Art Museum - Riga Bourse

Right in the heart of the Old Town, in Dome Square, you will find a historical and newly renovated bourse building that has become a home for arts - Art Museum Riga Bourse. 

I've heard from tourists that this place is worth a visit and that the price for it is really reasonable, so I checked it on a cold winter day, planning to give to myself about 2-3 hours for a visit (before it's closed at 6 pm). The museum is closed on Mondays, works from 10 am to 6 pm on all other days, except Fridays when it's open until 8 pm.

There are different halls and you can buy a ticket for specific hall/exhibition, but my choice was getting a ticket for the entire museum: combined admission fee to all exhibition halls costs 6.40EUR. As we were going there 2 persons, we decided that for the next time we are going to borrow kids somewhere, because  the family ticket (1-2 adults + 1-4 kids or one  large family) for the entire museum costs 7.11EUR. Well, definitely a friendly price for a family. Of course, you can also get a guided tour, but we went on our own pace without it. 

So, there are temporary and permanent exhibitions and if you have a ticket for the entire museum, you get to go to all of them. You can run through the museum in an hour, but it's really too less of time. I guess 3 hours should be enough, but if you love to stand at each painting for more than 2 minutes, yes, you will need a lot more time.  Well, these are not just painting there, but they make a pretty huge part of what you see there. In permanent exhibitions you will get to see Western European paintings from 16th to 19th century, sculptures and European porcelain, some furniture and different trinkets from 18th century that nowadays doesn't seem that casual at all. Next to the Western Gallery you will find a small Silver Room (with awesome optical-illusion like floor) dedicated to the beginning of 20th century that is a pretty important time for Latvian self-confidence and getting this country founded.  Of course, I loved the most Oriental Gallery (for European it just seems a lot more exotic than everything that's related to Europe). This gallery features art from Middle East and Far East. China, Japan, India, Nepal... Household items, traditional clothes, theater masks, shadow theater, pipes, statues, dishes, porcelain - there is a lot to see. 

Aaaand the building itself from inside is pretty impressive: I already got stories running in my head about rich people having balls there and ladies and gentlemen coming out on inside balconies to speak to their guests in fancy dresses, while someone else is hiding in another room powdering nose or maybe doing something else that should be hidden from curious eyes. 

Art lovers will appreciate this great collection. And if you are not keen and well educated in arts, it's anyway interesting there. You just go there, watch things and try to figure out what were they meant for, and then you find their numbers and read - oh, that's absolutely not what I thought! 

Yes, there is a lot to see, and, yes, the price really is reasonable. 

Check out their website: Art Museum Riga Bourse//English

This video shows the stunning grace of the building where museum lives in: 

Any thoughts, impressions or questions? Or may be some comments or advices form those who have been there?

Two great places off the beaten path: having a drink there can be cultural experience.

If it happens that you are craving for cultural experiences and would love to have a drink surrounded by those who eat and breathe culture, wear hats, beards and glasses, and read books there are some really great hipster-places in Riga. Yeah, I said hipster-places. I've also heard that Riga is hipster capital. At least this article tells it: Hipster Capital Riga

Well, whatever, I’m not here to find the definition of hipsterism. I’m here to share with you info about two pretty enjoyable places that are well known here as typical hipster-places. It means, you will have to get out of the Old Town. No worries, both of them are at the city center and really just some 10-15 min walk away from the Old Town.

Old furniture, heat from fireplaces, friendly locals, concerts, out-of-the-box performances and booze, oh, and usually no snobs there as well!!!  

KKC – Kaņepes Kultūras Centrs

This self-proclaimed culture center in old mansion has real charm. It’s just a 10 min walk away from the Old Town. No chic. And that’s the best thing about this place – the content and charm comes from people, performances and attitude. They have even movie evenings and the territory outside in front of the building is absolutely welcoming in summers, gathering people like a magnet.

Not just the bar and stage, but the building itself has stories around, in and out. It stands there from the beginning of XX century, it has hosted aristocracy and lived through bohemian times when students lived there and it has been school of music for children as well.

