The Gothic spires that dominate Rīga’s cityscape might suggest
austerity, but it is the flamboyant art nouveau that forms the flesh and
the spirit of this vibrant cosmopolitan city, the largest of all three
Baltic capitals. Like all northerners, it is quiet and reserved on the
outside, but there is some powerful chemistry going on inside its hip
bars, modern art centres, and in the kitchens of its cool experimental
restaurants
Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/latvia/riga/introduction#ixzz46mKSdiau