Powder Tower & Latvian War Museum
Pulvertornis
The only surviving medieval round defensive tower of Riga's Old Town, with cannonballs fired by Russian forces still embedded in its walls. The tower houses the free Latvian War Museum.
The Powder Tower is the only one of the 18 towers of Riga's medieval city walls to survive. It was first built in the 14th century, and the existing round tower dates to its 1650 reconstruction. It is about 14.5 meters in diameter, with walls nearly 3 meters thick, and cannonballs fired during the 17th- and 18th-century Russian sieges of the city are still embedded in its walls. The tower and its connected buildings now house the Latvian War Museum, which covers military history from the Middle Ages through the two World Wars, the War of Independence, and the Soviet period. Admission is free (check the official website for current details). It is located in the northeastern part of the Old Town, between the Swedish Gate and the Freedom Monument, and is easy to reach on foot.
Opening hours
Approx. 10:00–18:00 (closed Mondays in winter)
Nearby sights
- Cat House & Līvu Square
- Bastejkalns Park & City Canal
- Art Museum Riga Bourse
- St. Peter's Church
- Freedom Monument
- House of the Blackheads & Town Hall Square
- Three Brothers & Swedish Gate
- Riga Cathedral