Vecrīga
Historical center of Riga, Latvia
title: "Vecrīga" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["neighbourhoods-in-riga", "world-heritage-sites-in-latvia"] description: "Historical center of Riga, Latvia" topic_path: "general/neighbourhoods-in-riga" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vecrīga" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Historical center of Riga, Latvia ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Vecrīga |
| subdivision_type2 | District |
| website | apkaimes.lv |
| postal_code | LV-1050 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| population_as_of | 2024 |
| population_total | 2140 |
| area_total_km2 | 0.944 |
| subdivision_name2 | Central District |
| subdivision_name1 | Flag of Riga.svg Riga |
| settlement_type | Neighbourhood of Riga |
| subdivision_type1 | City |
| subdivision_name | Latvia |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| map_caption | Location of Vecpilsēta in Riga |
| image_map | Vecpilseta karte.png |
| image_caption | The Old Town of Riga |
| image_skyline | Vistas desde la iglesia de San Pedro, Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 04 (cropped).JPG |
| official_name | Vecpilsēta |
| footnotes | {{designation list |
| designation1 | WHS |
| designation1_offname | Historic Centre of Riga |
| designation1_criteria | ii, i |
| designation1_number | |
| designation1_date | 1997 |
| designation1_type | Cultural |
| designation1_free1name | UNESCO region |
| designation1_free1value | Europe |
| :: |
| name = Vecrīga | subdivision_type2 = District | website = apkaimes.lv | postal_code = LV-1050 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_as_of = 2024 | population_total = 2140 | area_total_km2 = 0.944 | subdivision_name2 = Central District | subdivision_name1 = Flag of Riga.svg Riga | settlement_type = Neighbourhood of Riga | subdivision_type1 = City | subdivision_name = Latvia | subdivision_type = Country | map_caption = Location of Vecpilsēta in Riga | image_map = Vecpilseta karte.png | image_caption = The Old Town of Riga | image_skyline = Vistas desde la iglesia de San Pedro, Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 04 (cropped).JPG | official_name = Vecpilsēta | footnotes = {{designation list | embed = yes | designation1 = WHS | designation1_offname = Historic Centre of Riga | designation1_criteria = ii, i | designation1_number = | designation1_date = 1997 | designation1_type = Cultural | designation1_free1name = UNESCO region | designation1_free1value = Europe Vecrīga ("Old Riga") is the historical center and a neighbourhood (as Vecpilsēta) of Riga, Latvia, located in the Central District on the east side of Daugava River. Vecrīga is famous for its old churches and cathedrals, such as Riga Cathedral, St. James's Cathedral and St. Peter's Church.
History
Vecrīga is the original area of Riga and consists of the historic city limits before the city was greatly expanded in the late 19th century. Vecrīga was once protected by a surrounding wall, except the side adjacent to the Daugava river bank. When the wall was demolished, the waters from Daugava were diverted into area of the former wall, creating Riga City Canal.
Heritage
In the early 1990s, Vecrīga's streets were closed to traffic and only residents of the area and the local delivery vehicles were allowed within Vecrīga's limits with special permits. Vecrīga is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed as "Historic Centre of Riga", which also includes most of the surrounding Centrs district.
Vecrīga is the oldest part of the Riga, and—even though in its primordial state most of the buildings were made of wood—currently, there are a lot of architectural works remaining from the times of renaissance, baroque and medieval times in the middle of the unique and notable buildings in the style of Art Nouveau, especially the ones created by the locally and internationally well-known architect Mikhail Eisenstein.
Landmarks
Churches
- Church of St. Peter
- Dome Cathedral
- Cathedral of Saint James
- Church of Saint John
- Church of Our Lady of Sorrows
- Anglican Church
- Reformed Church
- Church of Mary Magdalene
Museums
- Military Museum
- Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation
- Sports Museum
- Latvian Museum of Pharmacy
- Latvian Museum of Photography
- Riga castle
- Latvian Museum of National History
- Art Museum Riga Bourse
- Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts
- Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
- Latvian Museum of Architecture
- Riga Film Museum
- Museum of the Popular Front
Gallery
File:Riga map around 1637.jpg|The original boundaries of the Old Riga in 1637 File:Riga johanneskirche 133731389.jpg|St. John's Church, Riga File:Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 10.JPG|The House of the Blackheads and Roland statue File:Barracas de Jacob, Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 01.JPG|Reconstructed section of the medieval city wall File:Official Residence of the President of Latvia, May 2024.jpg|Riga Castle in Vecrīga File:Old Riga Vecrīga Town Hall.jpg|Riga Town Hall in Vecrīga File:Výhled na Rigu (9).jpg|Aerial view of the Town Hall Square File:Historic Centre of Riga-112610.jpg|View of Vanšu Bridge File:11-novembra-krastmala.jpg|alt=11. novembra krastmala embankment in Riga, Latvia with the castle of Riga visible in the background|11 November Embankment
References
References
- "Riga Historic Centre".
- [https://hiddenwatersblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/05/pilsetas-kanals-riga/ Kadinsky, Sergey "Pilsētas Kanāls, Riga" ''Hidden Waters Blog'' July 5, 2016]
- "World Heritage List — Riga (Latvia); No. 852". unesco.org.
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