The Baltics – Day 5: Jelgava

My tourist itinerary for today was sparse, as I have already seen much of Riga and some of its environs. After checking out and leaving my bag at the hotel, I walked to the train station, where I bought tickets for the train to Jelgava. Jelgava is the largest town in Zemgale (Semigallia) and the erewhile capital of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. As many other places in Latvia, the origins of modern Jelgava reach back to the Livonian Order, which ruled the town until its fall in the late sixteenth century. The newly created Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from its inception, and it fell to Russia in the Third Partition of Poland.

My loop around Jelgava began with a quick stop by the Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Simeon and Saint Ann. The church is remarkable mostly for its vibrancy: its roof is bright blue, while its walls carry more subdued pastel colours. Just a few blocks away stands another church: the Cathedral of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, a soaring gothic-style building built of red brick and sandstone. Other attractions I saw in Jelgava included the History and Art Museum of Gederts Eliass, the Saint Trinity Church Tower, and the Palace. Allegedly the biggest baroque-style palace in the Baltics, it now serves the needs of the local university.

When I returned to the train station, I found out I had missed the train back by five minutes and would have to wait for almost an hour. This did not bother me much, though, as I have become quite adept at going about my little amusements during such periods.

My first priority upon returning to Riga was to find a place to eat lunch, after the accomplishment of which I visited the Art Nouveau Museum. Somewhat grandiosely named, the museum consists of one apartment restored to its Art Nouveau form, and a cellar with a few trinkets and multi-media displays. It is housed in a larger townhouse and to enter, one must ring a bell and be rung in by the receptionist. To the museum’s credit, it is quite charming that the employees wear flamboyant Art Nouveau-era clothes, and the staircase of the apartment is truly impressive.

After working at the hotel for a bit, I left for the bus station, where I caught my four-hour long bus ride to Vilnius.  

Saint Simeon and Saint Ann Orthodox Cathedral
The History and Art Museum of Gederts Eliass
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Virgin Mary
The Last Supper above the door
The Jelgava Saint Trinity Church Tower
Jelgava Castle
A smaller building by the castle
The front of the castle
Saint Simeon and Saint Ann Orthodox Cathedral
A window at the Art Nouveau Museum in Riga
A box for herrings
A still life on a ceiling
The ceiling of the staircase in the building of the Art Nouveau Museum
An art deco detail
The Powder Tower

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