Architectural Mysteries of Old Riga

On this tour you will immerse yourself in the world of creative illusions of Riga architects. They not only created the best buildings of the era, but also populated Riga with special images. You will see the core of the city from a new and unexpected side. Riga is full of mysterious symbols reminding us of Freemasons, fascination with Greek mythology, and is not deprived of plots from the Bible. There are a lot of strange signs on the houses. This is not surprising, because the architects who designed them from the 13th to the 20th century were unusual people. I'll show you their philosophy and teach you how to read buildings like books.

• Architects Bindenshu, Vulburn, Haberland and Boxlaff made a huge contribution to the appearance of Riga. I will introduce you to the biographies and worldviews of these creators.
• In terms of the number of images on buildings, the image of Mercury and the allegory of Hope lead. Among the sculptors is August Foltz. Figures, signs and architectural details are not as simple as it seems at first glance. There is a double and sometimes triple meaning.
• Among the signs there are even not quite decent. Some of the images don’t seem to be interesting, but that’s until we start taking them apart. We will read a “message to descendants” on the facade of the National Opera, admire the intricate classicism of the buildings of the chief architect of the Haberland Freemasons, get acquainted with the Riga muses, and only the pure soul will see an angel at the Church of St. John.
• You will unravel the secrets of the facades of the Church of St. Peter, whose tower served as the prototype of the spire of one of the most recognizable churches of St. Petersburg.
• You will learn how the biblical story in the Art Nouveau style differs from the Renaissance style.
• Admire the beautiful architectural works of Paul Mandelstam and Wilhelm Boxlaff, I will tell you about the tragic fate of these wonderful people who filled Riga with fairy tale houses.
• You will see a map of the city with a “magic triangle”, which has become a frequent guest of Art Nouveau facades.
• You will find out how strangely placed in Riga water towers.

As a result, you will not only discover the world of the great Riga architects who worked in the city in different centuries, but also comprehend the philosophy of their works. Images, symbols, figures and signs on buildings will reveal their meaning, and Riga will become an open book for you.