Riga, Latvia
At 0700hrs the National Geographic Explorer was navigating up the Daugava River in a dense shroud of fog en route to Riga, the capital city of the Baltic nation of Latvia. It would have appeared that our run of pleasant late summer weather had come to an end. With only the silhouettes of the massive shipyard cranes and large vessels visible we sailed the 15km of river to the port situated in the city center. As we prepared to set out on our day’s exploration of this medieval city with its origins dating back to the beginning of the 13th century, the weather appeared to be improving.
Riga has a rich and complex history that we would soon find ourselves immersed in as we walked its brick and cobblestone streets. Despite its 800-plus years of existence, Riga has only been in Latvian control as the capital for 35 years, with most of its history determined and shaped by either Russian or German powers in a complex series of conquests and occupations. From the early Hanseatic history, most of which has been built over or completely destroyed over the centuries, its importance as a trading and shipping hub are still evident today and helped to build its vast wealth and cultural importance in the region.
Today the dominant visible architecture is that of art nouveau, where between the very late 1800s and into the 1920s over 800 buildings in this style were built. Our walking tour of the city in the morning showcased much of this as well as the old town center with its winding and narrow cobble streets and remnant historical buildings from the Middle Ages. Among the elaborate and ornate facades of the art nouveau buildings, one architect’s work stood out – that of Mihailis Eizenstein. By mid-morning the weather had improved considerably from dense fog to mostly sunny skies with wisps of clouds, which provided for a most enjoyable setting in which to take in the sights, sounds and rich history of Riga.
Near the end of the morning’s explorations we were treated to two performances highlighting the culture of Riga and Latvia as a whole. The first took place in the Small Guild House and was a folkloric performance by a local troop dancing in traditional attire and playing traditional instruments. Some of our shipmates even took part in the performance as did the entire audience in providing backing vocals in Latvian. Later, just before returning to the ship, we paid a visit to the Dome Cathedral of St. Mary’s. Dating back to 1211, this cathedral houses what is described as the largest pipe organ in the world. The organist, Jânis Pelše, played four pieces of music from J.S. Bach, Louis Vierne, Âdams Ore, and Johann Gottfried Müthel. Following the recital we took a brief look at the courtyard adjacent to the cathedral which housed hundreds of historical artifacts, telling an interesting tale of Riga and its complex past.
For the afternoon in Riga several options were available. The first was an opportunity to go on assignment with our National Geographic photo team and try and document the experience while learning from the experts in the field. We had also arranged a more in-depth architectural tour of this city, emphasizing the many examples from the art nouveau period. And lastly was the option to explore on our own, taking time to get an intimate feel for the city.
After returning to the ship we had a taste of Latvia and the Baltic with grilled local sausage and Lithuanian beer on the aft deck in the lovely late summer weather. Prior to recap, a talk by our historian, David Barnes, on the European Union and its history provided even more insight into this ever-changing region. As a precursor to tomorrow’s destination – Visby, Sweden – our archeologist Vinnie Butler gave an after dinner presentation on the Vikings. Just another day on the National Geographic Explorer!
