st. mary's dome cathedral

Historically, the medieval St.Mary's Cathedral is one of the oldest and the largest religious buildings in Latvia and the Baltic States. For this reason, it stores a wealth of historical, architectural, artistic and cultural treasures..Since it has been restored more and more times, it presents features from different architectural styles: early Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau, etc..Nowadays, it is a place for ecumenical worship services but also one of the major venues for concerts in Riga.

it looked great but was disappointed that although there were signs of renovation outside there was no indication of the extend of the inside

The Cathedral is being renovated, so opening hours are a bit restricted. The outside is magnificent, the inside will be once the work is finished. What I liked about it was that there is a kid's corner in the church as well :) Be prepared that there is a e Euro ticket - surprising for a church, yet going to a good cause.

One of the most important places in Riga. You would find it easily. Even if you are not a religious person come inside and find out more about Latvian history.

when we visited it was undergoing some rennovation. But still a stunning building with an inner courtyard with lots to see.

Riga's Dome Cathedral is home to Latvia's Archbishop, and one of the world's most valuable historic pipe organs, built in 1883-84. When we were there, the organ was being reconstructed, but a young lady still played it for us. Goosebumps! The original cathedral was built in 1215, that burnt down, and another was built later in that century. That lasted until the mid-1500's, when much of it burned down again. Since then, a few reconstructions have taken place, but it still has some of the old. It's beautiful, and worth visiting if you like to hear pipe organs!

The building is impressive and the concert Cello and Organ was great. But organisation was poor long queue people pushing in and no controll. Spoilt otherwise very good concert.

It's an impressive cathedral and we had great time here because we listened organ music concert. The cathedral runs organ music concerts quite often and the program is available in Rigas Doms webpage www.doms.lv

The twenty- minute daily noon-hour organ concerts in August are very popular despite a 7 euro fee. We could have avoided lining-up by buying tickets in advance. The organ is one of the most valuable historic organs in the world, built in 1884, with 6,718 pipes, including one that is 32 feet in length. It was my good fortune to listen to a Widor Toccata, a well-known but difficult piece to play. It was a rare treat to hear such an instrument in such an inspiring building.

The building is very fine - unfortunately some of its grandeur is lost at present as the organ is being refurbished.The entry fee of 3 Eu is a bit steep - Why not go to an evening concert here, enjoy the music and see the Cathedral as part of the experience.

We bought a ticket for the concert of St. Lucia. During the beautiful and well organised event we listend in a fully booked church to the music and a speech of representitives of the council.No doubt, I will book again for an other concert.

Beautiful church ... with a very special and unique energy. We have heard a wonderful choir there. It was excellent. It's a place that must be visited in Riga.

Built in 1211 the Riga Dom grew to become the largest cathedral in the Baltic States. You can easily spot it amongst the town's other churches by the clocks in its tower. This is handy if you have just arrived from Estonia, the two countries are an hour apart, as I discovered thanks to this church. Entry is €2.85 or free with a Riga Card, a one day Riga Card is €17 and you'll be hard pushed to recoup the money. This Cathedral is one of the main attractions in town and well worth a visit. It has one of Europe's largest organs, which is currently under restoration until March 2015. Your ticket give you access to the church and its cloisters beyond. They surround a pleasant garden with various religious carvings and some old bells.

This church, like so many others in Latvia, has shuffled between the two main divisions of the Christian Faith in the Western World, depending upon which was winning the War of Religions at the time. Built originally in the 13th Cent., it is the largest mediaeval church remaining in the Baltic States, and now serves as the city’s Lutheran Cathedral. The exterior is notable for a splendid clock tower that was rebuilt in Baroque style when its predecessor was destroyed by fire. It is crowned by a cock instead of a cross, a preference it shares with many other churches in Latvia where that bird is considered as the Guardian of the Christian Faith. The North Portal is also noteworthy for its impressive representation of the Marriage of the Virgin. The interior, originally in the form of a Latin Cross, underwent change to a series of Gothic Naves. In this context, the stained glass windows are especially lovely although they were executed and installed much later. More recently, it has been remodeled to allow it to serve also as a concert hall. This was stimulated by the fame of its 19th Cent. organ, a massive instrument that was the largest in the world when first installed, and now the largest in Europe. However, the church is also home to celebrated choirs, one of which (a mixed male/female ensemble) we heard in rehearsal during our visit. There is a fee for visiting, but it is modest, and I don’t think it deserves the opprobium it has drawn from several other reviewers.

Impressive exterior, although the interior of this Lutheran cathedral is, as you'd expect, rather austere. The organ, said to be the largest in Europe, is undergoing restoration. There is a charge for entry but I can't honestly say it was worth it. My companion, who has visited Riga many times, says it is worth visiting the cathedral for a concert. By the way, if you're flying Ryanair you will have to find seven euros to pay a Latvian exit tax. Don't say you haven't been warned!