In ancient times, Riga was a settlement for the Livonians and was built as a fortress city in 1201. It joined the Hanseatic League in 1282, becoming the most important trade center in the Baltic Sea. It was occupied by the Russians from 1709 to 1710. Latvia gained independence in 1918, and Riga became its capital. It was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, and after Latvia regained independence in 1991, Riga once again became the capital.
On August 20, 2007, in the Latvian capital of Riga, citizens gathered in the city square to enjoy Latvian folk dances in celebration of the city's 806th anniversary.
The ancient city of Riga is divided into the Old Town and the New Town. The Old Town is located on the right bank of the Daugava River; it is small in size and surrounded by a canal. The Old Town retains the characteristics of a medieval city, with low-rise buildings, narrow streets, and roofs mostly covered in red tiles. Each roof features a gleaming metal rooster—a weathercock. Legend has it that since the end of the 13th century, the weathercock was considered by locals to be a ward against evil. Later, people painted the two sides of the rooster gold and black to help determine wind direction. Today, the weathercock serves merely as a unique symbol of the city. Although Riga has suffered through the destruction of war, many ancient buildings in the Old Town have been preserved, featuring ingenious construction and exquisite exteriors. Gleaming metal roosters stand atop the spires of several 13th-century cathedrals. Among the various churches, the Riga Cathedral is world-renowned for its massive pipe organ, and St. Peter's Church is the tallest church in Riga. Other famous buildings include the Riga Castle, the Great Guild Hall, and the Small Guild Hall. The city also preserves medieval merchant houses and warehouses. The New Town is situated along the scenic bends of the city canal, with the entire city covered in greenery and flowers, earning it the reputation of being the "Beauty of Europe." The people of Riga like to call it the "City of Flowers." The New Town has a strong modern atmosphere, with wide, orderly streets, spectacular architecture, and fountains, monuments, and sculptures visible everywhere. By Lake Kisezers lies the famous Mežaparks, where the open-air stage can accommodate 30,000 spectators and host 10,000 performers. The Open-Air Ethnographic Museum by Lake Jugla is a microcosm of the Latvian nation, featuring lush trees, soft lawns, small farmhouses, and ancient windmills. Riga has many beautiful parks. The largest is the Culture and Recreation Park, while Viesturdārzs Park is known for its long history. Twenty-five kilometers from the city center is a coastal resort area, where a 20-mile stretch of fine sandy beach is well worth a visit. It is dotted with various villas of all sizes, as well as several luxury hotels, such as the Hotel Jurmala Spa and the Baltic Beach Hotel. In these hotels, tourists can enjoy mineral water massages and mud baths.
British writer Graham Greene, who visited Riga in the 1930s, wrote the phrase, "Riga, the Paris of the North." Both sides of the sidewalks are lined with modern cafes and restaurants, and the city's commercial and entertainment activities are very prosperous. The Radisson Blu Daugava Hotel is located on the Daugava River and boasts the most complete conference facilities in the country, offering a panoramic view of the Old Town. Riga's food is similar to that of other Northern European countries—rich and hearty—but it also has its own specialty dishes, such as creamed barley soup, milk fish soup, pies filled with bacon and onions, and black bread pudding. Locals enjoy drinking beer.
The city is home to the Academy of Sciences, universities, technical institutes, music conservatories, and other higher education institutions, as well as an ethnographic museum and eight theaters.
Industries include shipbuilding, electrical appliances, machinery, vehicles, glass, textiles, consumer goods, and food processing. The city has convenient transportation, with an international airport, a cargo port, a passenger port, and extensive communication facilities. During the Soviet era, as an important port, Riga's throughput once reached over 8 million tons.
On September 22, 1997, Riga and Suzhou became sister cities. In 2001, on the occasion of Riga's 800th anniversary, a park in the style of a Suzhou garden was completed in the city.
