Riga City Guide

Riga is the capital of the Republic of Latvia and the geographical centre of the Baltic States. The city, at the crossroads between the Western European and Eastern markets, has always been - and still is - one of Riga attractions for business activities.
The city is situated on both banks of the largest river in Latvia, the Daugava, near the Gulf of Riga. Its territory covers approximately 307 square kilometres. In January 2000, the population totalled 788 282. Almost a million people live in the Riga region, which amounts to more than a third of Latvia's total population.

Like elsewhere around the Baltic sea, the climate in Riga is determined by prevailing air masses from the Atlantic ocean and the influence of the Baltic Sea itself. That is the reason why summers are slightly cooler and winters milder than those of inland areas. The air humidity (80%) is also higher than in continental areas. Normally March is the driest month and July has the most rain. Snow cover is usually sustained for a short period, however, it can occasionally reach up to 20 centimetres. The windiest season is autumn. Average temperature is -4.9 °C in January and +16.9 °C in July. The air temperature is usually a little higher in the central part of the city.

Riga has received international recognition for its unique architecture, which was included on the list of UNESCO World Heritage on 4 December 1997. The city's architecture reflects the various architectural styles of the changing times, as well as Riga's own particular traditions.

The urban core - the Old Town - still has its irregular shape of a fortified medieval town with the density of buildings higher than in the rest of the city. The circle of boulevards, mingled with wide green areas, enclosing the Old Riga was created at the same time as the famous Vienna Ring Boulevard. The central part of the city has the full spectrum of architectural styles ranging from Gothic, Eclectic, Baroque to Art Nouveau.

The Art Nouveau style is represented particularly extensively in Riga, being a very important part of architectural heritage. About forty percent of the central part of Riga is built in Art Nouveau style, which makes the city the European metropolis of this style or, as sometimes called, "The Metropolis of Jugendstil". The wooden architecture of the 19th century, examples of which can be found both in the centre and the older suburbs, is also very expressive. Each century has left its mark, making Riga a city of great architectural diversity.

Cultural life in Riga is represented by 6 professional theatres, the Latvian National Opera, the Latvian Philharmonic Orchestra, several large concert halls and many art galleries. There are more than 30 different museums in Riga, the most popular of which are the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation, the Latvian Museum of Nature, the Museum of Decorative Applied Arts, the Riga Motor Museum and the Latvian Ethnographic Open-air Museum. In 1999 more than 700 000 people visited these museums.

Riga is proud of its well-preserved authentic folklore and craftsmanship traditions, as well as the rapidly developing avantgarde and modern art. Actively cooperating with institutions like the Soros Foundation, the Goethe Institute, the Nordic Information Centre, the French Information and Culture Institute, the British Council and the Danish Cultural Institute, Riga actively participates in various international cultural events.

Riga is the largest city in the Baltic States. 33% of all Latvian inhabitants live in Riga. At the beginning of 2000, there were 788 283 inhabitants in Riga. Since the times of the Hanseatic League, Riga has always been among the largest towns on the Baltic Sea. At the beginning of the 90s, there were over 900 000 inhabitants in Riga. Over the last ten years, due to the negative natural increase and repatration of immigrants, the number of inhabitants in Riga has been on a continual decrease.
The very special status of Riga in the Baltic region has always been the main reason for its multinational population that has changed with wars and ruling powers. The communities of Germans, Poles, Jews and Russians have been traditionally large and influential. Only after the first declaration of independence in 1918, did Latvians became a majority in Riga.

Riga has a good transport and communication infrastructure - cargo and passenger harbours and the Riga International Airport still have the capacity for further growth and improvements. Riga's harbour has long been the source of the city's development - and prosperity for its inhabitants. Today, the Riga Trade Terminal has free port status with a free custom zone regime for further economic development. The Riga Passenger Terminal also has huge potential, but modernization of the wharfs infrastructure and a new passenger terminal is necessary.

Riga International Airport is developing very rapidly and passenger turnover. Apart from the national carrier "Air Baltic" regular flights from Riga airport are provided by such well-known airlines as "British Airways", "Lufthansa", "SAS", etc.

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