Baltic Avenue Properties

Riga's old city is not as homogeneous as Tallinn's. There is a greater mix of old and new, but I specifically sought out the older buildings.

I started with some old warehouses near my hostel.

The city's main square has the House of Blackheads, which was pretty much entirely destroyed by WWII and the Russian Occupation, but rebuilt in 2001. (Unfortunately, it was badly overcast during my visit.)

On one corner of the building is a recreation of an older statue of St. George slaying the dragon.

And the square has a little bit of Soviet memory thrown in for good measure.

Across the square is the town hall.

The clouds finally started clearing. (I love the straight line of clouds in this shot. )

It makes this tower a little more pleasing to the eye.

I did find something modern worth sharing.

But it's the older things that are more interesting to me since they are more distinct from those back home.

One unique and modern feature of this city is the collection of Art Nouveau buildings, like this cafe.

And statue-covered buildings like this one. Why does this guy have to hold up this heavy balcony...

... while these two get to lounge out on top? Lazy statues!
There are also plenty of gates, archways, and narrow lanes to wander through.

And plenty more old buildings. I probably should have something informative or clever to say about these places, but frankly, I have nothing for you.

Across the "river" ("large creek" might be more appropriate), I found the ornate Ortodox church.

And finally, the Liberty Monument.