Kristus Piedzimšanas pareizticīgo katedrāle

The main building of Latvia’s national art museum, on the edge of Esplanāde park. The permanent exhibition covers Latvian painting, graphic art and sculpture from the 18th century to the mid-20th; the museum grew out of the Riga City Art Gallery, which opened to the public in 1869. Tue–Thu 10–18, Fri 10–20, Sat–Sun 10–17, closed Mondays.

A 42 m monument unveiled in 1935 in honour of the soldiers who fell in the War of Independence, by sculptor Kārlis Zāle. The granite, travertine and copper composition is crowned by a woman holding up three stars, and it is a symbol of Latvia’s freedom and independence. An honour guard stands at its foot.

A natural history museum in central Riga with roots in the Riga Naturalists’ Society, founded in 1845. Exhibitions cover Latvia’s nature, geology, animals and plants — a good stop for families with children.