Cultural and Historical heritage

Art Museum	Convent Yard

                      Source: "Riga a city to discover"                  Source: PATRICIA LTD


The cultural and historical heritage in Riga has formed as a gradual process of fusion of architectural elements of various nations and professionals. This environment has changed along with the times always keeping up in pace with novelties in world architecture, at the same time maintaining also local traditions. The urban environment has developed in its own singular ways determined by such factors as local social and economic conditions, ethnic composition of the population and local traditions.

In Riga, there are worthy monuments of urban architecture, art and history, valuable parks. The central part of the city, noted for its Art Nouveau architecture, has been included on the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage (see Territory of the City included on the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage  ). 

However, even though activities are under way to care for the cultural and historical environment, a range of problems persist demoting and threatening to further demote in future the cultural quality of Riga's historical centre.