Riga I Forest Cemetery

How to get there - bus: 9, 11 (tram)

Riga Forest Cemetery (Rīgas Meža kapi) is a cemetery opened in 1913 in Riga, located between Mežaparks and Čiekurkalns. It is formally divided into the 1st Forest Cemetery and the 2nd Forest Cemetery.

Riga Forest Cemetery was established following a decision by the city council in 1913, and the consecration ceremony took place on June 19. The cemetery was intended to serve as the city’s main burial ground, replacing the Great Cemetery, which had been established in 1773 and was already overcrowded.

Landscape architect Georg Friedrich Küffel, the author of the initial project, inspired by cemeteries in Germany at the time, proposed designing the cemetery as a park with a central avenue, a few side avenues, and many small paths along which burial plots would be located, featuring low fences and small monuments. From the outset, the cemetery was envisioned as an open space, without separate family chapels or high fences.

Riga Forest Cemetery is one of Latvia’s most culturally and historically significant cemeteries, showcasing burials from various periods and professions. The cemetery grounds feature several memorial sculptures, gravestones, and monuments created by renowned sculptors. Many notable Latvian politicians, public figures, and military personnel are buried there.