Hotels near Riga Cathedral (Rigas Doms)

Riga Cathedral (Rigas Doms) dominates Dome Square and is the largest medieval church in the Baltic states. Construction started in 1211 under Bishop Albert of Riga and continued for three centuries, producing a mixed Romanesque-Gothic exterior with a Baroque tower cap added in 1776. The building has served as Riga's Evangelical Lutheran cathedral since the 1520s Reformation and remains an active parish. The floor sits 85 centimetres below street level because the surrounding city has risen through eight centuries of paving.

The single unmissable feature inside is the Walcker organ - installed in 1884 with 6,718 pipes across four keyboards, it was the largest in the world at completion and remains among the ten largest historical organs. Free organ recitals run Wednesday and Saturday at 12:00, and full evening concerts run several times per week. Adult admission to the cathedral is 3 EUR. The adjoining cloister (a 13th-century Romanesque arcade) is included and often overlooked - one of the oldest surviving structures in the country.

Pro Tip: Time your visit to the free 12:00 Wednesday or Saturday organ recital - it is a 20-minute programme and one of the great acoustic experiences in Riga. Arrive by 11:45 to grab a nave seat.