Tom`s travels: Latvia (12-14/06/2017)

From Klaipeda in Lithuania, we took a bus in the morning and reached Riga, Latvia's capital, a few hours later. We checked in the hotel and then went out to explore the city. We passed through the only remaining city gates and entered the Church of St John first. Built in the Gothic style, it features a plain interior with an interesting cross-vaulted ceiling. Right across the street stands the statue of the Bremen Town Musicians, a gift from the German town and a political symbol during the post-soviet era. Behind the statue, stands imposing, the city's largest church, St Peter. Originally built during the 13th century, it features several reconstructions and now feels more like a Renaissance church with some baroque additions. It also features the tallest bell tower which can be visited for the unfathomable price of 9 euros. The church was unfortunately closed so we decided to walk further. We entered instead the Mentzendorff House, a small museum, featuring the interiors of a 17-18th-century wealthy merchant's house. Close by we then headed to the town hall square, which features the House of the Blackheads, a 14th-century building. It was built for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried merchants, shipowners and foreigners of the city. It was unfortunately bombed during WWII and completely destroyed by the Soviet authorities, and the current building dates to a 1990s reconstruction. We then continued further into town and reached the Cathedral square, the city's central and largest. On the south side stands the impressive Gothic Cathedral which was already closed. Continuing on through the old town, we walked along the pretty streets, lined by beautiful Art Nouveau buildings which make the city famous for such an architectural style and a Unesco world heritage site. We also saw the oldest medieval buildings in the town, the so-called Three Brothers, a series of three houses, built in succession from the 15th to the 17th centuries. After that, we started to get hungry and found a kind of milk bar which served cheap typical food. I took a chlodnik, a pink cold beetroot soup, and some pierogi. After visiting further the city we then went back to the hotel to sleep. The next day after getting up later, we had breakfast in the hostel and then headed to the Latvian Museum of National History which hold objects, paintings, and works relating to the country's history. Nearby, across a park, we then visited the Latvian National Museum of Art, with many paintings by Latvian artists but also some interesting foreign ones. Once out, walking further we reached a really nice neighborhood, which, along the Alberta Iela street, is famous for its Art Nouveau buildings. In one of the buildings from that style, we also visited the Art Nouveau museum. Inside one could see objects and furniture dating to that period, and a screen detailing all the buildings with that style present in Riga. Despite being an interesting museum, the price of 6 euros was too high in my opinion. After a stroll admiring more Art Nouveau buildings, we reached once more the old town and visited the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation, detailing, as the name suggests, the history of the city. Then off to the last museum, The Latvian War Museum, which exhibited military memorabilia and objects. We then headed back to the hostel where we had dinner and then went to sleep ready for the next day. In the morning, after waking up, we headed to the bus station where we took a ride headed to Sigulda, a town some 50km east o Riga. We had decided to spend the night here, so after locating our accommodation, we checked in and left our bags to head out without extra weight. The owner, a Latvian lady, spoke Italian very well, as I learned she was married to an Italian man. So once out, we headed on foot and reached the Castle of Sigulda, a medieval fortress, partly in ruins, which was restored recently and lets visitors admire its interiors and have wonderful views over the surrounding landscape. Walking further we crossed a bridge over the Gauja river and entered the Gauja National Park. Further on, we encountered the Gutman's Cave, a sandstone attraction, which preserves some 17th-century inscriptions on its walls. After seeing the cave, we continued walking, and after an uphill climb we reached the Turaida Castle, a beautifully reconstructed medieval castle. Built in red brick, it is surrounded by beautiful nature and in an elevated position. After paying the entry ticket, we climbed the keep's tower and had an incredible view over the surrounding national park and the Gauja river below. After the visit to the castle, we decided to head back to our accommodation, walking through the path running alongside the river and through nice forests and grass fields. Once back in Sigulda, we had dinner and then relaxed in our room before going to bed. The next day we woke up early getting the next available bus to Riga where we had to switch to get the ride which would take us to Estonia.