Page 161 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

RĪGA  159

Gunnar Birkerts, houses the
National Library of Latvia. Its
unusual, sloping shape sym-
bolizes a mythic castle said to
have sunk into an ancient lake
only to re-emerge once Latvians
were masters of their own land.
Opened in 2014, the library hosts
exhibitions and cultural events.
E Railway Museum
2–4 Uzvaras bulvāris. Tel 6723 2849.
Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sun (to 6pm
Thu). & ∑ railwaymuseum.lv
E Castle of Light
Mūkusalas iela 3. Tel 6780 6135.
Well-maintained locomotives on show at the Railway Museum, Left Bank Open 9am–8pm Mon–Fri, 10am–5pm
Sat & Sun. ∑ lnb.lv
2 Central Market and some of the country’s best
Centrāltirgus wooden architecture, found in 4 Botanical
Āgenskalns district.
Centrāltirgus 1. Open 8am–5pm daily. Just across the Stone Bridge Gardens
^ ∑ centraltirgus.lv (Akmens tilts) is the city’s Railway Botāniskais dārzs
Museum (Latvijas dzelzceļa
Housed in five Zeppelin hangars, muzejs), the highlight of which is Kandavas iela 2. Tel 6745 0852. v 5
Rīga’s Central Market is one of the collection of rolling stock in to Konsula iela. Open Apr–Jun: 9am–
the most distinctive in Europe. the yard outside. Exhibits housed 7pm; Jul–Aug 10am–9pm; Sep–Mar:
The hangars, which the German inside a renovated engine 9am–4:30pm. & 8 in English,
Russian or German by arrangement.
Kaiser’s army had abandoned in warehouse include photographs 7 ∑ botanika.lu.lv
Kurzeme during World War I, were of Latvian stations, old tickets and
moved to their current site during posters, railway staff uniforms Founded in 1922 as part of the
the 1920s. The market building and signalling equipment. University of Latvia, the Botanical
sells mostly fresh food, while the Close by is Victory Park Gardens have been in their
area around it is crammed with (Uzvaras parks), named for current location since 1926. The
stalls selling other goods. the Red Army’s victory over site includes 5,400 species of
the Nazis, which was depicted plants, with appro ximately 400
by the Soviet regime as a of them native to Latvia; many
3 Left Bank “liberation” of the city. The war of them are rare or endangered.
Pārdaugava memorial depicting soldiers In the centre of the garden is a
being greeted by a welcoming complex of five greenhouses,
@ A8, T9. v 2, 4, 5, 10. figure of Victory is controversial including a palm house, a
and Latvian nationalists have large collection of ferns, and a
Although most sites of interest twice tried to blow it up. greenhouse devoted to cacti and
lie on the right bank of the The massive Castle of Light other succulents. The gardens
Daugava river, the Left Bank (Gaismas pils), designed by are particularly attractive from
includes specialist museums Latvian-American architect spring through to summer.

Greenhouse set amid the lush grounds of Rīga’s Botanical Gardens
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp300–301 and pp320–22

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