Latvia - Riga

St. Peter´s Church

St. Peter´s Church is a Lutheran church, located next to the Riga Cathedral in Riga, Latvia. Its exact year of construction is currently unknown – however, the earliest mention of the church is in records dating back to 1209. Due to it being a masonry construction, the church was left unharmed by a fire which swept the city of Riga that year. The overall construction of the church can be split into three different time periods and building styles; Gothic, Romanesque, and Baroque. Not much remains of the earlier periods, partly due to the several phases of construction, and partly due to being destroyed, then rebuilt several times in the late 17th century / early 18th century.

It was destroyed by artillery fire again in 1941, during WWII – however, restoration began in 1954, and this time, every measure was taken to return the church to its pre-war state.

Today, the church is open to visitors, and has an elevator installed in the tower, allowing for a fantastic view of the city of Riga from a height of 72 meters.

 

Photo Credit: Wikipedia.com