Kronvalda Park, Riga

Kronvalda Park is the oldest park in Riga and the second grandest, in terms of plant variety and outdoor space, accommodating on its 13 hectares over 100 species of foreign trees and 22 local plants.

Initially, it wasn't a park but a forested area, planted mainly with black alders. In 1863, shortly after the city walls had been removed, the territory was given to the German Riflemen Society, which used it as a training and hunting ground. People would gather here regularly to observe the riflemen's competition at bird shooting. In the course of years, the park has hosted numerous events: exhibitions, comedy shows and even a miniature “Old City” and Venice reproduction. In 1927, Kronvalda was put under the municipal administration, with affiliation to the Parks and Gardens Committee. Its reconstruction commenced in 1930 under the direction of A.Zeidaks, and had, among other innovations, new plants introduced and the alleys redesigned. In 1938, Kronvalda was expanded with a piece of land attached from the other side of the canal and a pedestrian bridge built to connect the two banks.

Nowadays, the park is a home to the largest willow tree in Latvia, as well as the largest cork tree and the largest beech tree with dark red leaves in Riga. Among other attractions and facilities it has a playground, a café, an underground parking lot and roller skating tracks. During summer, there are also boats and water bicycles available for rent.