Riga, Capital city in Latvia
Riga is the capital of Latvia and sits on both banks of the Daugava, shortly before the river flows into the Gulf of Riga. The old town shows narrow cobbled lanes, while wide boulevards with multistory facades stretch around the railway station.
The German bishop Albert founded the settlement in 1201, and it quickly became an important trading place of the Hanseatic League. Later the rule changed several times between Sweden, Poland and Russia until Latvia became independent in 1918.
Locals gather in the wooden house districts where small cafes and craft shops invite people to linger. In summer the terraces along the canal fill up, and on weekends live singing or music often happens on improvised stages.
The airport lies about 6 miles (10 km) southwest and offers direct connections to many European destinations. Inside the city trams and trolleybuses run regularly, and most sights in the center can be reached on foot.
The city holds more than 800 Art Nouveau buildings from around 1900, which together form the largest collection of this architecture in Europe. Many of these houses show faces, flower garlands and other decorative elements directly on the facades.
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