Riga was founded in 1201 at the place where a small river Rezekne fell into the Daugava river. Today, there is no Rezekne river, and the place where Riga was laid down is called the Albert Square and around that square storage-houses and granaries were built for centuries.
During the first centuries of Riga everything was subordinated to trade in the city. Even churches were equipped with characteristic windlasses, so that their inner rooms could be used as storages for goods.
For a long period of time the area of storage-houses and granaries near the Albert Square in Riga was in the state of complete dilapidation. The storage-houses built several centuries ago went to ruin without the proper repairs. But everything was changed in the last decade.
The area of medieval storage-houses and granaries is now one of the most popular quarters in Riga. The storage-houses are rented or bought for art galleries, various fashion shops and cafes. As a result, it has become a very picturesque district where you may have a walk in the atmosphere of the medieval Riga in the first centuries of its existence. Near the quarter of medieval storage-houses and granaries St. Peter`s Church is located, and a bit farther on – the House of the Blackheads. If you have time, you must come there.
