Walking distance: 8 km
Map
Now those times are long and gone, although visually there are still some areas left in Riga that remind us of times when this could be a truly dangerous place to wander around. Currently it’s 2023 and the reality has switched quite a bit. Local drunks have become rich due to the newly introduced deposit system while most bandits have either established their own businesses or been successfully elected in the parliament.
But then again, even this place has a whooping 4.5 star rating on google. And the outdated buildings of Sarkandaugava? Well if you enjoy going to an art gallery then you might just like the sights of this tour quite a lot.
National History Museum of Latvia, Dauderi section
Adress: Zāģeru iela 7
Originally this Villa, built in 1897 belonged to the first owner of Aldaris beer factory. It wasn’t used for quite a while after WW1. Up until the only ever authoritative leader of Latvia – Kārlis Ulmanis decided he should move in there. But not long after that, during soviet times, the house’s prestige went down quite a bit with preschool being opened here.
After the USSR’s collapse, a group of enthusiasts managed to restore this house to its early prime and make it into a museum of history. Today there are plenty of expositions to see, both physically and digitally.
Aldaris beer museum
Adress: Tvaika iela 44
As it was mentioned before, this used to be quite a neighborhood and rightfully so. One of the biggest, oldest and most important beer factories in the history of Latvia is located right here and now everyone has a chance to visit it. They will tell you all about the best ways for crafting a nice pint of good lager and who knows, perhaps even give a little taste of their own medicine.
After this museum you might feel a bit lightheaded but that should only improve the general experience.
Park Aldaris
Adress: Sliežu iela 23
After what must have been an informative and saturated experience, why not take a walk down the freshly constructed Aldaris park? Yes, it’s our third point of interest and the beer theme just doesn’t seem to go away.
Well that might have to do something with us still being in the same spot, really. All of the first three landmarks have been located around 100 meters from one another. And yes, all of them have a little something to do with the beer factory that we just learned about.
Provodnik factory
Adress: Aptiekas iela 19
Our tour continues and leads us to a place that has surely become one of the main points of attraction in this neighborhood. What used to be a ginormous and busy factory is now just a big empty space. And we all know what happens to such places over time. Exactly, they’re taken over by artists.
These days you’ll find an open space for graffiti, art installations and if you’re lucky enough – maybe even a live performance somewhere around those halls. Meanwhile the 4th floor is rented out to artisans for studios and offices.
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Cafe – Jumts Aizbraucis
Adress: Alekša iela 1
We’re guessing that after such a colorful road, you might be a bit hungry and we have just the right spot for your entertainment and belly. An absolutely unique and authentic spot that has been created from dust by a couple of passionate people during the covid times.
Whole site consists of multiple old time buildings and they have everything a person might want in a cafe. Bar area with some of the finest simple minded people drinks, soup made on a fireplace and in fresh air, library, board games and of course, but don’t tell anyone that we told you – a well hidden rave room.
Riga Brethren Cemetery
Adress: Aizsaules iela 1B
Although it’s called cemetery and does indeed have some bones resting in the soil of it – this is arguably the most astonishingly beautiful park in the whole of Latvia. The monumental feeling in combination with absolute calmness unlike anywhere else will take your breath away. Perhaps not the best of things to promise before guiding someone to the cemetery but it’s a good thing in this case.
It’s dedicated to our brave warriors who fought for the independence of Latvia during the first World War. Around 3000 thousand of them are resting here, next to some of the most emotionally filled stone sculptures you’ll ever see.
Creative district “Kombināts MĀKSLA”
Adress: Gaujas iela 5
A rather small district owned by Latvian Academy of Art, where expositions are ever changing depending on what’s relevant at the time. They always find something interesting to show, whether it’s art created from all sorts of junk or precisely sculpted portraits – after visiting this place you will surely feel at least a tiny bit more inspired.
Brasa prison
Adress: Laktas iela 2/4
This was a highest security correctional institution where the baddest of them all used to live. Up until it was closed a few years ago in 2019. Since then, there have been several public tours organized but nothing on a regular basis.
Currently this place is under a big question mark as to what should be done with it. People would love to have this prison open for tours and exploration but the problem is — it hasn’t been decided whether or not these premises have already hosted the last prisoner. It might just happen that these old and cold premises will experience their long coming Glow Up.
