It's generally considered that Riga was founded in 1201 by Bishop Albert. Yes, but the foundation stone of the Dome Church was laid on the site of Liv and Couronian settlement by the Rīdzene River in the estuary of the Daugava. Our people were here before Albert!

Riga was a town of merchants, craftsmen and monastic servants. That's why the first building was the fortification wall built in 1208 ― to keep the riches safe. Riga consisted of the Bishop's Castle, the Castle of the Order, merchants' houses and storehouses filled with wax, honey, wool, hemp and flax. Since 1226 the fortification walls, the keys of St. Peter the Apostle and the lion which symbolises the valour of the citizens are all part of the Emblem of the City of Riga.

The ancient centre of the city is formed by a fine network of narrow streets; it has remained practically unchanged since the 13th century. Just as in other European cities, the medieval streets were named after the profession of the majority of people living there. The longest of them all is Kalēju (Blacksmiths') Street; apparently at the time when forged weapons were in great demand the blacksmith business was the most lucrative one. There hasn't been a single butcher's shop on Miesnieku (Butchers') Street for ages but the old name ― just like Aldaru (Brewers') Street ― has stuck.

The fortification wall protecting the city had twenty-seven towers;  just like all the gates and streets, each had a name of its own; only the Pulvertornis (the Powder Tower) and Rāmera (Ramer's) Tower have been preserved. The oldest part of the city centre was the area around the St. Peter's Church; the Town Hall and the Blackheads' House were also situated there. During the air raids of World War II much of the historical centre was destroyed but is now being meticulously restored. Yet Rigans can’t quite make up their minds: is the reconstructed Blackheads’ House a blemish on the face of an ageing beauty or is it making her even more beautiful? Be it as it may, the tourists seem to like it.

In the 1930's the city fathers carried out a campaign of shock therapy in the vicinity of the Dome Church ― they tore down what they thought of as the old and ugly traders' houses to make room for the vast Dome Square where people now gather on festive occasions. Architect Aleksandrs Klinklāvs was an extremely scholarly connoisseur and did his best to polish the charm of our Old Town. Everything we have in the Old Town of Riga is the oldest, the greatest and the most distinguished! The Dome or Māras Church is the largest in Riga. St.Peter's Church is the largest Gothic building in the Baltic States; its grandeur was a sign of the wealth and influence of Rigans in the Hanseatic League.

Most importantly ― since 1997 the historical centre of Riga can be found in the UNESCO List of the World Heritage under number 825!