Address:  Skolas iela 15. It’s right on the corner between Skolas and  Lāčplēša streets. Look for a giant sculpture of a black lion outside on the wall, and fence that draws a boundary between the street and another world.

Who goes there? Well, definitely not bling-bling people looking for posh and luxury or willing to get something from you. You will meet there artists, students, writers, photographers, hipsters, philosophers and lovers of cultural values – those who are looking for something different and able to find more into less.

Check out their Facebook fan page to dig into pictures: KKC (Kaņepes Kultūras Centrs) Facebook Page

CHOMSKY

As you might have guessed – this place has been named after American philosopher Noam Chomsky. They are kind of rebels that dare to say out loud – we are not here to comply with authorities and political correctness.  This place is pretty small and you probably won’t even notice it if you were just walking by not looking for it. It’s in that part of city center where tourists don’t get so often. When nobody is looking for ordering drinks, a guy behind the bar pretty often is reading books. That’s already something that tells about this place. It is a really simple shed-like place - one more little piece of heaven that proves that simplicity has a lot in it. Old furniture that seems to have lived its life already, perfectly fits into this place where being who you are is valued a lot higher than pretending.  Oh, and this small place from times to times have concerts as well that might surprise you with really undomesticated music.

Address: Lāčplēša iela 68. Look for a portrait of Noam Chomsky next to the entrance.

Who goes there? Friends and lone wolves who want to have a beer in a shed-like place, those who want to spend time talking to people, those who can go out without make-up or their best clothes on, and that-kind of people who go to KKC as well.

I haven’t lied a word, that’s how it looks and feels there: Chomsky Facebook Page 

These both places are truly welcoming, so if you have a feeling that’s something for you, I’m sure you won’t regret going there! If these places seem for you suspicious and too strange, you probably don't have to waste your time going there. If fact, these are not just "some kind of places" to have a drink - these are experiences in space-time.

Exceptional Experiences in Latvia

Checking what's on my computer I found this list of exceptional experiences in Latvia that was made many months ago for some other website... But it never got published anywhere, so I'm giving myself the green traffic light to share this list with you. Some adrenaline, some adventures, some childhood dreams that can become reality. Take a look at this list and let me know if there is something you can add!

1) Spending a night in a jail

In 2009 The Ghost Hunters International team announced: the Karosta jail in Liepāja is one of the most haunted places in the world. This KGB prison, where more than 150 people got shot, is one of the most unusual hotels you can find around the world. Entering this place every visitor becomes a prisoner, and staying overnight there you will get a real prisoners cell. It should be noted that this place is not recommended for emotionally sensitive people.

2) Flying with no belts, ropes or parachutes

In 1979 Jean St. Germain, Canadian-French inventor, built the first vertical wind tunnel, and last 30 years  ‘Aerodium’ in Latvia has been working to develop this invention and make flying real for any person with no special previous training. In Sigulda you can fly without safety belts and rubbers, no ropes and no parachutes – just jump into the vertical wind tunnel to enjoy adrenaline and taste of freedom.

3) Song and Dance Festival where thousands are singing like one

Since 1873 Song and Dance Festival in Latvia has been significant event which brings together more than 20 000 performers - singers and dancers in Riga – all dressed in traditional costumes from all parts of Latvia. The festival is held in summer once per 5 years taking over the streets of Riga, concert halls and even the public transport. The next festival will take place in 2018.

4) Midsummer’s Night

The pagan tradition of celebrating the summer solstice is absolutely alive in Latvia. 23rd of June people are getting to the countryside to make bonfires at night, to drink beer and jump over the fire, to decorate themselves with flowers, to sing and dance, to look for magical ferns in dark woods at night and run naked around meadows staying awake until the sunrise.

5) Park of modern arts

Pedvāle Open-Air Art Museum is the area of 200 ha full of original and surprising sculptures, installations and art objects created in workshops for specific place using mostly locally available materials. Be ready to spend your day in meadows, forests and hills on the banks of the river Abava observing wildlife and interaction between the nature and modern art where every step in the trail can bring new surprises.

