Riga

Paris and Brussels may have given birth to Art Nouveau, but Riga, the capital of Latvia, is the Mecca for anyone who loves the style's architecture because it is home to the greatest number of Art Nouveau structures in a single location. Riga was a rapidly expanding city at the turn of the 20th century, exposed to the newest influences in architecture that were displacing the eclecticism of the 19th century and introducing a new, more dynamic esthetic.

The best examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Riga can be found on Albert Street (Alberta iela), Elizabeth Street (Elizabetes iela), and Strēlnieku Street (Strēlnieku iela). Also in the Old Town, there are Art Nouveau buildings. One-third of all buildings in the city centre of Riga is in the Art Nouveau style. This is also one of the reasons why the Historic Centre of Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You can also visit the Riga Art Nouveau Centre, which is housed in a lovely building from the period. Konstantins Peksens, a prominent Latvian architect, lived and worked in the flat where the museum is housed until 1907. Peksens' home was constructed in 1903 in the apartment complex on Alberta Street. Along with architecture student Eizens Laube at the time, Peksens and Laube created the structure.

Location: Latvia