Guide in museums of Riga

Art museums: Let’s get acquainted with latvian art

Latvian national museum of art

Latvian national museum of art is the oldest museum dedicated to art in the territory of Riga. It holds a huge amount of work created by latvian artists. First opened in 1869 and in the early days it was called the painting gallery of Riga.

52 thousand exhibits have been divided in two collections: latvian art and the art of foreign countries. The latvian art collection tells a story of the origins and evolution of painting, graphic arts and sculpting starting from the mid 18th century to modern days. Here, through art you can meet famous classics like Vilhelms Purvītis, Jūlijs Feders and Jānis Rozentāls.

Similarly and in parallel to latvian art, the foreign art collection is also being constantly enriched with new pieces of art. Currently there are many artworks to be found here created by various world famous artists. Including many russian artists, like for example Karl Brjullov, Ivan Aivazovskij and Vasiliy Surikov.

Meanwhile, modern latvian artists get most of the short term exhibitions, installations as well as photo and video shows presented here. This allows all the art lovers to see fresh material made by the best of local artists.

Art museum Riga Bourse

Art museum Riga Bourse is located in a ginormous Venice palazzo style building, finished in 1855.

The concept of this museum is created around the cultural bond between Europe and Asia. While also paying attention to the importance and influence of classical art on growth of modern artists.

Here you will find 6 permanent exhibitions:

• Art gallery of Europe (16th to 20th century paintings, sculptures and porcelain)
• Silver room (precious metal collectibles from the end of 17th to early 20th century)
• Art gallery of Asia (17th to 21st century artwork from the largest Asian countries) 
• Ancient Egypt room
• Antique art room (Ceramics, sculptures and coins from ancient greece and romans)
• Art gallery of Nicholas Roerich

Zuzeum

Zuzeum is a new modern art center and home of the largest private latvian art collection in the world – Zuzānu collection. Currently it consists of more than 20 thousand artworks representing various genres. Starting from the end of 19th century, up to 20th century modernism and creations from 1950s to 1980s in soviet times. At the same time there’s a large amount of latvian artist creations to be found in this collection. 

This art gallery offers more than checking out some exhibitions. There’s a wonderful roof terrace for enjoying a cup of tea or coffee. A garden of sculptures for relaxation and regularly produced events to stay updated with cultural life in Latvia. Lectures, movie showings and various different entertainment and relaxation events.

Museum of decorative art and design

What is design art? Curators of this museum are convinced, this is one of the tools for understanding the world around while developing critical thinking in the meantime. 

Museum premises are allocated between three floors of the building. First floor is dedicated for short term expositions, while the second and third are for permanent exhibitions. They are dedicated to the development of design and applied arts from the 19th century to nowadays. 

Here you may find various vases, sets, glass statues, interior elements, textile works and exclusive exhibits of modern art as well as household items representing estetic ideas and national culture.

Museums in flats: Restore history through everyday objects

Museum of Jānis Rozentāls and Rūdolfs Blaumanis

In the 12th house of Alberta street two quite well known latvian artists have lived in flat number 9. Painter Jānis Rozentāls with his wife and also periodically as a subtenant – writer Rūdolfs Blaumanis. 

The flat now looks exactly the same as it did during the life of the painter. Living room, kids room and bedroom with remarkable wall paintings done by Rozentāls himself on the first floor. Meanwhile on the second floor of the flat, there’s a working room of Rozentāls with multiple drawings and paintings of his exhibited.

Here you may also be the guest of Rūdolfs Blaumanis, in the room where he spent the last years of his life. Exhibition of this room has been dedicated to literature, journalism and theater.

Memorial museum and flat of Krišjānis Barons

Krišjānis Barons is a quite well known person in Latvia. He was a folklorist who dedicated whole life to collecting latvian folk songs. In fact he was doing it so successfully that became known in the society as the Father of Dainas (short latvian traditional songs).

Street on which this flat is located has been named after him too and that’s also where he spent the last years of his life. 

In the museum, there are around 1.2 million folk songs in total. Everyone has the chance to listen to a lecture about folklore and literature in Latvia here, as well as see a replica of the unique closet of Dainas. It holds recordings of latvian folk songs from the end of the 19th century.

House of Rainis and Aspazija

Possibly the most famous couple of latvian poets – Rainis and Aspazija. Their house is located on Baznīcas street 30 and back in the day it used to be the center of cultural and political life in Latvia. 

In a vibrant atmosphere of the 1920s is where the personal library and intriguing secrets of theirs are being kept. In this restored house there are photos, original household items, diaries and other memories keeping relics located all around. In the library that’s located in the very center of this museum, there are more than 6000 books for everyone to see what they were reading.

