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Riga Private Secondary School “KLASIKA” 8 form students. Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. . Geography
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Riga Private Secondary School “KLASIKA” 8 form students
Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population.
Geography The city lies on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the river Daugava. Riga's territory covers 307.17 km2 and lies between 1 and 10 metres above sea level, on a flat and sandy plain.
History • In 1201, Bishop Albert of Bremen established Riga near a settlement which was then populated by Livonian tribes. The city was a center of feudal states of Livonia and it was a developed base for active trade • In 14th-16th centuries Riga was totally captured by German men and no other people were let in. • Later in the end of 16th century Russian king Ivan Grozny went and captured Riga again. Latvians got their capital back only in 10 years. • When Latvia became independent in 1920, the statue of liberty called Milda was set in the center of Riga
Its people On August 1st 2011 the population of Riga is approximately 702,891. Rigahasamultinationalpopulation. Thefollowingnationalitiesliveinthecapitalcity: Latvians – 42,3 %, Russians– 41,3 %, Byelorussians–4,3 %, Ukrainians–3,9 %, Poles– 2 %, Lithuanians–0,9 %, andothernationalities - 5 %.
Transport • A lot of Riga habitants use public transport, but there is no subway in Riga. We have buses, trolleys and trams. There are also some route buses. • There is a modern airport in Riga and a lot of taxis all over the town. Each taxi company has different colour and a different name, so you can chose the car by your style
Transport • PublictransportroutesinRiga, connectingallpartsofthecapital to thecitycenter. To getfromoneendoftown to anothercanbeaboutanhour, andfromthecenterofRiga, inanyneighborhoodfor 30, maximum 40 minutes. Almostalltheroutesofbuses, trolleybusesandtramsconvergeinthecitycenter - near Grand CentralStation, whereyoucanmakeeasyandquicktransplant. Sothereis a longlaneconnectingtheoppositeendsoftown.
Transport Public transportation in the city is provided by Rīgas Satiksme which operates a large number of trams, buses and trolleybuses on an extensive network of routes across the city.
Sport • Latvians love all kind of sports, but Riga is good at hockey and women basketball. • Riga’s team “Dinamo Riga” has won a lot of games and is well known in eastern Europe and Russia • LSBI is a very strong women basketball team. It has won a lot of games as well.
Sport events The most popular sports are ice hockey, football, basketball. In Riga there were held different championships. For example, Eurobasket in 1937, Men's World Ice Hockey Championships in 2006. The Riga Marathon is held annually.
Sport • Arena Riga — a multi-purpose arena built in 2006 as the main venue for the 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. It can hold up to 14,500 people and has hosted ice hockey, basketball and volleyball events, as well as Red Bull X-Fighters. • Skonto Stadium — a football stadium, built in 2000. It is the main stadium used for games of the Latvian national football team. • Daugava Stadium — a stadium built in 1958, used for both football and athletics.
Food • Riga has a variety of food too: Italian, Japaniese, Latvian, Russian, Indian, German, Chiniese kitchens are most popular.
Tourism Every year many tourists come to Riga. They want to see Old Riga, St. Peter’s church, the Cat’s house, the House of Parliament and Dome square. Dome square is the largest square in Old Riga. It took on its for the church means “House of God”. The church was expanded several times, and today it measures 87.1 meters by 43.5 meters. The building features element of all of the architecture styles of the last millennium – everything from Roman building styles to Art Nouveau.
Also in Old Riga the Blackheads’ house is popular. It’s situated in City Hall Square. In 1334 two of the city’s most important buildings - the City Hall and a meeting hall initially known as the New Building – were put up. There the latter of the buildings was later turned over to a guild in which members were unmarried tradesmen, and it became known as the Blackheads’ Building in honor of St. Mauritius, the patron saint of the guild. The building was completely destroyed at the beginning of World War 2 in 1941. It has now been rebuilt according to its original appearance.
Tourism Riga is a cultural centre.It has got a lot to offer the tourists.There you can find a lot of professional theatres as well as The National Opera and concert halls.
The National Opera The Latvian National Opera is the biggest and best musical theater in the country.The building which today houses the National Opera was built between 1860 and 1863 as the German Theater of Riga.But it is famous not only for its operas, but for its ballet troupe as well. Old Riga is the most ancient part of the city, where most of the popular clubs and bars are situated, as well as a smorgasbord of restaurants serving Latvian food and just about any other cuisine imaginable.
The Wagner Hall The Wagner Hall is in Old Riga. German composer Richard Wagner once lived in Riga, on the street now named after him. This hall where he performed occasionally holds concerts.It was the first building in Riga with a hall meant specifically for the needs of a theater.
The three brothers • The so-called "Three Brothers“ are the oldest stone houses still standing in Riga, and an excellent example of medieval architecture, perhaps matched only by the Golden Road of Prague. Built between the 15th century (White Brother) and the middle of the 18th century (Yellow Brother), the tiny houses really make you wonder if people were shorter back then, or if perhaps Tolkien's hobbits were once real. As an added bonus, the Latvian Museum of Architecture is housed in the White Brother, number 19.
Livu square • LivuSquare is one of the two largest squares in Riga. It is located in the edge of the old town from the side of the freedom monument. • LivuSquare is comparatively “young”, it was formed in the middle of the 20th century. On the Square there is one of the most interesting complexes of residential buildings of 18th century in Riga. In summer time there are a lot of street cafes and life is never quiet here. • Good to know: Restaurants and bars in Livu Square are more expensive comparing to other places.
The cat’s house • The Cat’s Houseis a building situated in Old town. It was built in 1909 according to the blueprint of architect Friedrich Scheffel. The building is styled as medieval architecture with some elements of Art Nouveau. It is known for the two cat sculptures with arched backs and raised tails on its roof. It is said that the owner of the house wanted the cats to be placed with their tails turned towards the house of the Great Guild, which is nearby, as he held a grudge against its members. It was later ordered that cats should be turned to face the guild house.
TheJacob'sBarracksaresituatedintheverycentreoftheOldCityonTornaStreet. Theywerebuiltinthe XVIII century. Atthosetimes it wasthelongestbuildinginRiga. ThelastrestorationoftheJacob'sBarrackstookplacein 1997.
The Swedish Gate built in 1698 after the Swedish occupation of Riga is the only gate to survive. According to the legend, there was a red rose in his window above the gate every night before an execution.
The national museum of art Housed in a grand old building to the North of the Old Town, the Latvian National Museum of Art is a treat for all but the most ardent philistine. The sweeping marble staircase and red carpet in the Museum's atrium provide you with the VIP welcome that an art-lover deserves, and the exhibits themselves are very impressive too.
Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation is housed by the Riga Dome Cathedral ensemble in the heart of the Old Riga, Latvia. This museum is interesting for its history and rare exhibits. The museum offers a unique exhibition of the life of citizens of Riga during the first period of Latvian independence from 1918—1940, as well as an opportunity to trace the history of Latvian navigation from ancient times to our days. The museum permanent and temporary exhibitions as well as its collections provide information about the history of Riga from the earliest times to the present day.
Finally With so beautiful architecture it is no surprise that Riga is called “Paris of the North”.
Finally • Riga is a beautiful place. We love it very much. Sometimes you want to go to a big metropolitan city but soon you get tired of it and when you are in Riga you can rest and relax. • We adore nice cafes and dark streets of the Old town. • In winter Riga is magical, in spring it is blooming, in summer Riga is active and positive and in autumn it is very romantic and calm • We love our hometown!
