House of the Black Heads

Tablet666

5.0/5

Outstanding

The Blackhead Palace is located on Riga's City Hall Square. Its red brick exterior features gables and spires, and the portico is adorned with elaborate reliefs and an astronomical clock. The interior now serves as a museum; the second-floor lobby boasts stained glass and murals, the colors softened by the light filtering through the glass. The basement wine cellar retains its vaulted structure, and the air is filled with the scents of stone and old wood. Several manicured trees stand in the square, and a nearby fountain operates in the summer. The building was destroyed during World War II and has been rebuilt, but the red brick hue harmonizes well with the surrounding older buildings.