World Heritage Identification Number: 852
World Heritage since: 1997
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Historic Cities & Urban Areas
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇱🇻 Latvia
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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The Historic Centre of Riga: A Blend of Medieval Charm and Art Nouveau Elegance
The Historic Centre of Riga, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, offers a unique blend of medieval charm and art nouveau elegance, making it one of the most captivating cities in Europe. Situated in the Central District on the east bank of the Daugava River, Vecrīga (the historical center) is renowned for its old churches and cathedrals, architectural diversity, and rich history.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Riga was a major centre of the Hanseatic League, deriving its prosperity in the 13th–15th centuries from the trade with central and eastern Europe. The urban fabric of its medieval centre reflects this prosperity, though most of the earliest buildings were destroyed by fire or war. Riga became an important economic centre in the 19th century, when the suburbs surrounding the medieval town were laid out, first with imposing wooden buildings in neoclassical style and then in Jugendstil . It is generally recognized that Riga has the finest collection of art nouveau buildings in Europe.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (i): The medieval and later-period urban planning structure of the Historic Centre of Riga, as well as the quantity and quality of Art Nouveau architecture, which is unparalleled anywhere in the world, and the 19th century wooden architecture make it of Outstanding Universal Value. The Historic Centre of Riga has the finest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in the world.
Criterion (ii): Riga has exerted considerable influence within the cultural area of the Baltic Sea on the developments in architecture, monumental sculpture and garden design.
Encyclopedia Record: Vecrīga
Vecrīga is the historical center and a neighbourhood 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.Additional Site Details
Area: 438.3 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(ii) — Significant interchange of human values
Coordinates: 56.95417 , 24.11667
