The first indelible impression that most visitors to Riga get of the Latvian capital is its majestic skyline viewed from the left bank of the Daugava River. The slender Gothic spires of the Old Town’s many churches attest to the city’s long history that stretches back to the 13th century, whereas the pleasing harmony of the panorama is suggestive of the superb aesthetic sense that has shaped much of the city’s architecture up to the present day.

Nowhere is that aesthetic more pronounced than in “Centrs,” the central part of Riga, which is its economic, financial, and cultural core. A UNESCO designated World Heritage site, among the breathtaking range of architectural styles in the historical centre – from Baroque to Classicism, from Renaissance to Art Deco, from Romanesque to National Romanticism – the concentrated enclave of Jugendstil or Art Nouveau with its fantastical flourishes stands out as unparalleled anywhere in the world. Yet equally unique are the many 19th century wooden buildings that have proudly withstood the pressures of commercialization and gentrification, retaining their place in Riga’s architectural cornucopia and currently undergoing state-of-the-art facelifts.

But Riga is hardly just its history. Proud of its heritage, it is a thoroughly modern city with a developed infrastructure and opportunities for a variety of activities and entertainment. A city with rich musical traditions, today it boasts an excellent opera, several world-class choirs, and outstanding classical orchestras, not to mention jazz, rock, blues, and a variety of other popular music bands performing both in concert halls and clubs. At the vanguard of stage art not only locally but on the European scale, the New Riga Theatre (JRT) has much to offer to locals and visitors alike. Riga’s museums are definitely not dusty repositories of the past but are instead putting an increasing emphasis on interactive displays and modern technologies, while the many art galleries compete with each other in trying to predict the trends of the future. Add to that the varied shopping venues and myriad cafés, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs and you get Riga in all its lively variety.

What has always been central to the energy of the city, however, is its people. Located by an important waterway, the River Daugava that connects the city to the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea and thus to far-off lands, Riga has always been both a transportation hub and a crossroads where different cultures meet and intersect. Among its more than 700 thousand inhabitants there are Latvians, Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Poles, Jews, and other ethnic groups that all have left and are still leaving their mark on the customs, cuisine, and the very appearance of Riga. The relatively compact urban space is ethnically mixed, yet featuring many distinct neighbourhoods, each with its own unique history and landmarks.

Among Riga’s many treasures are its beautiful, well-tended gardens and parks, which take up a substantial portion of the city’s territory. In fact, there are several good-sized forests within the city limits where the locals love to take Sunday strolls, jog, watch birds, pick mushrooms in autumn, and go skiing in winter. In spring when the many orchards are in blossom, white petals can be seen drifting through the city; then come the purples and pinks of lilacs, which are particularly spectacular along the crooked, dreamy side-streets of Pārdaugava, on the left bank of the river, to be followed in late June by the pale honey of blossoming lindens that line Riga’s stately boulevards.

Having weathered many wars, changes of political regimes, and economic upheavals, Riga remains a lively, spirited, and future-oriented city with its own distinct aura, charm, and style.