Step into centuries of Latvian rural life.
The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia, founded in 1924, is one of the oldest and largest open-air museums in Europe. Located on the shores of Lake Jugla in Riga, the museum covers an area of 87 hectares.
More than 100 historic buildings from all regions of Latvia have been carefully relocated and reconstructed here, forming a unique cultural landscape that reflects traditional rural life. Together they tell the story of Latvian countryside life from the late 17th century to the late 1930s.
Because buildings from all regions of Latvia are represented here, the museum is often described as a “Little Latvia” — a place where visitors can experience the diversity of Latvia’s regional architecture, traditions and ways of life within a single landscape.
In addition to the main museum site in Riga, the museum also maintains two rural museum sites preserved in situ – in their original historical locations. The farmstead “Vēveri” in Vecpiebalga represents a traditional rural landscape of the Vidzeme region, while the fishermen’s homestead “Vītolnieki” in Pape (Rucava) reflects the cultural heritage of Latvia’s Baltic coastal fishing communities.
Together, these sites provide a broader understanding of Latvia’s traditional rural environment — both through buildings relocated to the museum in Riga and historic homesteads preserved in their authentic setting.
Mission
The mission of the museum is to preserve, research and present Latvia’s traditional cultural heritage. The museum safeguards historic buildings, artefacts and traditions that reflect everyday life, work and cultural values in Latvian rural communities from the late 17th century to the mid-20th century.
Through exhibitions, research and educational activities, the museum reveals the cultural heritage, traditions and aesthetic worldview of Latvians and other peoples who have historically lived in Latvia.
Vision
The museum aims to be a vibrant and essential part of Latvia’s cultural life — an open and welcoming place for learning, research and recreation. By preserving and interpreting Latvia’s cultural and historical heritage, the museum contributes to strengthening national identity and promoting understanding of traditional ways of life.
