Art Noveau and Art Deco in Riga

IMG_0307Riga is famous for, and packed with, art noveau buildings. It is like an astonishing open air museum and we spent most of our days gawping up the sky.

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Eternally winding staircase in the art noveau museum.

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Some building are festooned with happy kings (happy in the Joen way, that is).

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Others are of a more shy athletic kind.

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There are also less organic forms represented , like these sharp, expressionless art deco looking soldiers.

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And we found a beautiful art deco cafe, V. Kuze. Just look at that wonderfully dynamic comet in the ceiling! The cafe originates from 1910 but the interior had been the same since the 30’s. It reminds me of Café Valand in Stockholm, although from a different era.

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After two days of cultural adventures we boarded the night train and left the EU.