Grīziņkalns guide

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

It is the main high-rise dominant of Grīziņkalns, visible from many points in the neighborhood. The St. Paul’s Lutheran Church was built in 1885–1887 in the style of neo-Gothic, which was popular at the time—there are several similar buildings in Riga. If you stand at the corner of Ģertrūdes and Avotu Streets, you may get confused and go to another part of the center—to the St Gertrude Old Church, which looks like St. Paul’s Lutheran Church from afar.

It is now a popular venue for various concerts in the expressive neo-Gothic interiors. A detailed poster of upcoming events can be found on the website.

Holy Trinity Cathedral

This is one of the most historically important Orthodox churches in Riga. After the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ on 23 Brīvības Bulvāris was closed in 1961, the bishop’s cathedra was moved here. Holy Trinity Cathedral was not closed either during the revolutionary years, when Latvia became independent from the Russian Empire, or during the Soviet period. The temple was built in 1902–1907 according to the project of famous Latvian architects Konstantīns Pēkšēns and Aleksandrs Vanags. In the artistic design of the temple they used motifs of Neo-Byzantine style with elements of Jugendstil, popular in the late XIX—early XX century. Inside the church there is a richly decorated wooden iconostasis, which until 1939 stood in the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral in Liepāja, then in the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in Riga, and only in 1961 was moved to its present location.

The house with the walrus

A striking example of functionalist architecture in Latvia. Many representatives of this style refused to use decoration, which is hard to say about the house at 15 Jāņa Asara Street—there is not much decoration here, but it is interesting! The squirrels are neighboring with a life-size figure of walrusa.

This was a joint project of architect Osvalds Tīlmanis and sculptor Rihards Maurs, made in 1929. The presence of such an expressive decoration can be explained by the world fashion of the turn of the 1920–1930s, when the ideas of rationalization and internationalization mixed with the Art Deco style gaining popularity. We also recommend you to see another example of Rihards Maurs’ work—the sculptures on the apartment building on 3 Ausekļa Street.

Grīziņdārzs Creative city

This is a modern creative space located on the territory of the historical buildings of the Rīgas adītājs knitting factory. The project of reconstruction of the territory was developed by the internationally renowned architectural bureau Open Architecture Design. According to their plan, several buildings have already been renovated, but they plan to continue the work until 2028 and open many new facilities.

Grīziņdārzs Creative City has a spacious green courtyard, which has been transformed from a dirty parking lot into a small park in a short period of time. There are also plans to create greenery on the roof, where employees and guests of the Creative City will be able to relax from work and hustle and bustle. The abundance of lawns and trees creates comfortable conditions for work and rest—there are many offices and creative studios on the territory of this cozy “city” in the city.

Grīziņdārzs Creative City aspires to be more than just an ordinary office center—it aims to become a vibrant urban hub that attracts both locals and visitors. The space features cozy restaurants and cafes, while the courtyard boasts a stage for hosting events, making it a cultural hotspot. Soon, Molberts Cafe, famous for its delicious ice cream, and Better Bread, offering freshly baked goods, will open their doors. One of the most unique features is the underground bunker, once a factory water tank, now available for rent. Stroll through Grīziņdārzs, immerse yourself in its creative atmosphere, and find the perfect space to suit your needs.

Amber Latvijas balzams plant

On the eastern outskirts of Grīziņkalns is the historical building of the Amber Latvijas balzams factory, founded in 1900 as Riga State Spirits Warehouse No.1. The famous classic black balsam is produced here, as well as its modern varieties and many other drinks. The building of the factory is designed in the brick eclectic style popular for the early 20th century, which was common in factory architecture of that time.

Grīziņkalna parks

The park is situated on a sand dune with a height of 24 meters above sea level. This relief, combined with high staircases, curved paths and small buildings, gives the park a distinctive picturesque appearance.

Grizinkalns Park is also called the Park of 1905, in honor of the revolutionary events that took place here at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1974, to commemorate the historical protests, a sculpture made of tuff from the legendary Staburags cliff was erected here. It was flooded after the construction of the Pļaviņas Hydroelectric Power Station in the 1960s. The park was severely damaged during the two World Wars and was reconstructed several times. But the wooden gardener’s house, built in 1903, has miraculously survived.

In 1949, a secret army headquarters was established under a high park dune, connected by an underground passage to the neighboring military unit on Sapieru Street. It is now home to a data center.

Restaurant Centrale 33

A popular Mexican restaurant with a classic selection of dishes: tacos, nachos, churros, sweet potatoes with chicken, ribs, steaks and so on. The assortment of drinks is unlikely to surprise you, but will definitely please you with its variety: from Mexican tequila to limited edition craft ciders.

Cafe KŪRE

A cozy cafe with a minimalist interior. There is a large selection of coffee and other drinks: for example, seasonal espresso tonic with rheum and cortado. One of the specialties is pastel de nata. There is also a choice of several salads, fresh bread and a large number of various cakes and, of course, the famous Latvian pies with fatback.

Buls Bakery Cafe

Another lovely local bakery, which unfortunately is only open until 17:00. We hope you will be able to visit it one day, as it makes delicious croissants, sweet buns and homemade bread.

Laima Confectionery Shop at Staburadze Factory

The Laima store is home to the Staburadze pastry store. The store is located on the first floor of a confectionery factory and the smell of buns is pleasant both inside and outside. We advise you to try classic pastries and cakes, known even outside Latvia: Cielaviņa, Kristīne, Serenāde.

Central Sports District

It is one of the largest sports district in Latvia. It was created in 2017 on the site of the old stadium. Entrance to its territory is free of charge. There is a huge children’s playground, fields for soccer, basketball, classic and beach volleyball, a cycle track, a skatepark, gymnastics equipment. The whole territory is fenced with a transparent fence—you can worry less about your child’s health.

Daugava Sports Center

Inside there is a volleyball field and a 25-meter swimming pool with sports stand for almost 2,000 people. The building is remarkable for its architecture—it was built in 1962 and is believed to be the first indoor sports club erected in Latvia after World War II. The expressive arc-shaped roof inside resembles the texture of a waffle—it is assembled from relief blocks.