Audēju iela (Weaver street) is one of Vecriga major streets, which starts as continue of Grēcinieku iela, and turns into Kr. Barona iela at the end.
Audeju street is famous for Galerija Centrs shopping mall, which is located on crossing with Valnu street.
Another view of Audeju iela.

Labels: buildings, flags, streets, vecriga

Zviedru vārti (Swedish Gate) is one of Old Town sights, located next to another one famous Riga sight Jacob's Barracks.
Swedish Gate was one of the eight gates in Riga Defensive Wall. This gate was built in 1698 making way through already built house.
All gates in Riga were opened at sunrise, and closed down at sunset.

Labels: arches, buildings, doorways, houses, sights, swedish, tunnels, vecriga

Some Rigans can afford themselves to live like in the countryside :)
Private gardens like this usually can be seen in distant Riga suburbs like Marupe, Mezhaparks.
This one located on Mangalsala. This garden is open, and everybody can come in and steal some good clothes :)

Labels: country, houses, life, mangalsala, nature

Actually Zunda is the same river as Daugava, just Kipsala island is located between them.
Zunda's length is about 2km. Right bank (Kipsala) is mostly green, but left bank (Ilguciems) is full of industrial facilities, like docks, factories and other works which industrial waste flows into the river.
Despite water pollution Zunda is home for many beavers, ducks, swans and other animals.

See also Azene river, the another part of Zunda.

Labels: daugava, ilguciems, industrial, islands, kipsala, rivers, sunset

This house looks like it opened his mouth and is screaming of terror and poverty around him.
House located on 24 Akmenu st., in Pardaugava area.

Labels: buildings, doorways, houses, pardaugava, poverty, tornakalns

Maija Grāfa svētki (Holidays of the Graf May) is an medival event taking place on Blackheads House square every year since 15th century.
During this event the strongest man has been chosen as the Graf May.
And the most beautiful lady has been chosen as the Gravine May.

Labels: girls, holidays, medieval, military, people, squares, vecriga

Few days ago legendary band Kiss visited Riga during their KISS Alive/35 World Tour.
New York based group has never appeared in Riga before.
So, on May 22 Riga public first time witnessed amazing show featured things such as Simmons spitting blood or breathing fire.
After Riga, Kiss went on a tour in Russia, visiting Moscow and then Saint-Petersburg.

Labels: american, arena, culture, events, famous, music, people, show

Spilves lidosta (Spilve Airport) also given as Rīga Central Airport compare to Riga West Airport.
Spilve airfield start to be used during First World War. And after 15 years, in 1930s Spilve became as Riga International Airport, serving direct flights to Tallinn, Vilnius and Kaunas, which connected Riga to big cities as Helsinki, Berlin, Moscow and Warsaw. Flights were operated by Nazi Lufthansa and Soviet Aeroflot.
After Second World War airport has been rebuilt and became the hub of Aeroflot.
Since late 1980s Spilve Airprot serving training flights and small private airplanes due it closeness to Riga Center, which is just 5km. (Basically between Ilguciems and Bolderaja)
Airport building reminds imposing soviet epoch, and is worth to be seen.
See also photo of Airport Terminal made from another side.

Labels: airports, bolderaja, buildings, history, ilguciems, soviet, spilve

Mangaļsalas mols or Austrumu mols (Mangalsala mol or Eastern Mol) is one of two mols located within Riga borders on Daugava river. Eastern mol is 1130 meters long and it was completed in the autumn 1861 after eleven years of building.

Labels: buildings, daugava, mangalsala, rivers, sea

One of the oldest living areas situated on Riga West Side is Iļģuciems
Iļģuciems takes its name from the Old German Hilgen geest have (Farmstead of the Holy Spirit)
That was the name of the local village and surroundings since 15 century.
Iļģuciems was joined to Riga in 1785, after big Riga expanding towards the West.
The major street is Daugavgrivas street and Dzirciema street, which run parallel across the whole Iļģuciems.
This photo was taken from small airplane over Lilijas iela (Lily street)

Author is unknown.

