CHARMING RIGA - THE PEARL OF THE BALTIC (3.5 HRS)
Riga, the capital of Latvia, was founded more than 800 years ago and has now grown into the biggest city in the Baltic States, with a population of nearly 1 million. The last 15 years of independence and two years as a member of the European Union have brought great changes and development to the city and to the country itself.
During the city tour you will have a chance to discover the history of Riga on foot. You will get acquainted with the 13th century St. Peter's, St. George's and St. John's churches and walk through the medieval John's yard. In the Old Town you will also see the medieval dwelling houses known as the "Three Brothers" and the Large and Small Guild buildings. The tour will take you to the center of the Old Town - the Dome Square, where you will see the magnificent Dome Cathedral.
The bus will take you through the boulevards of Riga's city center with its fine examples of Art Nouveau architecture from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. You will pass by the symbol of Latvian independence - the Freedom Monument, which was erected in 1935 during Latvia's initial period of independence and was at the heart of the Latvian freedom movement in the late 1980s.During the tour you will also have a chance to see the architecture and lifestyle of contemporary Riga.
