The three Baltic states, which only broke free from the shackles of the Soviet Union a little more than twenty years ago, are facing a similar problem to the countries of the former Yugoslavia. There is always speculation as to where exactly they are located, in the Baltic or the Balkans, what the main cities are, what language they speak and what their currency is. In the desire to make the largest of the three main cities more recognizable, the Latvian capital Riga is especially proud this year to share the title of European Capital of Culture with the Swedish city of Umeå.
Architecture
Art Nouveau influences
Art Nouveau in Paris or Brussels has already been seen, every true lover of the style that marked the architecture and interior design of the late 19th and early 20th centuries knows that they must visit Riga. During the greatest industrial boom of the city, which lies at the mouth of the Daugava River and was one of the richest cities in Russia, rich merchants and factory owners competed with each other to build the most beautiful and large homes. The result is Art Nouveau, an area of the city, also called the "quiet center", which is only a ten-minute walk from the old part of the city. Elizabetes and especially Alberta streets have once again become addresses that every resident of Riga wants as a permanent residence. The prices of apartments in the beautifully restored city palaces, the most beautiful of which are the work of the Russian architect Mikhail Einstein, reach unimaginable prices for the Baltic countries, but buyers, especially wealthy Russians, are always found. The building at 10 b Elizabetes Street, and numbers 2, 2 a, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12 and 13 at Alberta Street are particularly worth seeing, and the Art Nouveau Museum was also opened on the same street in 2009.
Restaurants
Open kitchen concept
Modern food lovers are not only demanding, but also curious, which is why more and more top restaurants are choosing to prepare dishes in front of their guests. The offer of "open restaurants" in Riga is numerous.
Aqua Luna
The kitchen, led by Master Gints Aizupietis, combines flavors from France and Italy to classic Baltic cooking traditions. At Aqua Moon they offer only the best quality, you can order, for example, Mottra black caviar or smoked Irish beef steak, and the ingredients will always be fresh and harmoniously composed.
3 Pavaru restaurants
Restaurant 3 Pavaru restaurants, whose name (Three Master Chefs) betrays that it was opened by three masters with the same ideas, offers dishes that are distinctly local and seasonal, and the chefs often change or transform them, thereby making regular customers happy and giving themselves the motivation to many restaurants lose it too quickly.
3 finds
The dishes of young master chef Artūrs Taškāns mainly represent northern and Baltic cuisine, and the secret of his dishes are Asian spices, which present dishes that are not known for their strong flavors in a new light.
You're a skank
Master Ingmārs Ladigs uses only seasonal and regional ingredients and follows the best recipes of the Latvian culinary tradition. Restaurant You're a skank it also offers a wonderful view of the harbor, the river and the city. But the best thing about this high-end restaurant is that the price of the dishes remains affordable for mere mortals.
Culture
European capital of culture in autumn
As the days get shorter and the rain visits Riga more often than in the summer months, the action in the largest of the Baltic capitals moves to galleries, museums and concert halls. In the autumn months, the cultural atmosphere of Riga will be enriched by two exhibitions and numerous cultural events.
The exhibition "Anatomy of an Experiment" presents the life and work of the famous Latvian constructivist, photographer and political artist Gustavs Clucis, who was killed in Stalin's purges in 1938. The exhibition will be open until October 26 Arsenāls exhibition hall. An exhibition dedicated to Voldemārs Matvejevs, a painter, theoretician and researcher who studied art and culture in Africa, Asia and the Pacific at the beginning of the 20th century, will also be held until October 26 in the building of the former stock exchange. The exhibition "In Search of Future Art" challenges our cultural limitations and raises questions about the diversity and interaction of global cultural heritage.
More information:
www.riga.com