Labels: aerial, ilguciems, nature, neighbourhoods, panoramas, pardaugava, streets, suburbs

Jaunie Saurieši (New Saurieshi) is a new (just 3 years old) district in Salaspils. Nowadays it is a common sight of Salaspils town.
Easy loans suddenly allowed people to buy new housing, so new houses started filling up unused fields.
Private House price is more than 100 000 EUR, despite it is located more than 40km from Riga Center.

Guest Photographer: Stas

Labels: houses, lakes, prices, salaspils, suburbs

This microbus is waiting to be pressed and then melted into something new and beautiful :)
I found this old bus on small wrecking yard next to Tornakalns Station.
The price of such metal scrap in Riga is about 140Ls (~ 200 EUR) per 1 ton.
Does somebody wanna pimp my ride? :)

Labels: ads, buses, cars, dumps, prices, yards

Jūrmalas gatve (Jurmala highway) is the road which together with Riga - Jurmala Railway makes the border between Zolitude and Imanta suburbs.
Basically, this old road connecting Riga to Jurmala resort town.
Nowadays, Kārļa Ulmaņa gatve (Karlis Ulmanis highway) is more used for that purpose.

Labels: imanta, roads, streets, suburbs

Muzeju nakts (Museums Night) is an annual event. During the one night of the year almost all Riga museums are open.
Museums Night attracts many people from different Latvian cities. More than 50 000 visitors make this night the biggest cultural event in Riga.
Photo has been taken on Dom Square, where Photography exhibition was held.
See also Museum night in 2009.

Labels: art, culture, entertainment, events, museums, night, vecriga

These four twelfe-storey apartament houses located on Jurmalas gatve (Jurmala highway), in Ilguciems area.
Interesting fact that the same project houses built up in the same way you can find in many different parts of Riga.

Labels: buildings, houses, ilguciems, soviet

Window cleaners have one of the most dangerous jobs in the city.
This picture was taken where Terbatas iela crosses Gertrudes iela.

Guest Photographer: Liz

Labels: girls, jobs, people, streets

What should be happened, to name such shitty bar as Pēdējā cerība (Last Hope)

Labels: bars, buildings, imanta, poverty

VEF Kultūras pils (VEF Culture Palace) was built in 1961 using not usual architectural style for Soviet Time - Classical.
Culture Palace is located in Teika area, very close to VEF Bridge.
Also there is live webcam looking to crossroads in front of the Palace.

Labels: buildings, classicism, culture, soviet, teika, vef

This days in the Riga Central Market you can find a boat, floating between trading rows :)
The boat is the part of exhibition The Week of Art, held the last week in Riga.

Labels: art, boats, center, culture, markets

Modern tower of Daugavgriva Lighthouse was built in 1957. Painted with black and white horizontal bands its flashes every 2.5 seconds.
Lights were shown here from 16th century, and since 18th century as regular service.
Basically it is the oldest lighthouse in Latvia and the second in Baltic States (after Kopu Lighthouse).
Lighthouse is located on the left coast of Daugava river, where it flows into Baltic Sea.

Labels: bolderaja, buildings, daugava, daugavgriva, rivers, sea

Yesterday on Kalku street I was watching such picture :)
Two security guards were searching two guys in front of all people walking there.
Unfortunetely I forgot to ask what guys have done :)

Labels: criminal, night, police, vecriga

Matīsa iela (Matthew street) is Riga center street parallel to Gertrude street and Merkel street (religious names as well)
Matīsa iela runs from Brivibas street till Matīsa Kapi (Cemetery) crossing major streets like Kr. Barona st., Chaka st. and Avotu st.
The main sight of Matīsa iela is Bērnu Pasaule (Children's World) - the former shopping mall for children.

