Churches

The Riga Archdiocesan Cathedral is the main Catholic church in Latvia. Its slender tower has preserved better than any other the pyramidal shape characteristic of Riga's medieval church towers. Historically, it is also the first Latvian parish church in Riga (1523).

St. John's Church was first mentioned in written sources in 1297. After several reconstructions, around 1500 the church acquired its present appearance – a high Gothic stepped gable, a span roof and a small tower.

The white-and-blue Our Lady of Sorrows Church was the first newly built stone Catholic church in Riga (1785) after the Reformation had reached Livonia, a historic region once encompassing present-day Latvia and Estonia.

This magnificent Eclectic and Neo-Gothic church is one of the few historic churches outside the Old Town. In the Middle Ages, the name of St. Gertrude (626-659), the patron saint of travellers, was given to churches located outside the city walls.

St. Peter's Church is the highest church in Riga and one of the oldest and most notable sacred buildings of medieval monumental architecture in the Baltic States. Visitors are also offered the possibility of climbing its tower to enjoy panoramic views of the city.

The church was consecrated in 1891. It was the first church in Latvia named after Martin Luther. Riga Luther Parish is the largest Lutheran congregation in Latvia.

The cathedral is the largest Orthodox church in Riga. After surviving the Soviet era as a planetarium, it has been restored and has once again become a sacred building where Orthodox services are held regularly.

The Cathedral is the largest and one of the oldest sacred buildings of the medieval period in the Baltic region, combining Romanesque, early Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau features, which makes it a prominent stop on any Riga sightseeing itinerary. Today, alongside church services, the cathedral hosts concerts by local and internationally renowned musicians.

The church of the holy Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky in Riga is a unique monument of wooden Orthodox church architecture of the first quarter of the XIX century and is one of the most beloved and cherished orthodox churches in Riga.

The church, consecrated in 1895, is one of the most magnificent and beautiful Orthodox churches in Riga.

Today, the Grebenshchikov Old Believers' Parish is the largest Old Believers' Parish in the world, with about 25 000 members. Services are held here in accordance with ancient traditions.