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.
Jurmala is a seaside resort situated just 20 km from Riga. The natural curative features of this place were already well known more than 150 years ago. Nowadays golden beaches, blue sea, fresh air and the unique beauty of pine forests attract tourists from all over the world. You can see wooden country houses of the beginning of the 20th century alongside with modern cottages there.
Our Jurmala Sightseeing is a tour full of contrasts: you’ll see the beautiful beach and walk the crowded pedestrian streets full with bars and cafes, stunning beaches as well as some amazing architecture and beautiful nature.
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.
Explore our wonderful city by Riga City Tour red buses!
Come and enjoy sightseeing on both sides of the Daugava River in Riga on red double-decker busses. The excursion ticket is valid for 24 hours and during that time you can get on or off the bus as many times as you wish. The hop-on hop-off service offers a flexible opportunity to get to know historic and present day Riga. The audio guide texts, heard through the headphones, have been recorded by native speakers in nine languages: English, German, Russian, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, French, Spanish, Italian and Latvian.
There are 3 routes included in your ticket: the Old town route which includes such objects as Riga Circus, Opera house, Presidents castle, National theatre, Powder tower; Wooden RIga route which includes such objects as: Kipsala area, Kalnciems street quarter, Victory park; and New Riga route which includes such objects as Museum of Art, Cathedral of Firstborn Christ, Vermanes Park, Riga Art Nouveau centre.
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.
Riga is also proud of its magnificent heritage of Art Nouveau architecture. It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list by virtue of the outstanding quality and quantity of Art Nouveau buildings, which is unparalleled anywhere in the world. The most significant expression of Art Nouveau architecture in Riga is marked by a wide variety of individual styles.
The walk will lead you through Old Riga to the Art Nouveau district in the quiet centre of Riga which features the creations of the most controversial Art Nouveau architect Mikhail Eisenstein and where each building is worth seeing.
You will have a walk along the famous Albert Street, where Art Nouveau buildings range from richly decorated to modest, from Decorative Art Nouveau to National Romanticism. The buildings are highly decorative yet deeply functional.
Decorated with various symbols and mythological characters, each building tells us a different story. Scary lion and screaming men masks side by side with contemplative women’s faces, mysterious sphinxes, delicately carved flowers, birds and animals- it is easy to get lost in such an abundance of images. Don’t worry-our guides will help you interpret the symbolic content of the decorations and tell you a lot of myths and legends.
Entre las grandes atracciones de Letonia sobresale el Palacio de Rundale, una obra maestra del Barroco donde es posible apreciar el lujo al que estaban acostumbradas las familias nobles. Te invitamos a cruzar sus puertas y embarcarte en un viaje por la historia.
DESTACAMOS:
* Maravíllate con la lujosa ornamentación de sus estancias
* Una perla arquitectónica que encierra siglos de historia entre sus paredes
* Conoce cómo vivían las familias nobles en el pasado
Después de recogerte en tu hotel de Riga, pondremos rumbo al majestuoso Palacio de Rundale, construido en el s.XVIII como residencia de verano del Duque de Curlandia, Ernest Johann von Biron. Esta joya arquitectónica, diseñada por el prestigioso arquitecto Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, debía albergar 2 plantas, 2 alas, dependencias para los sirvientes, establos y un parque.
Pasea por su interior y explora las numerosas habitaciones distribuidas en la primera y segunda planta. Admira el mobiliario original e impresionantes obras de arte en cada una de las estancias, que presentan formas, colores y ambientes diferentes. En el ala oriental, pensada exclusivamente para la representación de la corte, encontrarás la impresionante Sala del Trono, el Salón Blanco y la Galería Pequeña y Grande. Tu guía te explicará en detalle qué uso se le daba a cada una de las salas y te señalará los elementos artísticos más destacados.
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 2-hour tour includes the tasting of our magical elixir Riga Black Balsam believed to have the power to cure all diseases and a question+answer session with the guide.
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
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.