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?

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.

Christmas Markets & The Nutcracker. Your Travel Destination in December: Riga

Already the next week December will be here and if you are coming to Riga on December, I’m glad you will catch our Christmas mood. Do you know from where comes the tradition of decorating Christmas tree?  The tradition spread all over the world comes form Northern Europe: the 500 years old story of decorating the Christmas tree comes from Riga!

I’m pretty sure one of the first places you will want to see will be the Old Town  where Medieval architecture lives side by side with Art Nouveau houses. And that’s the right choice – that’s where you will find Christmas markets filling cobbled streets with goods from Latvian ecological farms and hand made knick-knackeries (starting from 1st of December), that’s where you will be able to warm up with hot tea or wine. Do not forget to taste unique Riga Black Balsam, which you can get almostly in every cafe/bar with hot coffee, hot blackcurrant juice or in different coctails. One of options to enjoy it,  is Black Magic Bar (since 1752) where you will be able to get to know almostly everything about Riga Black Balsam (except its’ well kept secrets).

Another market: an old-fashion fair at Bergs Bazaar (at the city center) will be opened on 10th and 24th of December from 10am to 3pm at The Bergs Bazaar (Elizabetes Street 83/85) 

To enjoy Riga from height of birds flight, you can choose St. Peter’s church at the Old Town, you can get out of the city center to the TV Tower  or enjoy lights of Riga from the 27th floor of Radisson Blu hotel „Skyline” bar (working from 4pm, free entrance from Monday to Thursday). TheTower of the  Academy of Science is closed during this season. 

For enjoying  Christmas atmosphere with good Latvian food, Latvian music and people dressed in Latvian folk costumes you should  get out of the city centre to visit ‘LIDO’. If you are here with kids, it is a really good option: you will find there a lot of activites not only for you, but also for your kids: skating rink, place where to play with other kids (with a person who will look after children)  and other attractions. 

For those looking for entertainment with arts, you should check what Latvian National Opera (LNO) can offer you! Opera is also one of these things Latvia is famous aborad: Latvian opera singers are highly appreciated worldwide, singing on all famous stages of the world and great foreign opera singers are performing on LNO stage in Riga, historical building with pompous interior. If you like ballet,  in December 2011 LNO offers you to enjoy „Anna Karenina”, „The Sleeping Beauty” or (what can be better than this on December!!) „The Nutcracker”! Want opera? Here you are: „Don Giovanni”, „Madama Butterfly”, „Turandot”, „La Traviatta” or Latvian opera (also interesting for kids) „The Bird’s Opera”. Ticket prices from 1.50 to 18.00Ls. Check the calendar here. 

 

More options for your December in Riga on this blog coming soon! Feel free to ask, share your questions and impressions or experiences!

Creative Sand Sculpture Park „Magic Sand Riga 2011”

Cross the river Daugava, take a walk on the Stone Bridge - the view to Riga from there is wide and beautiful. On the other side of the river this summer till September is creative sand sculpture park. It's not big, but worth seeing it.

"Magic Sand" is an international festival. In Riga you will see artwork by 12 professional world class sand masters. Entrance fee - 2Ls, for additional fee you can create your own sand sculpture. Sand sculpture park also offers other activites - like "Game Station" for children, workshops and early morning yoga classes. Working hours: every day 10AM - 9PM.

 I went there today. There are less sculptures than I was expecting, but - real masterpieces, the view to Riga is wonderfull and the atmosphere there today was really meditative & peacefull. Artists working, and not only kids playing in a big sandbox. I also enjoyed playing with the sand! This place will calm you down and inspire.

Botanic Garden: For Family Holiday & Nature Lovers

July is the most beautifull month in Latvia to discover the countryside: flowers, the smell of grass, dragonflies, bees, wild berries... It’s a perfect time to discover flora & fauna of Latvia and pick some herbs to dry them and have the most healthiest and tastiest tea for the long evenings of winter. Ok, if you are not so keen on discovering wild nature and you better stay in Riga or close to Riga, or if you wanna get out of the city for a moment here is one place you will get to know the nature: The National Botanic Garden – close to Riga & perfect for a day with children!

30 min by train (the ticket costs 0,70Ls) and you’ll get to the town called Salaspils. Right in front of the railway station you wil see the entrance to the Botanical garden. The ticket costs just 1,50Ls. The territory is huge enough to enjoy there at least half a day long walk. This Botanical garden has the biggest plant collection in the Baltic States and one of the biggest arboreta in Northeast and one of the biggest in Europe collections of hawthorns, rowans, spiraeas, low forms of conifers, ornamental apple trees... There is also place for children plays, convenient paths for cyclists and joggers, horse riding, picknick place. National Botanic garden reprezents Latvia in its area and is one of the state scientific and cultural symbols.

