Museum of Rīga’s

History and

Navigation^2

Rīga’s vēstures un

kuğniecības muzejs

Palasta iela 4. Map B3. Tel 6721

1358. 
      

      May–Sep: 11am–5pm daily;

      
      

      Oct–May: 11am–5pm Wed–Sun. ¢
      Mon & Tue. & 8 http://www.rigamuz.Lv

      
      

Founded in 1773, this museum

is the oldest in Rīga. Housed

in an impressive build ing with

tiled stoves and stained-

glass win dows, it

is also one of the

city’s most interest-

ing museums.

The exhi bition

on navigation

covers the mari-

time history of the

city up until World

War I, and includes

several large models

of ships and material

on Krišjānis Valdemārs (1825–

91), a key figure of the

Latvian National Awakening.

Dome Cathedral^1
Doma baznīca

Doma laukums 1. Map B3.
Tel 6721 3213. # May–Sep:
9am–6pm Sat–Tue, Thu, 9am–5pm
Wed & Fri; Oct–Apr: 10am–5pm
daily. ¢ for special events. & 5
10am Sun. http://www.doms.lv

Founded as St Mary’s by
Bishop Albert von
Buxhoevden in 1211, the
cathedral became one of the
city’s three seats of power
along with the Town Hall and
Rīga Castle. It gained its
current name from the German
word dom (cathedral) during
the Reformation. The cathedral
looks as if it has sunk, but in
fact the land around it has
been raised to keep out flood-
water from the Daugava river.
One of the largest places of
worship in the region, the
cathedral has been altered
over the years and its bulky
structure exhibits a variety of
styles. The altar alcove and
the east wing crossing are
Romanesque, with a cross-
vaulted ceiling and rows of
semi-circular windows.
Simpler Neo-Gothic
additions are
characterized by
pointed arches,
large windows
and lierne vault-
ing, while the
eastern pediment
and the steeple are
in 18th-century
Baroque style. The
portal was added in
the 19th century, followed by
an Art Nouveau vestibule in
the 20th century. Most of the

76 NORTH EASTERN EUROPE

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp92–3

Other rooms cover everything

from prehistory to indepen-

dence, with emphasis on the

mid-19th to mid-20th cen-

turies. High lights from the

Middle Ages include the

Madonna on a Crescent

Moon, a sculpture of the

patroness of the Great Guild

(a union of Rīga mer chants),

which was taken to Germany

during World War II and Big

Kristaps, a large 16th-cen tury

statue of St Christopher.

Rīga Castle^3

Rīgas pils

Pils laukums 3. Map B3. Museum

of Foreign Art Tel 6722 6467.

# 11am–5pm Tue–Sun. & 8

http://www.amm.lv History Museum

of Latvia Tel 6722 1357. # 11am–

5pm Wed–Sun. & 8

The city’s original Livonian

Order castle was destroyed by

Rīga’s citizens during a war

against the Order lasting from

1297 to 1330. After losing, the

townspeople were forced to

build a new castle on the

present site just outside the

city. Continuing quarrels

resulted in the Master of the

Order leaving the capital, but

Rīga Castle was destroyed by

the citizens once more in

1484. They were defeated
      again and the next castle the
      towns people were compelled
      to build forms the core of the
      current structure and was the
      headquarters of the Livonian
      Order until 1561. As well as

interior’s decor was destroyed

during the Reformation, and it

is now very plain, except for

the tombs of merchants and

the 19th-cen tury stained glass.

The wood work of the

17th-cen tury pulpit is ornate,

however, as is the organ case,

which is Mannerist with

Baroque and Rococo additions.

The organ was built in

Germany in 1884. In the

summer it is possible to visit

the cross-vaulted gallery of

the Dome, the Romanesque

cloister and courtyard.

Model ship at the

Museum of Rīga’s

History and Navigation

Changing of the guard outside Rīga

Castle in the Old Town

Impressive cross-vaulted gallery of the Dome Cathedral