St. James's Cathedral, Riga

The Roman Catholic cathedral of Riga, St James's is a red-brick Gothic church in the heart of the old town, its slender green spire one of the four great church towers that define the city's historic skyline. Dedicated to the apostle James, it has served as the seat of the Catholic archbishop of Riga since the early twentieth century.

First mentioned in 1225, the church is among the oldest in the city, built in the Baltic brick Gothic tradition shared across the medieval Hanseatic world. Its most distinctive feature is a small open belfry on the exterior of the east end, once used, by legend, to toll for public executions and to warn of unfaithful behaviour. Over the centuries the building changed hands repeatedly between Catholic and Lutheran congregations as Riga passed through Reformation upheavals and successive foreign rulers, before returning to Catholic use.

The interior is comparatively restrained, a tall brick hall with Gothic vaulting, a modest high altar and side chapels, reflecting its long and often turbulent history rather than lavish decoration. It stands close to the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, so the surrounding quarter has a quiet, official character away from the busier tourist lanes.

For visitors the cathedral is an easy and free addition to an old-town walk. It sits on Jēkaba Street near the parliament and the Three Brothers houses, within a few minutes of the castle and the cathedral square. The interior can be seen quietly outside Mass, with modest dress appreciated, and services follow the Catholic calendar. Its brick Gothic form and green spire make it a fine companion to the taller Riga Cathedral and St Peter's Church nearby, together illustrating the medieval religious architecture that shaped the historic centre.