August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected by rail? Yes, but not in the most straightforward or userfriendly way possible. The Rail Baltica project should remedy this. Unsurprisingly though, this megaproject faces political and budgetary hurdles. It will most likely not be ready by 2030. But that doesn’t stop us. What to expect from the Baltics? Is it affected by overtourism? 

Did we have time for the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation? Yes we did. 

The Rīgas vēstures un kuģniecības muzejs is situated within the Riga Dom Cathedral ensemble in the heart of Old Riga. The museum traces its origins to 1773, when it began as the private collection of Nikolaus von Himsel, a Riga-based doctor, making it the oldest museum in the Baltic States. 

Over the centuries, it has expanded into the region’s largest repository of material evidence documenting the history of Riga.

During the reconstruction of Riga Dom Cathedral in the 1890s, part of the former monastery was adapted to accommodate the museum. This was the first building in Riga specifically designated for museum purposes, an achievement commemorated by an inscription on its frontage. 

Among its notable features is the Column Hall, constructed in 1778 in the Classicist style, which originally housed the cathedral library until 1891. Today, the hall hosts conferences and displays historical exhibitions focusing on the 18th and 19th centuries. 

The hall faces a 13th-century groin-vaulted gallery and the cathedral yard, an outstanding example of Romanesque and Gothic architecture in the Baltic region. The Riga Dom Cathedral ensemble itself offers a visual narrative of the city’s architectural development over several centuries.

The museum’s exhibitions present the evolution of Riga from its earliest settlements to the emergence of its port in the 12th and 13th centuries, the city’s membership in the Hanseatic League from the 13th to the 16th centuries, and periods of Polish and Swedish rule during the 16th and 17th centuries. 

It also explores life in Riga during the first period of Latvian independence from 1918 to 1940 and traces the history of Latvian navigation from antiquity to the present. 

The museum’s collections include ancient engravings depicting views of Riga, maps and city plans, silverware and porcelain, ship models, navigational instruments, everyday objects, clothing, and decorative items, amounting to approximately half a million items. 

Through both permanent and temporary exhibitions, the museum provides a comprehensive overview of Riga’s history from its earliest origins to contemporary times.

History of Riga

The history of Riga can be traced back to the 2nd century with a settlement known as Duna Urbs, located at a natural harbour some distance upriver from the mouth of the Daugava River. This area was later inhabited by the Livs and the Kurs and had become an established centre of trade by the early Middle Ages, forming part of the Dvina-Dnieper trade route to Byzantium. 

Christianity was introduced to Latvia as early as the 9th century, but it was the arrival of the Crusades at the end of the 12th century that brought German influence and the forcible conversion of the local population. German dominance in the region persisted until Latvian independence and is still reflected in Riga’s Jugendstil, or Art Nouveau, architecture.

From the 13th century until the emergence of Latvian nationalism in the 19th century and independence in the 20th, the histories of Latvia and Riga were closely entwined, reflecting the rise and fall of successive foreign powers in the region. 

As a member of the Hanseatic League, Riga experienced significant prosperity from the 13th to 15th centuries, becoming a major centre for commerce and later industry under the various empires to which it was subject. 

Today, approximately half of Latvia’s population resides in Riga and its surrounding areas. The historical centre of Riga has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognised for its extensive collection of Art Nouveau buildings, widely regarded as the largest in Europe, as well as its 19th-century wooden structures.

Riga’s location on the Daugava River, a navigable route since antiquity, facilitated trade between the Vikings and Byzantium. 

Archaeological evidence indicates that settlements existed at the site of modern Riga from the 2nd century, with the area being subsequently occupied by the Livs, an ancient Finnic tribe, in the 5th and 6th centuries. 

By the early Middle Ages, Riga had become a Viking trading hub. Excavations at Riga Town Hall Square and at Peldu and Ūdensvada streets reveal that 12th-century inhabitants, mainly Kurs and Livs, engaged in crafts using bone, wood, amber, and iron, alongside fishing, animal husbandry, and trade.

The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia records early fortifications on a promontory known as Senais kalns, later replaced by the Esplanade in the 18th century, and refers to Riga as an established trading centre by the 12th century, with dwellings and warehouses storing corn, flax, and hides. 

The origin of the city’s name is debated, though it is widely accepted to derive from the Latvian word rija, meaning warehouse, reflecting Riga’s role as a commercial hub.

German merchants began visiting Riga in the late 12th century, arriving via Gotland. A trading outpost was established near Riga in 1158 after Bremen merchants were shipwrecked at the mouth of the Daugava. 

The missionary Meinhard of Segeberg arrived in 1184 to promote Catholicism, which had already been introduced in Latvia by Danish and Swedish influences. Meinhard settled among the Livs at Ikšķile, building stone fortifications and a church, but died in 1196 after failing to convert the population. His successor, Abbot Berthold of Hanover, led a crusading campaign that ended with his death in battle.

