Occupation, Museum and Alcoholic Shot that tells the History

Since  every single day I’m with backpackers from around the world who comes to Riga I’m really surprised how actually the 20 years old Museum of the Occupation of Latvia is popular among tourists. Almost every day I meet someone who has been there, is going there or wants to go there, what makes me to think that really is one of the must-see things in Riga.  And definitely the number 1 museum in Riga visited by foreign guests. 

The original building of the museum you can find at the Old Town – Town Hall square, BUT  - due to renovation it has changed the address for a while. Good news – it’s not very far from it’s previous location and not far from the Old Town. The Bastion Hill and the Freedom monument you can find right on the border between the Old Town and „New Riga” or the city center, and that’s where you can find the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia as well – at Raiņa bulvāris 7.

Check out their website here: http://okupacijasmuzejs.lv/en

Aaaand here is the virtual tour into the occupation of Latvia: http://www.e-okupacijasmuzejs.lv/#!/en/lang

 

Oh, almost forgot: if we talk about the occupation and museums here is some alcoholic entertainment to get to know the history in Riga.  Lately a new shot has concured the hearts of locals in Riga and it is called „Occupation Museum” (or „Okupācijas Muzejs” in Latvian). The shot „Occupation Museum” consists of something from Latvians, something from Germans and something from Russians (that’s already a lesson in history of Latvia): Riga Black balsam, Jagermeister and vodka. As bitter as the truth of history. Get it at Shot Cafe located at Jacob's Barracks at the Old Town.

*picture taken from the official website of  the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia

Discovering Nature without Going Into The Wild

There are people always keen on visiting museums, but if it is not some really famous museum or something you have a special interest in, would you go there on a sunny summer day if it is not an open-air museum? Majority of us would say  - noooo.... But autumn/winter season is just perfect for visiting museums!

I remember myself as a child: I didn’t live in Riga, but my grandmother was living close to Riga.  Natural History museum was a place where my grandmother took me almost every time when I visited her on school holidays. I’m not so sure about the correctness of my own childhood memories to remember how many times she took me there, but I was never bored there and always happy that I’ll go there again. Natural History museum of Latvia is a place for people in all ages and just perfect for visiting it together with the children. It is located right in the centre of Riga, close to the Old Town & Railway station on K. Barona Street 4. 

Their website says: „The Natural History Museum of Latvia is the largest and one of the oldest complex museums of natural history and sciences in the Baltic States.”

Entrance fee: pupils (7 – 18 years old) 0,50Ls, students & seniors 0,80Ls, adults 1,50Ls, family ticket (1-2 adults with 1-2 children under 18) - 20 % off admission (proof required - student card, senior card etc.) For temporary exhibitions there will be extra charge, but half an hour just before the closing time you can visit for free permanent exhibitions! Working hours: Monday & Tuesday – closed, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10AM – 5PM, Thursday  - 10AM – 19.AM (with 2 happy free admission hours from 5PM – 7PM).

Try virtual tour in the Natural History museum of Latvia http://www.dabasmuzejs.gov.lv/media/360/index.html

Check out also these articles and places: Winter in Riga: What to do? , The Town Hall Square: Blackheads House & The Museum of The Occupation, Wonders of Art Nouveau, Botanic Garden: For Family Holiday and Nature Lovers.

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

The Town Hall Square: Blackheads House & The Museum of The Occupation

The Town Hall square and Blackheads House you will eventually find on your walk through The Old Town. And you don’t want to miss it because that’s what you see on postcards from Riga. You need to make your own picture at this place.

With stalls, workshops and various feasts The Town Hall Square used to be the centre of public life during The Middle Ages. Historians consider that initially it was a market place, but after expansion of the city in 1211 the Town Hall square was formed here. Punishments were executed and pageants used to be arranged here as well. During World War II the luxurious development of Town Hall Square was completely destroyed. Thanks to grand reconstruction works in this century the main buildings - the Town Hall and Blackheads House - have been restored. In the centre of the square you can see a figure of Roland which is a symbol of judicial power, freedom and independence of many European cities.

The Blackheads House built in 1344, is a stunning example of gothic architecture. The original house was the headquarters of unmarried local merchants, known as the Blackheads.