Labels: cars, center, panoramas, roofs, streets, transport

9th of May is the Victory Day which marks the end of The Second World War for the Soviet Union and Germany in 1945.
Nowadays it isn't official holiday in Latvia, but despite this thousands of people gather by the Victory Monument in Riga. Most of them are Russians and Russian-speaking people.
Latvians don't celebrate this day, because most of them take that day as the beginning of Occupation of Latvia by USSR.

See also flowers laid on Victory monument in 2009.
Guest Photographer: Anso

Labels: events, girls, holidays, pardaugava, people, russian, soviet, wars

And actually who they are? :)

Labels: people, vecriga

Just nice composition of old town and new car :)

Labels: cars, streets, vecriga, wealth

Two days ago in Riga at the intersection of Kr. Barona st. and Matisa st. two trams have hit each other.
Tram number 1 was supposed to go straight ahead, but accidentally turned into the left and hit another tram (number 6) coming in the opposite direction.
Maintenance crew came in several minutes and cleaned the way quickly :)

Labels: center, incidents, jobs, people, tramways, transport

The most dangerous street in Riga is Daugavpils iela, located somewhere between Railway Depot and Maskachka area.
Drunkards and bums, drug dealers and junkies, thieves, robbers, burglars, hooligans, gypsies and other criminal elements make this area quite dangerous even in day time.
Riga cheapest flats and cheapest hotels are exactly here.

Labels: criminal, maskachka, railway, streets

Sometimes underground parkings are like automobile show, especially in Riga.
Walking through them you could see such rarities like Honda Legend :)

Labels: buildings, cars, legends, underground

Typical post box in Riga belonged to Latvijas Pasts.
Pay a little attention to the writing on the glas :)
It is in 3 languages (from top till down) Latvian, English and Russian.

Labels: brivibas, devices, multilingual, post, projects, writings

Despite the warm weather last days the sea is still cold and empty of people.
Far away you could see Riga Lighthouse on Daugava river mouth.
Photograph was taken at Daugavgrivas beach, Bolderaja neighbourhood.

Labels: beaches, bolderaja, daugavgriva, empty, nature, sea

Riga different streets and house number plates from 1 to 24.
I've tried to find the most interesting buildings with different numbers. Also I've collected almost all kinds of streets existing in Riga, like boulevards, squares, highways, etc.

Mamanosova iela 1

in fact Lomonosova 1 is the address of the Riga most famous student cafe

O. Vaciesa iela / Ул. О. Вациеша 2

rare address plate in 2 languages (In the beginning of 20 century address plates was in 3 languages)

Bīskapa gāte 3

very rare street type in Riga gutter

Alfreda Kalnina iela 4

address of the Riga gay bar XXL

Merkela iela 5

address one of many lombards at this street

Doma laukums 6

square of Riga Cathedral

Ranka dambis 7

embankment road in Pardaugava

Gertrudes iela 8

address of the Old Gertrudes Church

Marijas iela 9

one of the major streets in Riga is Marijas iela which passes into Aleksandra Caka iela

Jauniela 11

unique one word street name

Pils iela 12

street of the Riga Castle

Raina bulvaris 13

address of German Embassy in Latvia

Krisjana Barona iela 14

address of the Latvian National Library

13. Janvara iela 15

Central Railway Station street

Slokas iela 16

the longest street in Pardaugava

Akmenu iela 17

one of the oldest streets in Pardaugava

Maskavas iela 18

aka Maskachka, on of the most famous Riga Streets

Skolas iela 19

school street

Kalku iela 20

the main street in Old Town

Brivibas bulvaris 21

the main street in Riga, Street of Freedom

Elizabetes iela 22

address of 3 casinos located in 1 building.

11. novembra krastmala 23

embankment of East Side

Valguma iela 24

house of the richest person in Riga :)

This photo is for Monthly Theme Day, which is "Numbers"All other blogs participating in this theme day: Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
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Labels: brivibas, buildings, lists, streets, themes, writings