Papal intervention followed, with Pope Innocent III declaring a crusade against the Livonians. Hartwig II, Prince-Archbishop of Bremen, appointed his nephew Albert as Bishop of Livonia in 1199. 

Albert arrived in Riga in 1200 with 23 ships and 500 crusaders, transferring the seat of the bishopric from Ikšķile to Riga, which is now celebrated as the city’s founding year. Albert established ecclesiastical authority, introduced the Visby code of law, and oversaw the creation of the Order of Livonian Brothers of the Sword in 1202. 

By 1206, the Livonians were largely converted following defeat at Turaida. Albert fortified the city and was invested by Emperor Philip with Livonia as a fief of the Holy Roman Empire, granting Riga the status of a principality.

Albert secured Riga’s commercial future by obtaining papal bulls requiring German merchants to trade through the city. The first coinage was minted in 1211, and construction of the Riga Dom began the same year. 

Despite challenges from neighbouring tribes and Danish intervention, Albert maintained control and facilitated the growth of the city. 

By 1225, Riga’s citizens had acquired the right to self-governance, establishing a city council and electing magistrates. Albert also focused on ecclesiastical life, consecrating churches and founding a parochial school, and he consolidated territorial gains in the eastern Baltic before his death in 1229. German influence in the region persisted for seven centuries.

Riga’s position as a trading gateway to the Baltic tribes and Russia was strengthened in 1282 when it joined the Hanseatic League, a commercial and political network of North German and Baltic cities. This affiliation further enhanced the city’s economic and strategic significance throughout the medieval period.

Throughout the 13th to 15th centuries, the city expanded its commerce, particularly in grain, timber, flax, furs, and other regional products, establishing itself as a major hub for northern Europe. Its prosperity was closely linked to the dominance of German merchants and the city’s integration into wider European trade networks.

By the late Middle Ages, Riga had developed into not only a centre of trade but also of craft and industry, with workshops producing goods such as textiles, metalwork, and glass. Its urban population included Germans, Latvians, and other ethnic groups, contributing to a diverse cultural and economic life. The city retained a degree of autonomy under the Hanseatic League, though it remained formally under the authority of the Bishop of Riga and later the Livonian Order.

The 16th and 17th centuries brought turbulence as Riga faced the impacts of regional conflicts, including the Livonian War, Swedish rule, and later Polish-Lithuanian control. Despite these upheavals, trade and urban life continued, and Riga adapted to the shifting political landscape while maintaining its position as a major Baltic port.

In the 19th century, Riga became the industrial and commercial centre of what was then the Governorate of Livonia within the Russian Empire. The city expanded rapidly, driven by the growth of shipping, railways, and manufacturing. By the end of the century, Riga had developed a modern urban infrastructure and experienced a demographic shift as its population grew to include a significant proportion of Latvians alongside Germans, Russians, and Jews.

Following Latvia’s declaration of independence in 1918, Riga became the national capital, consolidating its political, cultural, and economic significance. Its interwar period saw the promotion of Latvian language, culture, and education, alongside continued industrial development. 

During World War II, the city suffered occupation by both Soviet and German forces, leading to widespread destruction and the persecution of its Jewish population. After the war, under Soviet rule, Riga experienced further industrialisation, urbanisation, and demographic change, with an influx of Russian-speaking residents.

Since Latvia regained independence in 1991, Riga has emerged as the political, economic, and cultural heart of the nation. 

Today, Riga and its surrounding metropolitan area are home to nearly half of Latvia’s population, reflecting its continuing role as the country’s primary urban and economic hub.

A visit of the museum

The presentation is classic, with display cases and short information panels. There are many rooms and hallways. Signage is good. 

Baltic States 2025

1. REVIEW | The Loft by Brussels Airlines and Lexus business lounge at Brussels Airport A-Gates.
2. REVIEW | Brussels Airlines Business Class Brussels to Munich.
3. REVIEW | Lufthansa Business Lounge Schengen and Lufthansa Senator Business Lounge Satellite Schengen at Munich Airport Terminal 2.
4. REVIEW | Air Baltic Business Class Munich to Tallinn.
5. REVIEW | Swissotel Tallinn.
6. TALLINN | Lennusadam Seaplane Harbour Estonian Maritime Museum.
7. TALLINN | Estonian History Museum at the Great Guild Hall.
8. TALLINN | LGBT tour at Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom.
9. RAIL BALTICA | Baltic operators launch joint tender for regional trains.
10. ESTONIA | How to spend a day in Tallinn.
11. REVIEW | Pullman Riga Old Town.
12. LATVIA | Riga Castle.
13. LATVIA | Jugendstil in Riga ft Riga Art Nouveau Centre and Janis Rozentāls and Rūdolfs Blaumanis Museum.
14. RIGA | National Library of Latvia and the Latvian Railway History Museum.
15. RIGA | Baltā Kaza – Riga Ghetto – Latvian Academy of Sciences.
16. REVIEW | 3 Pavāru Restorāns / 3 Chefs Restaurant in Riga.
17. RIGA | Museum of the Barricades of 1991 and Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.