Photos: Jorge Láscar from Melbourne, Australia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Virtual-Pano, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Mārtiņš Bruņenieks, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Jorge Láscar from Melbourne, Australia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Virtual-Pano, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Mārtiņš Bruņenieks, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Powder Tower and St Jacob's Church
Your local guide
Dace Jansone
View profile
Highlights
- A tower still holding embedded cannonballs
- Marks left by centuries-old sieges
- A cathedral with a plain but old exterior
- Two survivors, two very different stories
- A short session of contrasts
About this tour
This session pairs a squat defensive tower still holding embedded cannonballs with a plain but historically significant nearby church. You see the tower's thick walls and the marks left by old sieges, then the church that has served as the city's Catholic cathedral for centuries. It is a short session on two very different kinds of survival in one corner of the old town.
I start with a sound check at the tower, then walk to the church, pointing out details and answering questions throughout. A short note on both buildings' history follows by message afterwards.
It suits anyone interested in military history or religious architecture. It also pairs well with a Swedish Gate session.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Riga before heading out.
-
Powder Tower exterior 15 min
The camera holds on the thick round tower, and I point out cannonballs still lodged in its walls from past sieges.
-
St Jacob's Church 15 min
You see the church's plain exterior nearby, and I explain its long history as the city's Catholic cathedral.
-
Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Riga: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Rye bread and Old Town, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Riga time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Riga, showing you Powder Tower exterior and St Jacob's Church live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk between the two buildings live with my phone.
Times shown in Riga time (EET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Fri 6 Nov · 10 seats left From 21,00 €
Book