UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Latvia
Latvia has 2 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List (2 cultural), the first inscribed in 1997 (Vecrīga). The map below plots every one of them alongside the rest of the List, and each site is written up in full further down the page.
- World Heritage Sites
- 2
- Cultural
- 2
- Natural and Mixed
- 0
- First Inscribed
- 1997
Map of World Heritage Sites in Latvia
CulturalNaturalMixedIn DangerLarge dots are in Latvia. Click a dot to read about the site.
Vecrīga
Latvia · 56.9485° N, 24.1082° E · 4 km² · 1 km from Riga
Vecrīga ("Old Riga") is the historical center and a neighbourhood (as Vecpilsēta, "Old City") of Riga, Latvia, located in the Central District on the east side of Daugava River. Vecrīga is famous for its old churches and cathedrals, such as Riga Cathedral, St. James's Cathedral and St. Peter's Church.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Vecrīga (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Vecrīga Is Listed
- (i)
- A masterpiece of human creative genius.
- (ii)
- An important interchange of human values.
More about Vecrīga
UNESCO's Description
Riga was a major centre of the Hanseatic League, deriving its prosperity in the 13th–15th centuries from the trade with central and eastern Europe. The urban fabric of its medieval centre reflects this prosperity, though most of the earliest buildings were destroyed by fire or war. Riga became an important economic centre in the 19th century, when the suburbs surrounding the medieval town were laid out, first with imposing wooden buildings in neoclassical style and then in Jugendstil . It is generally recognized that Riga has the finest collection of art nouveau buildings in Europe.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
History
Vecrīga is the original area of Riga and consists of the historic city limits before the city was greatly expanded in the late 19th century. Vecrīga was once protected by a surrounding wall, except the side adjacent to the Daugava river bank. When the wall was demolished, the waters from Daugava were diverted into area of the former wall, creating Riga City Canal.
In the early 1990s, Vecrīga's streets were closed to traffic and only residents of the area and the local delivery vehicles were allowed within Vecrīga's limits with special permits. Vecrīga is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed as "Historic Centre of Riga", which also includes most of the surrounding Centrs district.
Vecrīga is the oldest area of Riga.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Vecrīga (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Old town of Kuldīga
Latvia · 56.9675° N, 21.9706° E · 1 km² · 53 km from Ventspils
Located in the western part of Latvia, the town of Kuldīga is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional urban settlement, which developed from a small medieval hamlet into an important administrative centre of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia between the 16th and 18th centuries. The town structure of Kuldīga has largely retained the street layout of that period, and includes traditional log architecture as well as foreign-influenced styles that illustrate the rich exchange between local and travelling craftspeople from around the Baltic Sea. The architectural influences and craftsmanship traditions introduced during the period of the Duchy endured well into the 19th century.
Description from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
Why Old town of Kuldīga Is Listed
- (v)
- An outstanding example of traditional human settlement or land use.
World Heritage in Latvia: Quick Answers
- How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Latvia?
- Latvia has 2 World Heritage Sites: 2 cultural.
- What was the first World Heritage Site in Latvia?
- Vecrīga, inscribed in 1997. The most recent is Old town of Kuldīga, inscribed in 2023.
- Are any World Heritage Sites in Latvia in danger?
- None of the World Heritage Sites in Latvia is on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.