Maskavas Forstate

Across the railway tracks, just east of the Old Town, is Maskavas Forstate, the Moscow Suburb. During the German occupation, it was the site of the city's Jewish Ghetto. After Russian liberation, it became the Russian quarter. Today, it is home to the immense Central Market, held daily in eight giant Zeppelin hangars and, just beyond that, a revitalised warehouse district shows that money has moved across the tracks. Further on, however, the suburb is in a state of decay. Cobbled streets and wooden homes hide tiny parks with beautiful Russian orthodox churches and a great view of it all can be had from the 17th floor viewing deck in one of the eleven identical towers built by Stalin across the former Soviet states. The views from near the top of the Academy of Science are unmatched in low-rise Riga.