Famous Latvia | Famous Places in Riga, Liepaja, Kuldiga, Sigulda and more...

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Riga TV Tower

Riga TV Tower is the tallest freestanding structure in the European Union. It is 386.5 meters tall and was built in 1987 (completely finished only in 1989). Today it is used for transmitting TV and radio channels as well as providing telecommunication services for various organisations and state institutions.

The tower reminds us a little bit of Eiffel Tower in Paris. It is located just outside the city center on the Zaķusala island in the river Daugava. The tower invites everyone to visit their observation deck which is located at the height of 97m, it is the highest publicly accessible observation point in Riga. In the good weather Riga Gulf, Riga Hydroelectric Power Plant and even Sigulda can be seen.

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Grebenshikov’s Old Believers Preaching House

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In the district of Riga not so much attractive to most tourists there is one more place worth seeing. With its 27 000 members it is the biggest Old Believers preaching house in the world - Grebenshikov’s Old Believers church.

Old Believers became separated from the official Russian Orthodox Church after 1666-1667 as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon. Their liturgical practices are the same as the Russian Orthodox Church maintained before these reforms.

At the time of reforms many of splitters from the Russian Orthodox Church had to run away from the persecution, they mostly found their shelter in the northern Russia, and also in Latvia which then was partially Polish and Swedish.

The church is named after a rich merchant who supported it for a good while. It is also the only church in Latvia that has a golden dome.

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Largest Mechanical Organ

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The Holy Trinity Cathedral in Liepāja is the place of world’s largest historically unreconstructed mechanical organ. The organ has 131 stops, 4 manuals and more than 7000 pipes. Its sound is just magnificent.

You can listen to the organ music concert there or even visit the Organ Music Festival which takes place in Liepāja every year in August or September.

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