The Art Nouveau Architecture of Riga, Latvia

The Latvian capital, Riga, was spared destruction during the Second World War and thus further spared the post-war Sovietification, spare, gloomy, buildings made of concrete, of its architecture.

Recently, the glorious Art Nouveau and Beaux Arts buildings of Riga have been restored to their 1894-1914 beauty ... and, indeed, these buildings are magnificent! Here is a very nice site with many great photos and another site with over one hundred photos of the Art Nouveau architecture, and here is a virtual tour of Riga. I love cities that have preserved their past architecture ... something we do more of here in the States.

The Art Nouveau style of architecture was by no means limited to Riga. The style spread across Europe and the UK from Glasgow and London to Paris, Brussels, Catalonia, major cities in Germany and, in the United States, New York and Chicago. Here's an excellent pictorial guide to the Art Nouveau architectural style across Europe.