6) Bobsleigh for speed lovers

1420 meters long bobsled track where high-level competitions are held is available also for non-professionals to enjoy adrenaline when bob curves down in landslides with a speed of 100kph. Accompanied by athletes, visitors can enjoy winter bob, summer bob on wheels or special tourist bobs in the track built in 1986 and regularly bringing here bobsled professionals from several countries for their trainings.

7) The Secret Soviet bunker

2000 sq m large bunker 9 m underground has been a secret since it was created in 1980-ies. It is located in Līgatne, and the veil of secrecy has been removed only in 2003. Soviet memorabilia, projections of what would happen in case of a nuclear war, telecommunication unit for communication with Moscow Kremlin and more original features you can see there now. For brave visitors there is a possibility to participate at the reality game.

8) Latvian Sauna

Traditional Latvian sauna is a real trip into the world of power of nature: right herbs and branches of trees into sauna open the world of aromas and natural healing, jumping into the water of pond or lake (even in winter) right after sweating in the temperature of up to 100° C strengthens body, and a massage with leaves and herbs (which looks more like hitting a person) removes the stress better than any spa.

9) Off-road driving with Russian military cars

Off-road park in Saldus district near the lake gives the adventure of off-road driving through forests and rivers in Russian military jeeps in the former military landfill Zante. There are special tracks for several difficulty levels, and after the training and orientation rides groups are also invited to challenge everyone's driving skills in a competition.

  

10) Lonely beaches and naturally blue cows 

Western part of Latvia – Kurzeme offers to enjoy beautiful, quiet, lonely beaches on the Baltic Sea – for hiking, bird watching, nude swimming or being alone with the wild nature.  This part of Latvia is also the only place to see naturally blue cows. The secret of this natural color is nothing else than the water of the sea.

 

"Path of Christmas Trees" - Find Your Avant-garde Christmas Tree!

Last year there was 500 years celebration since the first tree in Christmas was decorated in Riga in 1510, but this year Riga is full with traditional and absolutely avant-garde trees - the festival „Path of Christmas Trees” is in Riga – one of these artistic festivals in Riga turning the urban environment in the miraculous place of wonders. Of course, the best time to see these objects is dark hours of the day.

42 different objects in the urban environment – free to see, enjoy and get inspired until 15th of January. 14 of these objects are made by new artists of Latvian Academy of Art. All objects are copyrighted and unique created for this festival-competition. The first festival „Path of Christmas Trees” was the last year and there is a promise that it will be in Riga every year. 

About first Christmas Tree

To find your favorite tree use this - Map of „Path of Christmas Trees” 2011 

What else you can do in Riga at this season? See previous posts: Winter in Riga: What to do? & Christmas Markets & the Nutcracker

You might also enjoy these pictures of "Beaming Riga" festival which changes the urban environment in November

Winter in Riga: What to Do?

Winter is not just about Christmas, although that’s what we all think starting from November till first weeks of December. Till the middle of December majority of us  is already tired of Christmas on every corner. For those, coming to catch Christmas mood in Riga, see previous post about Christmas Markets and the Nutcracker.

But!

What  about other winter activities in Riga? Ok, it’s cold here, so you walk around get into some cafe to warm up, walk again and get again in some random cafe. Nope, it doesn’t have to be like this. Here are some options  for you to enjoy winter in Riga:

Day of Museums! The best time to visit museums is winter, for sure! Art lovers, you have a lot to see here – huge collection of Latvian Art history in a permanent exposition you will find at the  Latvian National Museum of Art (K.Valdemāra Street 10a) and walking through the Old Town, you will find a lot of small art galleries. History lovers, check the Occupation Museum at the Town Hall square and War Museum at Torņa street with impressive medieval Powder Tower or huge Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation at Palasta street 4 (Old Town). The sunniest place in Riga is Sun Museum at the Old Town – different Sun items from different places in the world, the most playful place – Doll Museum,  the hottest museum (just opened in Riga) – Museum of Erotic. Maybe Art Nouveau museum?

