Our guides will show you some of the most important landmarks associated with the Jewish history. During this tour you will learn about the Jewish history in Latvia from 17th century until the present day.
We will visit Peitav Shul – the only working synagogue in Riga. Built in 1905 in Art Nouveau style, it was the only synagogue which survived the Nazi occupation, as it was located in the Old Town and there was a risk of damaging nearby buildings. Nowadays it is the center of Latvian Jewish community.
Other synagogues were burnt down, one of them being the Great Choral synagogue. It was located in the area that became the Riga Ghetto during World War II. Now you can see several memorial signs there commemorating the victims of the holocaust as well as families who helped Jewish people to survive. The memorial itself is a wall supported by columns with the names of 270 people who risked their lives and saved more than 400 Jews.
Žanis Lipke alone saved more than 50 Jews by making an underground bunker in his yard – a hiding place for people smuggled out of the Jewish ghetto.
The Old Jewish Cemetery - Odd as it might sound to modern ears, Jews were not allowed to bury their dead in Riga until 1725 and even then it was on the very outskirts of Riga – today known as the Moscow Suburbs. The Old Jewish Cemetery was part of the Jewish ghetto during Nazi occupation.
During the tour you will also visit Rumbula - one of the largest holocaust sites in Europe. Rumbula memorial site: At the entrance, several stone plates tell us the story of the Rumbula tragedy and establishment of the memorial in Latvian, English, German and Hebrew. The path leads to the central part of the memorial, which is shaped in the form of the Star of David with a menorah (Jewish candlestick) above it. The menorah is surrounded by uncut stones with the names of slaughtered Jews engraved. Several cobblestones bear the names of Riga’s ghetto streets. There are also several mass graves in the territory of the memorial, which are marked with concrete borders.
Tour begins from hotel reception in direction to Old Town with private guide and then walking tour at the Old Riga, which was first referred to in chronicles in 1201, excursion starts by passing pedestrian Kalku Street with Livu Square and it’s medieval buildings, Small and Great Guild Houses, Dome Cathedral (entrance), Stock exchange building, Blackheads House (photo stop only), St. Peter’s Church, then passing Latvian National Opera House, city canal, tour ends at Freedom Monument and back to hotel.
Our guides will show you some of the most important landmarks associated with the Jewish history. During this tour you will learn about the Jewish history in Latvia from 17th century until the present day.
We will visit Peitav Shul – the only working synagogue in Riga. Built in 1905 in Art Nouveau style, it was the only synagogue which survived the Nazi occupation, as it was located in the Old Town and there was a risk of damaging nearby buildings. Nowadays it is the center of Latvian Jewish community.
Other synagogues were burnt down, one of them being the Great Choral synagogue. It was located in the area we are visiting, that became the Riga Ghetto during World War II. Now you can see several memorial signs there commemorating the victims of the holocaust as well as families who helped Jewish people to survive. We will also see the memorial itself - wall supported by columns with the names of 270 people who risked their lives and saved more than 400 Jews.
Žanis Lipke alone saved more than 50 Jews by making an underground bunker in his yard – a hiding place for people smuggled out of the Jewish ghetto.
The Old Jewish Cemetery - Odd as it might sound to modern ears, Jews were not allowed to bury their dead in Riga until 1725 and even then it was on the very outskirts of Riga – today known as the Moscow Suburbs. The Old Jewish Cemetery was part of the Jewish ghetto during Nazi occupation.
Descubra la historia, la arquitectura y la cultura que definen a la capital de Letonia en este tour a pie de Riga. Admire la hermosa arquitectura del pasado y disfrute del gran patrimonio, cultura y tradiciones de la ciudad. Desde la zona de Art Nouveau hacia la plaza de la catedral de Riga y la casa de las Cabezas Negras, deléitese con las mejores vistas de la cuidad y descubra sus tesoros ocultos.
Meeting point:“Laima” Clock next to the Monument of Freedom.
Duration:Approx. 4 hours.
Start or opening time:At 11.00 am.
End or closing time:At 3.00 pm approx.
Languages:English
We offer top rated Riga bus sightseeing tour with individual head phoned guiding in 8 languages - Swedish, Finnish, English, German, Russian, French, Italian, and Norwegian. Enjoy this one and a half hour ride around Riga including all the main sights on both sides of the river Daugava.
The tour operates:
October to April: Monday - 12:00 and 14:00 (small 8 pax bus), Tuesday - 12:00 and 14:00 (small 8 pax bus), Wednesday - 12:00 and 14:00 (small 8 pax bus), Thursday - 12:00 and 14:00 (medium 26 pax bus), Friday - 12:00 and 14:00 (medium 26 pax bus), Saturday - 12:00 and 14:00 (medium 26 pax bus), Sunday - 12:00 and 14:00 (small 8 pax bus).
