St. James’s Cathedral, Riga

St. James's Cathedral, Riga tickets: which one to buy

Saint James's Cathedral stands on a street near the Latvian Parliament in Riga's Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and entry is free. It is the Catholic cathedral of Riga, although it is smaller and less visited than the Lutheran Riga Cathedral on Dome Square nearby. Walking tours of the Old Town usually pass it along with the Three Brothers houses, the Swedish Gate, the House of the Blackheads, Saint Peter's Church and the Riga Castle.

The church is an active parish, with masses in Latvian and other languages, and visiting pauses during services. Its green spire is one of the characteristic points of the Riga skyline, and it is best photographed from the nearby streets. The Old Town is compact and walkable, and the church can be seen in a few minutes. Guided walks of the Old Town leave from the Town Hall Square in the mornings.

Visiting St. James's Cathedral, Riga: what to see

The church was first mentioned in 1225 and built in the thirteenth century in brick Gothic style, originally outside the city walls, which is why it was dedicated to Saint James, patron of travellers and pilgrims. Its spire, eighty metres high, was rebuilt in the eighteenth century, and it has a small bell hanging on the outside, known as the Bell of Sinners, which according to legend rang by itself whenever an unfaithful wife passed below. During the Reformation the church became Lutheran, and from 1621, under Swedish rule, it was also used by the Swedish congregation; in 1923 it was returned to the Catholic Church and became a cathedral.

Inside, the church is a Gothic hall with a baroque altar, a carved pulpit and memorial plaques. The church stands beside the building of the Saeima, the Latvian parliament. The Gothic vaults of the nave rest on massive brick pillars, and the altar holds a painting of Saint James. Memorial plaques in the church commemorate Riga families and clergy. The small bell outside the spire can be seen from the street below. The church's organ is used for concerts. The Swedish congregation's use of the church is recalled in the name of the nearby Swedish Gate. The bell tower was restored in the twentieth century. The church is lit at night.

St. James's Cathedral, Riga opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with services on Sundays and weekdays. Riga has long summer days, when the Old Town is busy with visitors and cafes spill onto the streets, and cold, dark winters, when Christmas markets bring light to the squares; Riga claims to be the place where the first decorated Christmas tree was displayed. Midsummer, Ligo and Jani, on 23 and 24 June, is Latvia's biggest festival. Mornings are quiet in the Old Town. Allow about fifteen minutes for the cathedral, and continue to the Three Brothers and the Swedish Gate nearby. The Latvian War Museum in the Powder Tower, a few minutes away, tells the story of the country's wars of independence.