Skating! (Skating rinks are not opened yet, but will surely be there as soon as real winter is here). It’s a great  option to warm up in winter! You will find one skating-rink at the Old Town, one in the last stop of the Tram nr. 11 – Mežaparks (with natural ice) and many more. The most pompous shopping centre in Riga  - Galleria Riga - invites to the skating-rink on the top of the building! On the 7th floor above the roofs of Riga city center you can skate while enjoying panorama of Riga! /I’ll let you know as soon as winter is here and open-air skating-rinks open/

Some other winter sports? Take a day trip out of Riga - to Sigulda (around 1 hour drive from Riga) and get to know bobsleigh! Get to know it closer – not just watching, but also putting yourself into the place of a  bobsleigh sportsman! Bobsleigh season has already started! You can go there on your own, with your friends or join organized tours – almost all travel agencies are oranizing  tours to Sigulda, or ask at your hotel or hostel – a lot of them are really keen on it and glad to take Riga’s visitors to bobsleigh in Sigulda. By the way, Sigulda is also famous with its' beautiful nature and castles.

Nightlife in Riga? No changes there: Riga’s nightlife in winter is as active as in summer. Some cozy places for dancing and getting to know local people see here:  Where Locals Have Fun I, Where Locals Have Fun II

Picture:  The Entrance of the  Latvian National Museum of Art

Festival of Lights, Riga, 2011

Holiday in Latvia with Independence Day and Festival of Lights "Staro Rīga" (Beaming Riga) is over. Now Latvia too will switch to Christmas mood.  Festival of Lights is growing every year bigger and bigger. This year there were 85 objects around the city. In these 4 days of festival (17. - 20. November) I didn't manage to see all of it.  Lights and sounds these days have been making people dizzy. You know  - it's not possible to put in  a picture live light, video projection and feelings, also - this is just a simple camera which in dark makes wonders :) Beaming Riga/ Staro Rīga  - festival of lights which changes the streets, parks, gardens of Riga in darkness with lights - from small candles till big installations and projections changing the appearance  of buildings.  

This object looked calm and quite in the urban environment. Like other people I was smiling seeing how nice this object looks and attached to discovering how it has been made, but thanks to a small child who was explaining his vision to his parents I also was able to see what it is - these are not lamps, but that's how a city with its blockhouses looks at night!

Riga channel is always surprising with light & water games in the city center, but I have never been able to make a good picture of it, well - I guess you just have to see it with your own eyes.

Public toilet! It was standing there like any other day - quiet and simple. Then it started to whisper: "Please,  look at me!" And then it turned into the Coliseum!

 The Bastion hill was filled with candles and flying ships:

Door to imaginary reality:

And at the end enjoy some fireworks from Independence Day - 18th of November right after singing national anthem  - thousands of people together at the river Daugava.

Here you can find some pictures from Beaming Riga 2010

That Surrealist Place - Beaming Riga

I guess I've told you about this event already twice. "Beaming Riga" (Staro Rīga). This year the event will take place  form 17th to 21st on November. You just need to get to Riga and the lights and sounds will guide you through the city which will surprise you with colors, lights, music, technology and CREATIVITY.

So I found some pictures I took at Beaming Riga last year. Well, these are definitely not the best pictures because of darkness, bad camera, snow etc., but anyway might give you some insight of this event.

If you have attended Beaming Riga and have some great pics, I would be glad if you share them with me! You can post the link on comments, tweet (@friendinriga) on Twitter or send me the mail. While I don't see your beaming pictures, enjoy these ones from 2010!

18th of November: Through National Songs and Lights of Beaming Riga

When that dark season is already arrvied here – empty trees, dark streets, no colors of golden autumn  and no snow yet, Riga gets into celebrations. 18th of november – the national holiday – birthday of Latvia – proclomation day. What we do on this day in Riga? 

1) We go to watch National Armed Forces parade on the first part of the day at the river Daugava with the orchestra of Latvian armed forces. (11:00)

2) We go to concerts, church, make family dinner, put flowers at our freedom monument – it depends on family traditions

3) Evening part comes with the celebration event at the freedom monument with Latvian folk and choir songs and the most important – the President’s speech

4) We all are hedding back to the riverside (where we started our day with the parade) to watch fireworks over the River of destiny – Daugava.

