If visitors want a great view of Riga, we usually advise them to go on top of the tower of the Latvian Academy of Sciences.

It’s in the centre of Riga, it’s easy to go there and the view over Riga is really wide – you can see the Old Town, the so called Moscow Suburbs of Riga (Maskavas district) and Central Market. The view that is opening to you from the top of the structure is mesmerizing – you can see the 360 degree wide birds eye view to Riga from the 17th-floor balcony (height of 65 metres, 213 ft).

The building itself was built after World War II, between 1953 and 1956 and it was the first “skyscraper” in the republic of Latvia. The building is a cousin to similar Stalin-era skyscrapers in Moscow and Warsaw, and is a great example of Stalinist architecture. There is a legend says that this building was built for one Stalin’s birthdays, so some call it a “candle on Stalin’s birthday cake”.

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Latvian Academy of Sciences

Latvian Academy of Sciences

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