Sept. 8, 2017
Riga
is the capital of Latvia and the largest city in the Baltic States
with about 700,000 residents. It is bordered by Estonia, Belarus,
Lithuania and Russia. Riga was founded in 1201 and was a powerful
member of the Hanseatic League. In the 17th century it became part
of the Russian Empire. It briefly got its independence in 1918 but
with WWII it was folded into the USSR's holdings. Under Soviet rule,
Riga became an important military center and one of the favored
places for high-ranking military officers to retire to. In 1991,
following the breakup of the Soviet Union, it became an independent
nation. It joined both NATO and the European Union in 2004. Currency
is the Euro. Riga and Latvia are enjoying one of the fastest growing
economies in Europe. In 1997, the Old Town was included on the UN's
List of World Heritage sites.
We
walked the half mile from the ship into the old town and caught
a walking tour with the Smile Line whose office is in Town Hall
Square. Most of the buildings date from the 18th century when the
city boomed as a Russian trade port. But the twisty medieval street
plan gives it an Old World charm.
After
the tour, we stopped for lunch at one of the restaurants specializing
in Latvian cuisine. We shared a delicious marinated pork hock that
could probably have fed 4! And of course we had to buy a bottle
of Riga's national liqueur Melnais Balzams.
To view more photos from our trip to Riga, please go to Riga
Photo Gallery. To read about the next location visited, go to
Klaipeda.
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