National Botanic Garden is open for visitors every day:  from 1st April -  30th September open air expositions: 8.00-20.00 (every day) greenhouses: working days and Saturdays 8.00-16.45; Sundays and holidays - closed.

Similar posts about getting out of the city:   

Beaches: The City is Within Easy to Reach

Getting Away in Latvia: pictures from the countryside Part I, Part II

The Lost World Cemetery With The Soul

The Art In Stone: Mysterious Easter Island in Riga

See Riga From Height of Birds Flight!

And once again about being high! No, I don’t speak this time about flying, nor about smoking strange things to get high. I speak about seeing Riga from a bird’s point of view. Of course, dinner in the sky is something unique and must be really exciting, but not all of us can afford it and not always it is here.

You have probably red one of my previous posts about the TV Tower. (It’s here) It’s a great choice to go there, maybe you could just have some difficulties with getting there. But, no problem, there are other places, too.

What I usually advice for my friends and guests of Latvia is The Academy of Sciences. It’s in the centre of Riga, it’s easy to go there and the view to Riga is really wide  - you can see the Old Town, historycal centre, so called Moscow Suburbs of Riga, you can enjoy contrasts. The buiding itself was built after World War II, between 1953 and 1956 and it was the first skyscraper in the republic. The building is a cousin to similar Stalin-era skyscrapers in Warshaw and Moscow, and the example of Stalinist architecture. See the birds eye view to Riga from the 17th-floor balcony (height of 65 metres, 213 ft)! It's located next to the Central Market & Train Station.

You can also enjoy the view of Riga from the biggest church in the Old Town – St. Peter’s church. Another view you will get from the 26st floor of the Radisson Blue Hotel "Skyline" bar at the city centre – these are beautiful sunsets you can enjoy together with your friends with a glass of your favorite drink there! Radisson Blue you will easily see walking just some 3 min from the Freedom Monument to the historycal centre (away from the Old Town)

Time To Travel With Children

Long trip in a car: „Are we there yet mum? How long? When? Mum! Are we there yet mum?" Yes, it drives you mad... It might help to explain to them how long the whole trip will take by dividing the trip into sections. If you know the way you are going, add in that you are 20 minutes away from stopping at that place with the ducks and donkeys!

Choose the time for travel when they could sleep in the car. You can try leaving before sunrise and get several hours of quiet driving time before they wake up and want entertainment.

And now they want it! So, try classic car journey activity – singing!!! Maybe you can find a CD of music that everyone will enjoy! You can also try radio-productions, taped books – a wonderful way to pass the time together in the car and enjoy a book together as a family. You don’t need to buy them: borrow from your friends or a local library!

If I was a child I would really love this advice: a goodie bag for each child filled with simple cheap toys that you think can keep them amused. No, it won’t cost from you millions if you search at the cheaper isle of the toy store. It could keep them quiet and happy. Don’t give it before the trip, wait when they start: „Are we there yet mum?” You can also include there coloring books,  crosswords, sticker books, crayons etc. I guess you know better what would your children like.

Just some planning and creativeness and you can make you car ride enjoyable for the whole family. Oh, and children need variety – don’t forget it.

If you come to Riga with your children, visit LIDO recreation centre – while you will enjoy absolutely tasty Latvia food, elegant wooden interior and live Latvian music, your kids will find for them a lot of attractions, in winter there is also skating-rink. You can visit Mezhapark (Mežaparks – Forest park) with the Zoo (and animal feeding shows), kid’s railroad and modern playground. There is also the lake, so after a nice, hot summer day in the Zoo you can go to swim, before getting back to the centre of Riga. You can also enjoy white sand beach in Jurmala. Favourite indoor places to which kids usually pull their parents are Livu Aquapark in Jurmala and Go Planet complex in Riga. Actually, with kids I would advice you to go out of the city: hiking, palaces, skiing, flying in the vertical wind tunnel in Sigulda, forest with characters from fairytales in Tērvete, besides, you can book theme excursions (for example, to the airport or chocolate factory).

Pictures from Latvia: 1) Giraffes at the Riga Zoo; 2-3)Tērvete Nature Park; 4-5) LIDO recreation centre