May to September: Monday - 12:00 and 14:00 (medium 26 pax bus), Tuesday - 12:00 and 14:00 (medium 26 pax bus), Wednesday - 12:00 and 14:00 (medium 26 pax bus), Thursday - 12:00 and 14:00 (medium 26 pax bus), Friday - 12:00 and 14:00 (medium 26 pax bus), Saturday - 12:00 and 14:00 (medium 26 pax bus), Sunday - 12:00 and 14:00 (medium 26 pax bus).
Tour to Jurmala starts in Riga from hotel reception with private guide and after 20 minutes drive by car/minivan to Latvian favorite summer time vacation town of Jurmala, the vibrant Latvian sea resort, famous with its numerous fantasy-like wooden summer houses architecture on Jomas Street and strolls over 40 km near great sandy beach of Baltic Sea with its wooden, the SPA` s and health temples which are facing the white beach, where historically rich and the aristocracy have come for more then a century, enjoyed the calm tranquility of this place and took a walk next to the beach with chance to finding the amber, later return back to Riga.
Rundale, one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Latvia, was built in 1736-1740 as a summer residence for the Duke of Courland, Ernst Johann Biron. The palace was designed by the outstanding Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the creator of the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg. Crystal chandeliers, silk wallpaper, rich stucco molding, sculptures, luxurious tiled fireplaces, mirrors, elegant galleries and refined colors and frescos were made by Italian artists Francesco Martini and Carlo Zucci. Now the renovated areas show the former glory of the palace. During the summer the tour includes a visit to the palace’s French regular park.
The representation rooms in the eastern wing of the palace – the Gilt Hall, the White Hall, and the Great Gallery – are open to the public. The central block accommodates the Duke's suite with reception parlours and private rooms, and the eastern block – a fully restored suite of Duchess's rooms. The Rundale Palace Museum works as a centre for research into Latvia's history, through creating collections, arranging exhibitions and producing publications. The exhibition halls display applied art, fine art and historical expositions; the palace hosts the Early Music Festival and recitals of classical music.
The regular French style park with its rose garden, the Green Theatre, ornamental parterres and the fountain, are open for the public. In summers, the park becomes the venue for the Garden Festival. A Baroque palace cannot be imagined without the French garden, an elaborate architectural framework devised of green plantings that should manifest the triumph of art over nature. The park spreads out to the south of the palace, and Bartolomeo Rastrelli designed it together with the palace building. An artificial canal runs around the park, encircling also the palace and the stables. Although Rundale's formal garden is but 10 ha large, Rastrelli has managed to fill it with an intricate maze of allées, cross paths, pergolas and bosquets.
Walk along the narrow streets of the Medieval Old Town with our knowledgeable guides. The tour starts from the Town Hall Square- the central square of the city from 13th to 19th century. You will find out why Riga is called the capital of the decorated Christmas tree, where the key of Riga is being kept and much more.
You will have the opportunity to enjoy the architectural pearls from different centuries – from the oldest stone building in Riga dating back to 13th century to our Castle of Light – the National Library which was opened in 2014.
Pay a visit to the biggest churches in the Old Town- St. Peter’s, the Dome Cathedral and St. Jacob’s and find out why their spires are decorated with roosters instead of crosses.
There are many gems hidden in these streets and with the help of our guides you can discover the secrets of Riga. The tour also includes a question +answer session with the guide.
Sigulda is often called the Latvian Switzerland. In summer and spring you can walk along the picturesque banks of the river Gauja and explore the main place of interest in Sigulda – the mighty medieval Turaida castle. The castle is an architectural monument of the 13th century. In winter, Sigulda is a center for Latvia winter sports like skiing, bobsled, and others.
During this tour you will have a chance to visit: the most visited museum of Latvia - Turaida museum reserve, where you can get acquainted with expositions concerning archaeology, culture and art history, which tell the story of events that have occurred during last 1000 years; Sigulda castle complex which was built in 1207 as a castellum type fortress. Today it is possible to climb up the North Tower and the Main Gate Tower, walk on the castle walls and enjoy the medieval aura; Bobsleigh and ludge track Sigulda - one of few buildings of this kind in the world. Its length is 1420 meters, track has 16 curves and 200m long braking distance. Siguda can safely be called an Olympic city - the inhabitants of Sigulda have won Olympic medals in both the skeleton, ludge, and bobsleigh. On the way to and from Sigulda you will also see the Gutman's cave (biggest cave in Baltics) and Gauja national park, as well as Walking-stick park, which is a tribute to Sigulda's most popular souvenir.
Tour begins from hotel reception in direction to Old Town with private guide and then walking tour at the Old Riga, which was first referred to in chronicles in 1201, excursion starts by passing pedestrian Kalku Street with Livu Square and it’s medieval buildings, Small and Great Guild Houses, Dome Cathedral (entrance), Stock exchange building, Blackheads House (photo stop only), St. Peter’s Church, then passing Latvian National Opera House, city canal, tour ends at Freedom Monument and back to hotel.