This smart cluster of boutiques has a cosy village feel, with plenty of greenery, benches to rest on and several cafés and restaurants. Upscale international brands stand next to unique shops by local Latvian designers. It’s almost hard to believe that it was Riga's first modern shopping centre, built at the end of the 19th century. The architect, Konstantīns Pēkšēns, was reputedly inspired by the archways of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar and the fashionable shopping avenues of European capital cities.