A statue built to honor the elite soldiers who fought for Latvia during World War I.

A former graveyard for Riga’s elite is now a large park with elegant monuments.

With a design inspired by traditional Latvian textiles, this monument honors the Latvian people who suffered under Soviet occupation.

The statue of a legendary giant who carried Christ and shouldered the world's sins.

This enigmatic artifact remained buried in a churchyard for years.

A stone marker and sculpture in the city of Riga stake a claim for the very first community Christmas tree.

This charming Latvian lane doubled as Baker Street on the Soviet Union’s version of Sherlock Holmes.

The reconstruction of this prominent building fulfilled a long-written command.

Latvia's symbolic mountain-shaped national library is home to millions of cultural tomes.

A black cat protests the City Guild in Riga's Old Town.

Flamboyant architecture from the turn of 20th century.

The oldest housing complex in Riga is a mini timeline of architectural trends.

The European Union’s tallest freestanding structure provides radio and television broadcasting to half of Latvia.

This celebration of Latvia’s freedom and independence avoided demolition over half a century of Soviet occupation.

3,000 market stands in five former Zeppelin hangars.

A monument commemorating the 852 lives lost in the sinking of the MS Estonia.

Dedicated to the untimely death of American balloonist and parachutist.

The first monument in Estonia that was made by an Estonian sculptor.

Rubbing the buttons along this statue's coat is considered good luck.

This stoic bronze soldier stands as a symbol of Russian sacrifice or Soviet oppression, or maybe both.

This free museum is building a collection of books that are banned, censored or burnt around the world.

This striking memorial is one of Estonia’s most controversial Soviet leftovers.

"There's nothing there," and other lies the KGB told us.