Līvu laukums

Līvu laukums is a public square in Riga’s Old Town, where cobblestone streets bring pedestrians together. Eight Old Town streets meet around it, including Kalķu iela and Meistaru iela. About half a hectare creates a compact setting surrounded by notable historic buildings. The Cat House, Great Guild, Small Guild, Russian Theatre, and Fītinghof House frame its edges.

The present square took shape in 1950 after a residential quarter was destroyed in 1941. The city first called the space Philharmonic Square, linking it to the State Philharmonic Concert Hall. In 1974, Kārlis Barons added new paths, seating, and a central fountain. A 2003 renovation shaped the flowerbed around the former course of the Rīdzene River. Blue summer flowers trace that vanished waterway through the middle of the square.

Winter brings a municipal ice rink to this historic crossroads. Warm weather fills the edges with café terraces and outdoor seating. A 2016 plaque marks the place where Riga’s first cinema screening took place. That screening happened in 1896 inside a building on Kalķu iela. Together, the blue flowerbed and cinema plaque connect Riga’s lost river with its earliest moving pictures.