In this square you will aslo find The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia housed in a black communist-era building - .detailing events of Latvia's recent history, from the World War II occupations to the events of independence in 1991, the museum is definitely worth a visit, in order to gain a clearer understanding of Latvia. Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00 (Jan – Apr and Oct - Dec); Tue-Sun 11:00 – 18:00 (May – Sep) Admission: Free

Similar posts: The Bastion Hill, See Riga From Hight of Birds, The Highest TV Tower in EU, The Freedom Monument, Wonders of Art Nouveau, The Old Town - Heart of Riga

Wonders of Art Nouveau

It would be a sin not to write about Art Nouveau in Riga, because Riga boasts the largest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe. Art Nouveau makes Riga to be a little wonderland – this architecture is unsurpassable.

The architectural and artistic answer to the literary Modernist movement that began in the late 19th century was the Art Nouveau movement in Europe. The Art Nouveau movement reached its peak in the early 20th century, which is when the majority of Riga’s Art Nouveau houses were built. Riga’s term for the movement, Jugendstil, comes from the German and Scandinavian movement named after the avant-garde periodical Jugend (“Youth”). Unlike the stiffer sensibilities of Victorian style, Art Nouveau stressed a complete creative freedom, mixing fantastic elements with a tendency to show all utilitarian construction elements as artistic value, with very characteristic elements such as dynamic, undulating, and flowing lines and geometrical ornaments.

Riga is one of the largest centres of Art Nouveau, with more than a third of the buildings of its Central District built in the style; other significant centres include Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Vienna, Krakow, Moscow and St. Petersburg, among others. The main street for Riga’s Art Nouveau architecture is Elizabetes street, which intersects Brivibas Boulevard. In addition to Elizabetes Street, Alberta and Strelnieku Streets also feature impressive examples of the style. In total, there are over 800 Art Nouveau buildings in Riga.

Riga Art Noveau centre can help you. Here you will find the information about architects, maps and routes: http://www.jugendstils.riga.lv/eng/turisms Of course, you are welcome to visit Art Nouveau museum!

Latvian Christmas Traditions

For Latvians Christmas is the time when all family comes together. And December 24th is peacefull Christmas Eve when families go to the church and afterwards have Cristmas meal together. Many of the Christian traditions in Latvia are intertwined with earlier pagan traditions. Christmas Eve is a celebration of the birth of Jesus, but in many families it is also a celebration of the Winter Solstice, the time  when days become longer and the nights become shorter again. We just celebrate Christmas in both ways – pagan and christian – as they both are about the light coming into life. Also on morning of the 25th of December families goes to the church. Well, usually people choose – 24th or 25th (or 26th). 

What happens with Christmas gifts? In many resources on the internet I found this: „Latvians believe that Father Christmas brings presents on each of the 12 days of Christmas starting on Christmas Eve.” I don’t know where are these strange Latvians who believe in it. I don’t know any family which does it. And actually I red it for the first time today on the internet... We receive gifts just once – 24th on evening or 25th on morning. Usually in some special moment (for example, when the family goes to the church) when nobody sees it – gifts are left under the Christmas tree. But it’s not so easy to get them: in order to get a present you have to recite a short poem while standing next to the Christmas tree! So kids before Christmas are really learning by heart a lot of poems. Well, you can also sing, play some music instrument or even dance to get your gift.

Christmas meal: by christian traditions on Christmas Eve it’s not allowed to eat meat, but Latvians are real meat lovers. So there is Christmas Eve when there have to be 9 different dishes (by pagan tradition) which do not include meat (by christian tradition). These traditions perfectly live together. You definitely have to eat boiled grey peas – if you do it, you wont have to cry the next year.

Traditional food for Christmas is grey peas with bacon, gingerbread, bacon rolls, and pork – all head of a pork on the table. Of course, we drink hot wine – German „gluhwine” is all around the world.

Other pagan traditions you will probably meet in Latvia on Christmas time involves a wooden block that is rolled around the house to drive away any evil spirits from the home. You will see it even in the Riga Old Town and for example Etnographical Open-Air museum. By the way, I think that the Etnographical Open-Air museum in Riga is the best place to get to know Latvian traditions. In the countryside people often go masquerading from one home to the next while singing and playing different games – they also do it in open-air museum. In this masquerade will also definitely come The Death. Don’t be afraid – if you are a friend of Death and especially if you dance with Death during Winter Solstice – you are not going to die the next year. 

Happy Christmas – Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus! 

Pictures:  1) Celebration at Open-Air museum with traditional head of a pork 2-3) Taditional food: bacon rolls and grey peas with bacon 4) Winter Solstice masquerade