Older Riga

Wow. A little late for a smooth follow up. Sorry. Next to Prague, Riga has the largest collection of original Art Nouveau buildings in Eastern Europe. Although the buildings are largely restricted to three main streets just outside of the city center, the ability to leisurely stroll the streets and really examine the architecture makes the art nouveau of Riga infinitely more enjoyable than the crowded streets of Josefov in the grown-up Disneyland that is Prague.







As highly esteemed as it may be, I question the validity of some of the architecture. For example, I was under the impression that Egyptian themes were more art deco, as exemplified by the Paramount Theater in Oakland; but one of these buildings had a sphinx at the entrance. Maybe I'm just being too restrictive and I should give them the benefit of the doubt; either way, these are definitely some of the most hideously gaudy buildings I have ever seen.