Museum

Latvian War Museum and Powder Tower

Riga, Latvia

Latvian War Museum and Powder Tower near Riga

Riga’s Powder Tower, a former city fortification, is joined to the Latvian War Museum. The tower’s rebuilt walls and the museum’s collections connect centuries of defence with the human and political consequences of war.

Guide preview

The round brick Powder Tower once formed part of Riga’s defences. Today it is joined to the Latvian War Museum, a place that examines war through objects, documents and the experiences of people caught up in it. Its thick walls and later museum wing make the distinction visible: a military structure has become a place for studying military history.

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Quick facts

  • The tower was recorded as the Sand Tower in 1330 and was later rebuilt.
  • The museum began in 1916 as a museum of the Latvian Riflemen.
  • The museum moved into the Powder Tower in 1919 and was restored in 1990.

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