If you are in Riga on 18th of November, you might be surprised seeing that partriotism and national consciousness which is in the air these days in November. You are welcome to join on this celebration!  

Another big and worth seeing event  - Beaming Riga. The city has been changed through colors, lights and music, technology and creativity every year around 18th on November.  This year Beaming Riga is form 17th to 21st on November – in different places  all over the city.

Let me find some pictures I made at the last years Beaming Riga and I’ll share them with you in my next post.

Are you ready to kick your mind out of the comfort zone?

That's true - if in summer Riga is the capital of hot non-stop parties, in autumn the face of the city is different. All these parties are stilll here, and maybe even more, but in facial expressions the city is different. It's getting cold and dark. Days are short. Rain. That's a perfect place for autumns depression... Riga is using this dark, uncomfortable season to make you even more uncomfortable: modern arts are taking over the streets and buildings of Riga. You will be surprised, excited, upset and more. One of these events every autumn in Riga is SOUND FOREST - Adventurous Music and Film Festival.

‘Sound Forest’ (Skaņu Mežs) is music festival which plays not only with your ears, but mostly with mind. The first Sound Forest was organized in 2003 to show the latest activities in the world of music and this is also a provocation for new angles in music. The artists in Sound Forest are surprising, boring, shocking, incomprehensible... These are brave artists from all over the world - the future of music – the music for which we are probably not ready yet.  Sound Forest 2011 will be in Riga on 16^th – 17^th of September.

The organizers of the festival say, they are doing it to “knock the mind out of the comfortable and dull "reality" to remind you of an alternative”. Isn't that what we need to keep as moving? Aren't we too comfortable with our own complaining and our own brainwashed opinions? Aren't we too much into "realities" which we have  artificially built in our minds?

Other events every autumn in Riga which make you "to step out of the box":  Riga is going to take you away to the magical world of arts and dreams this autumn

Riga is going to take you away to the magical world of arts and dreams this autumn!

Riga is sparkling form cultural events, arts and parties. All summer it has been like a one big festival here. The summer is over, but the life doesn’t stop here. Here start new life: students are back to universities, workers back from vacations – that’s a reason for culture, arts and nightlife to get into new level. From lazy summer to autumn full with colors and new energy. Here it comes:

„WHITE NIGHT 2011” (BALTĀ NAKTS) /10th of September/ – The contemporary arts forum White Night presents art, theatre, music, movement and other art projects and performances. Every year White Night is organized all over the city at the end of August/beginning of Spetember. This year White Night will be here on 10th of September. More than 25 art, music, theater, survival, performance events in former factory VEF, Spikeri, Miera street, Old Town, and the centre of Riga. Enjoy the beauty of arts all night long for free, heading form one place to another! („White Night” is part of the joint “European White Nights” project by Brussels, Madrid, Paris, Riga and Rome. This idea is also adopted by Amsterdam, Bucharest, Porto and Valletta (Malta), as well as Toronto, Tokyo, Montreal, Chicago and other cities)

 

Riga International Film Forum ARSENĀLS 10th – 18th of September 

Adventurous Music and Film Festival SKAŅU MEŽS (SOUND FOREST) /15^th – 17^th of September/ 

International Festival of Film Actors BALTIJAS PĒRLE (BALTIC PEARL) 15^th – 27th of September 

„BEAMING RIGA” (STARO RĪGA) – /17th – 20st of November/ this is the festival of lights which transforms the panorama of Riga in dark evenings of November. 18th of November is also a birthday of a country called Latvia, so coming to Riga on these dates are  „2 rabbits with 1 shot’. ‘Beaming Riga’ is a festival all around the city which transforms the city using light, video and other technologies  - buildings, squares, monuments, streets are live and talking thorugh technologies and creativity. 'Beaming Riga' really takes you away from reality to some mystical world, sirreal dreamland.

„White Night” and „Beaming Riga” is what I advice you not to miss this autumn. Pictures from „Beaming Riga 2010”. Riga is going to blow your mind with these events.