Tour of Old Riga and Boulevards

This tour is a summer version of the classic walk in Old Riga and includes the area of the Boulevard Ring, so it lasts an hour longer than a regular tour of Old Riga.
In spring, summer and autumn, Riga seems to come to life and fill with color: cheerful sunbunnies run along the ancient roofs and walls, some places among the houses see tree branches, lawns turn green, the streets are filled with cozy multicolored furniture of summer cafes. But all the most interesting is concentrated on the boulevards, near the picturesque canal, on the canopy squares of the Old Town. Here one picture replaces another, and, from May to September, a variety of shrubs and flowers bloom.

Finally, you begin to understand where the maple is, where the linden is, and where the oak is according to the configuration of the leaves. The Riga Boulevard Ring is a botanical garden with no signs. Therefore, the secrets of the mysterious Riga flora are not known to everyone!

And many secrets of Old Riga will be revealed to you on a leisurely walk through the narrow medieval streets. We have preserved the old pavement of the streets in Riga, so please wear comfortable shoes!

On a tour of "Vezriga" (or "Starushka Riga") You will know:

• When did the trading city on the banks of the Western Dvina-Daugava appear? Who called Riga "Riga"?
• How many owners has Riga had over the centuries? What secrets are kept by ancient Riga temples - St. Peter's Church, Dome Cathedral and St. John's Church?
• Where did Peter the Great, Catherine the Second, Alexander Menshikov and Ivan Krylov stay and live in Riga?
• Who are the Blackheads, why is their luxurious residence guarded by a medieval knight?
• Where did the Sherlock Holmes series and Seventeen Moments of Spring come from?
• What are the secrets of the narrow streets and “gingerbread” houses of Old Riga, and where did the fortress walls, towers and bastions of the once formidable fortress disappear?
• Are the buildings in the Art Nouveau style harmonious in the medieval streets of our city – did the hopes of Riga architects of the early 20th century come true?
• What is the most popular and favorite holiday in Latvia?
• How to celebrate Ligo (Night of Ivan Kupala) in Riga and Latvia.

Meanwhile, a special mood reigns on the facades and roofs of houses: all sorts of flowers bloom on the walls, golden suns shine, black cats jump, dogs and winged demons guard the owners, and the Town Hall Square is guarded by soldiers-guns with famously twisted mustaches.

On a walk along Riga boulevards you will learn:

• Who created the Boulevard Ring?
• What tree looks dried every spring but blooms again in early summer?
• How many rare gingko trees grow on the banks of the canal, and why not tear green hearts?
• Where does Riga Nymph come from at the National Opera Fountain?
• How old is Bastion Hill?
• To whom did the Queen of England open the monument near the canal?
• How did Rigans have fun in the era of Art Deco?
• Can I eat horse chestnuts?
• And also: almost all the secrets of the Freedom Monument and the subtle facets of the symbolism of the facade of the National Opera.

Welcome to the Kingdom of Riga Summer!