrong. The Riga Zoo is remarkable, distinctively set in a pine-tree forest. This is a staggeringly varied zoo, with all your standard zoo fare (polars bears and the like), plus some extremely well thought through centers, like one for insects. It’s also a good place to see animals you’re not likely to see at Western zoos—like Tibetan wild donkeys. The zoo and the surrounding Forest Park are favorite strolling grounds for area residents.
THE MEZAPARKA AREA has one of the largest collections of Jugendstil residential houses in the world, part of the first garden city urban development in Europe, conceived by Riga city planners at the turn of the century.
