Riga Art Nouveau Museum – The World of Art Nouveau in Riga's Most Beautiful Apartment

The Riga Art Nouveau Museum – Rīgas Jūgendstila muzejs – is one of the most charming and unique museum experiences in the entire Baltics. Housed in a fully restored Art Nouveau apartment from 1903, the museum offers visitors an authentic sense of how Riga's wealthy citizens lived at the beginning of the 20th century. Here's everything you need to know.

Quick Facts

• Address: Alberta iela 12, Riga (Art Nouveau Quarter)
• Built: 1903 – architect Konstantīns Pēkšēns
• Recommended visit time: 1-1.5 hours
• Admission: Approx. 8-10 EUR – guided tours available
• Best for: Architecture lovers, design enthusiasts, history buffs

Why visit the Riga Art Nouveau Museum?

Riga boasts Europe's largest and best-preserved collection of Art Nouveau architecture – over a third of the city's buildings are in Art Nouveau style, and UNESCO has recognized this as part of Riga's World Heritage. The Riga Art Nouveau Museum is the best way to experience this architecture from the inside.

While most Art Nouveau buildings can only be admired from the outside, the museum opens its doors to a fully furnished and decorated apartment from 1903. Original furniture, wallpaper, lamps, tableware, and personal items create a rare and fascinating time capsule.

What to see?

The reconstructed apartment

The heart of the museum is the fully reconstructed apartment with original and period-appropriate furniture, textiles, and decorative items. Each room – from the formal salon to the bedroom and kitchen – is furnished as it would have appeared to a wealthy Riga family in 1903.

Art Nouveau details

Look closely at the architectural details – the decorative stucco details on the ceilings, the original tiled stoves, the wrought-iron railings, and the colorful stained-glass windows. It is in the details that the aesthetic of Art Nouveau truly unfolds.

The façade and staircase

The building's façade on Alberta iela is one of the most beautiful in Riga's Art Nouveau quarter. The decorative façade with masks, floral motifs, and geometric patterns is a masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture. The indoor staircase is equally magnificently preserved.

Alberta iela – The Art Nouveau Street

The museum is located on Alberta iela – one of Riga's most beautiful streets with an outstanding collection of Art Nouveau buildings. Set aside time to walk up and down the street and admire the many different façades.

Practical tips

• Guided tours: Highly recommended – the guide explains the details and history behind each room and object.
• Languages: Guided tours in Latvian, Russian, and English – check if Danish is available.
• Photography: Allowed – the museum is very photogenic.
• Combine with: Walk up and down Alberta iela and visit the surrounding Art Nouveau buildings.
• Transport: Approx. 15 minutes walk from Old Town or take the tram.

Suggested itinerary – Art Nouveau tour in Riga (half-day)

• Start: Riga Art Nouveau Museum – guided tour of the apartment
• Stop 1: Walk along Alberta iela – admire the façades
• Stop 2: Elizabetes iela and Strēlnieku iela – more Art Nouveau buildings
• Break: Coffee at a café in the Art Nouveau quarter
End: Walk back to Old Town along the wide boulevards

Shoe recommendation

A walk in Riga's Art Nouveau quarter takes place on wide sidewalks and asphalted streets – but comfortable shoes are still important for a long day on your feet. At