Museum of Romāns Suta and Aleksandra Beļcova

Romāns Suta and Aleksandra Beļcova are vivid ambassadors of classical modernism. In the memorial of this flat there are around 4000 artworks kept. From painting to porcelain and from aquarelle to painted tableware. Also you may find well kept interior items, photographs and letters from the original times here.

Romāns Suta was a painter and illustrator who also made props for local theaters and movies. He also started his own studio and porcelain painting workshop – “Baltars” and in parallel to everything also created special design furniture and other interior items. 

Aleksanda Beļcova was also a professional artist. She painted sceneries in cubism, constructive portraits and silent nature, while also working together with Romāns with painting porcelain in “Baltars” workshop.

Jugendstil center of Riga

There’s a spacious flat with a wonderful interior located on Alberta street 12. There are blue patterned wallpapers, grand high ceiling, chairs covered in satin and even a bath specifically for feet. The original Jugendstil interior of 1903 has been restored here entirely, making this a great example of this art direction of architecture, art and design.

Therefore this flat serves its guests as a museum of Jugendstil and in a way, also as a time machine that brings you back to the early 20th century Riga.

Memorial museum of Andrejs Upītis

Andrejs Upītis is a famous latvian writer, poet and scriptwriter. He moved in the flat that’s located on Brīvības street 38-4 upper floor in 1951. This also became his last place of residence. 

Memorial museum consists of a dining room, guest room and an office. There are various everyday use objects, photos, interior objects and personal libraries which gives a great insight into the writer’s life. 

There are also discussions, poetry reading events and meetings with translators, writers and actors often organized here.

Museum of Ojārs Vācietis

The house in which poet Ojārs Vācietis once lived comes with a long history. There was once a pub named “Jerusalem” located here. It hosted some well known personas like for example german composer Richard Wagner and writer Garlieb Merkel. Meanwhile painter and historian Johann Christof Brotse has portrayed this house in painting many times. 

Nowadays this is where the memorial museum of Ojārs Vācietis is located. Same place where he wrote the most important works of his life.

Garden and room where the writer used to work. Living room and his voice recordings, videos and personal belongings – beret, sunglasses, globe, boxing gloves, pencils, personal records and drawings that will help you feel and understand the inner world of Ojārs Vācietis.

History museums: Traveling through centuries and eras

Latvian national museum of history

Latvian National museum of history was founded in 1869 and originally was named Latvian Union Museum of Riga.

There are around one million exhibits held here currently. All of which have been a part of Latvian history since ancient times up to the early 20th century.

Museum of the occupation of Latvia

This museum is dedicated to Latvian history in the time frame of 1940 to 1991 when the country was occupied by either Soviet or German powers. 

There are international contracts, documents and photos in this museum as proof for the influence of the totalitarian regime on Latvia and its habitants, becoming victims of the regime.

The Mencendorf House

The Mencendorf House has been made into a museum offering its guests a visit on authentic premises typical to the 17th and 18th century, with unique paintings on walls and ceilings as well as the interior design. Here you can have a look into an old-fashioned shop, have a walk through various rooms, sit down in the kitchen or even get to the attic or basement.

Museum of the history of Riga and navigation

This museum has been dedicated to the history of Riga since the time it was formed in 1201 to the year of 1940.

Exhibition of this museum has originated from the collection of a private, local doctor – Nicholaus Martini.

Back then in the 18th century it was cool to be collecting different objects connected to literature, history, art and applied sciences. In Martini’s case this hobby got to such a level that his collection needed a museum of its own. 

Today the museum holds around 400 thousand different objects representing the political and economical growth of Riga while also reflecting cultural life of the city.

Museum of war

The exposition of the War museum of Latvia is built around multiple centuries of war taking place in the territory of Latvia. Especially pointing out the 20th century and both world wars during the first of which – Latvia gained its independence as a sovereign country for the first time.

The Ethnographic open-air museum

The Ethnographic open-air museum is located in a very scenic spot – in a pine tree forest, on the shore of lake Jugla. It’s one of the oldest open-air museums in the whole of Europe. 

Here you can find restored houses of craftsmen, fishermen and farmers. These were constructed in the time frame of the 17th to 20th century and have now been restored. Each house can be entered to see the interior and different objects that were used back in the day.

Museum of the Riga Ghetto and the Holocaust in Latvia

In the Moscow neighborhood of Riga, this museum is located quite close to where the Jewish ghetto once was. 

