Riga’s medieval old town and its surrounding city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. Although its 13th-century churches helped the city achieve this status, it’s Riga’s art nouveau architecture that really sets the city apart from other European capitals. To quote UNESCO’s World Heritage website: ‘The Historic Centre of Riga has the finest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in the world.’ A bronze circular marker in the middle of Cathedral Square (Doma laukums) celebrates this accomplishment.
