Grīziņkalns Park

Grīziņkalns Park

Once called 1905 Revolution Park due to its perceived connection to the failed uprising, this natural sand dune officially became a park in 1902 when a local beer magnate built a restaurant, theatre and amusement park here. It became particularly popular with the local factory workers and their families who lived in the surrounding area. Sadly, retreating Russian troops razed all of its buildings, save one, in 1917, but the park was rebuilt in a different style in the late 1920s only to be destroyed again during WWII. The occupying Nazis even used part of the park as a POW camp for Soviet troops and the Soviets later built a top secret military bunker here. Today it’s a good place for a walk and it’s also home to a skatepark and basketball courts. A monument to 1905 revolutionaries can be found at the corner of Pērnavas and Jāņa Asara streets.

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