Riga in the Holocaust Tour

On this walking tour through Latvia's capital, we will visit significant Holocaust memorials in the city and learn about the tragic history of Riga during the Holocaust.

Riga in the Holocaust

Meet us in front of the House of the Blackheads Museum to begin our historical Holocaust tour of Riga. This tour explores the capital city during the dark times of World War II.

We'll first visit the Great Choral Synagogue commemorative monument, marking the infamous Jewish temple burned down by the Nazis on July 4th, 1941, considered the start of the Holocaust in Latvia.

Next, we will proceed to the old Jewish Quarter, designated by the Nazis as a concentration area for Jewish families. This area was historically enclosed with barbed wire and guarded by the Latvian army under German command. There were explicit orders to shoot on sight anyone attempting to escape.

We will also discuss the old Jewish cemetery nearby, which was transformed into a recreational park after the war, with the only remnant of its past being the great stone wall with the Star of David.

After two hours of exploring this historical narrative, our tour concludes in front of the Peitav Shul, the only still-active synagogue in Latvia, serving the current Jewish population of over 7,000 individuals.