Exhibition of this Museum tells the story of Jewish life in Latvia during the pre-war years, their tradition, education and culture. And finally, about the tragic time frame of WW 2. Although there were a humongous amount of lives lost due to the actions of fascistic Germany, this museum is dedicated to life and not death. 

There are stones from ghetto streets placed all around museum territory. Also a memorial wall dedicated to 70 thousand latvian and 25 thousand Jewish peoplefrom other European countries that turned into victims of holocaust after coming here. As a devotion to all those who tried rescuing Jews at the time, a tree of life has been planted here.

Memorial of Žanis Lipke

This memorial is built as a large wooden shed and is dedicated to Žanis Lipke. He successfully saved the lives of around 50 lives of jews during WW2. He was hiding them in the basement of his shed – just like the one where his memorial is built. 

The creators of this memorial have done everything possible to match the atmosphere and environment in which Žanis Lipke was living. The feeling is made even more realistic by the fact that the actual basement in which survivors were living was located only a few meters from the memorial.

Latvian railway history museum

Postcards with pictures of railway, cars and locomotives on them. Railways stations, repair shop, a platform and lobby – all of this is located in the Latvian railway history museum. It truly does seem like inside here you may find everything connected to the railway history. 

There are some unique train exhibits and restored interiors of railway stations here. Also you may find a fully functioning mock-up for the railway line and station on which there are tiny cargo and passenger trains moving as they would in real size.

Science museums: Touch the scientific discoveries

Pauls Stradiņš medicine history museum

The Medicine history museum of Latvia is one of the 3 largest medicine museums in the world. It has originated and grown from the personal collection of great latvian surgeon and oncologist – Pauls Stradiņš personal collection.

Exhibition of this museum tells us the history of medicine from various perspectives: Outstanding discoveries, traditions and the opinions of vivid personalities through different times. It’s possible to virtually visit the middle ages – walking through houses of plague, witnessing trials of witches and alchemists and checking out quicksilver vapor baths. Or to imagine yourself trembling in fear on one of the historical dentist chairs.

Museum of pharmacy

This museum is located in an 18th century monument of architectural history and that is no coincidence. 

This pristine building brings a very special atmosphere to the museum where you can find out about the history of pharmacy and medicine production. It’s possible to check out pharmaceutical objects and step inside of an old school alchemist’s laboratory and nature medicine’s house. Meanwhile inside the premises of the museum, guests are greeted by a medical plant garden.

Anatomical museum of Jēkabs Primanis

The Anatomical Museum of Riga Stradins University is quite a unique place. It holds the first ever collection of books on anatomical studies in Latvia. Although these educational books were written around 100 years ago, this collection is still an important part for educating modern doctors in Latvia today. 

Now anyone can feel free to see it. Skeletons, embryos, separate bones and parts of body. Internal organs – both healthy and ill. In this museum everything is for real.

Latvian national museum of nature

The long history of this museum started already in 1845. Back then, the intellectual part of society in Riga decided to start a union of nature scientists with a museum and library. 

Nowadays it has grown into the largest storage of nature’s riches. Evolution of man, animals and birds. Collection of insects, plants and minerals, history of the earth. The exhibition here is so vast that one day simply won’t be enough to see all of what the museum has to offer.

Couple more must see museums

Motor museum

The Motor museum of Riga is one of the largest modern vehicle museums in the whole Baltic region. They have quite a remarkable collection of cars that will tell the automobile history while also showing off some truly rare models of the auto world.

Exhibition is divided in multiple parts:

• History of vehicle production
• Cars from 1920s
• Cars from 1930s to 40s
• Kremlin collection
• Cars of the USSR
• Motorsports
• Cult cars

Museum of cinema

The museum of cinema opened its doors in Riga, 1988. Even till today it’s the only museum in Latvia of such an art form. 

It has found a home inside of cozy premises that have been designed specifically for the convenience of guests to meet, greet, exchange opinions, discuss and find out something new about cinema and its history. 

One of the most popular exhibitions here is called “Behind the screen”. It allows us to look deeper inside the filming process, seeing how animation, puppet and multiplicated cartoons are created. In the museum premises there are often lectures about cinema and film showings organized.

Chocolate museum of Laima

Surely the sweetest and tastiest museum in the whole of Riga, installed in the old chocolate factory premises of Laima. 

Here you may find out about different chocolate creating secrets, various kinds of cocoa beans. Learn more about the history of the candy industry and sweets packaging in Latvia. 

That’s not all of it. You may also join a chocolate masterclass here and create your own, entirely unique candy. There are three types of chocolate and many different ingredients for fillings and decorations to choose from.