Riga, LatviaA UNESCO World Heritage medieval city center — the Dome Cathedral (largest church in the Baltics), the Three Brothers (the oldest complex of dwelling houses in Latvia), the Swedish Gate, and narrow cobblestone lanes framed by Gothic and Baroque guild houses. The most complete medieval city center in the region.
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The world capital of Art Nouveau — over 800 Jugendstil buildings concentrated in Riga's Alberta and Elizabetes streets, designed by Mikhail Eisenstein (father of filmmaker Sergei), featuring elaborate facades of screaming masks, nymphs, sphinxes, and ornate ornamentation. A walk here is the most extraordinary architectural experience in Eastern Europe.
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Latvia's greatest cultural institution — a 1905 Neoclassical palace housing the world's most comprehensive collection of Latvian art, from 19th-century Romantic landscapes to the extraordinary Latvian Expressionists. A revelation for anyone who didn't know how rich Latvia's artistic tradition is.