Riga Art Nouveau Free Tour

Beyond the old Riga, there lies a new city which rose in the late 19th and early 20th century in splendid and flamboyant Art Nouveau style. These were the days of spectacular economic, industrial and demographic development of the city. A time when the walls and gates of the old town began to suffocate the growing metropolis. So, it got rid of them and gave space to wide boulevards, lush green parks and gardens. But first and foremost to magnificent houses and palaces built for the Riga’s rising middle class, bourgeoisie and architects themselves. 

There is so much to look at (or rather up) and admire. From the beginning of the 20th century up to the First World War more than 750 buildings (more than in any other city in the world) were designed in this fascinating style. What is not there: starting from floral ornaments, mythical beasts, Greek gods, strange creatures typical for Latvian folklore up to screaming masks and even… robots! Iron work of balconies and fences, the mastery of tiles, lamps and stained-glass windows will leave you enchanted and dreaming of spending a day or two in those beauties. 

Let us walk you through the Riga’s Art Nouveau patch to show you the most beautiful and iconic places, as well as those hidden from most tourists’ eyes. 

See and learn about:

• National Opera House


• buildings by Mikhail Eisenstein (father of Sergei Eisenstein, the creator of the most famous Soviet film, „Battleship Potemkin”!)


• Alberta street and Elizabetes street – the hottest address in Riga at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries


• …and much more!