Stūra Māja

1 | A museum focusing on the KGB, political prisoners and the occupation of Latvia by Germany and the Soviet Union. The museum is located in the building that for many decades housed the headquarters of the Latvian branch of the KGB.2 | If you have a little time, I definitely recommend a tour of the building. It is worth remembering what the Soviet regime was like and what practices are still common in Russia today.3 | There is a free tour of the main exhibition, which consists of several panels with stories of prisoners and victims of the communist regime. A guided tour costs 10 euros, students pay 4 euros (July 2023). I recommend going on the paid tour, the experience is very intense. You will visit the prisoners' cells, the interrogation room, the kitchen and the room where the prisoners were executed. I have to appreciate the narration of the guide, he spoke interestingly, funny at times and has perfect English.The guided tours take place several times a day in groups of 10-15 people. There is a great demand for them, so I recommend to buy tickets early via the Internet.5 The length of the guided tour is about 1 hour, you will need another 20 minutes if you want to read the information panels with stories and photos of the prisoners.6 | The building is easily recognizable from the outside. It is easily accessible on foot from the historic centre of Riga, or by tram to the Ģertrūdes iela stop. From there it is a 7-minute walk to the museum.7 | The tour of the building is not suitable for younger children. The cells and the execution room may have a depressing effect on some.

Amazing English tour gives incredible insight into the KGB activities in Riga and Latvia at large. Completely worth the visit and the 10€ for the tour. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and hospitable with questions. A must see if you are in Riga!!!!

KGB museum. Guided tour. Disturbing insight into Russian atrocities in Latvia. The prison is located in the centre of Riga, with a greater population density,so that the KGB could go out at night and arrest more people than if the prison was located on the outskirts….

Best experience in a weekend runaway in Riga. Very historical with good amount of information got from the guide.I recommend to book in their website since it is easy.The inside building has a dark and terrifying history with intact and preserved walls and objects.

Very interesting museum on a former KGB site. Learned a bit. The cells get hyped as being a must see, I’m not so sure, once you have already seen prison cells of this type (& I have, Alcatraz etc) you’ve pretty much seen them all. You don’t have to pay to see these of course as there is a free section (almost wholly made up of information boards). But I suppose you could just stay at home & read Wikipedia couldn’t you? So yes, the guided tour was good, if a little biased (I didn’t need to hear the guides comments on the current war in Ukraine) though I do sympathise with those who previously suffered through Communism. The general sense I got was that the KGB mellowed (!) over time. They were pretty brutal under Stalin, 700 prisoners kept here at this place in nowhere near enough space. but by Gorbachev’s time & the break up of the USSR there was only one prisoner left serving time here.

Highly recommend the tour at €10 or there's only a lot of reading and you miss most of the museum. The guided tour is very informative but book online in advance to secure your spot.

One of the best tours I've ever had! This is a must if you visit Riga, I'm glad I discovered it. Entrance is free for the exhibition, but the tour is around €10, or €4 if you are a student - it's really worth the money. Our guide was great and very friendly, he made the whole tour really interesting and interactive. It lasted around 1 hour in total.

Very informative guided tour. I would say this place is a must visit if you are in Riga. They are preserving the building from beginning of 1900s and the guide was passionate and an amazing story teller. Most interesting part was he told us he himself was arrested twice in the same prison during Soviet times. So he combined his experiences with the history of the place.

Surely a must-visit in Riga for anyone interested in the history of the region. I recommend buying the tickets beforehand online. The cost is 10€ for an adult and 4€ for a student.

Exceptional English speaking tour with knowledgeable and detailed account of the history and activities within the building. Tour provides you hands-on experience in the darker lower levels of KGB headquarters of Riga. Well worth of money and time. The tour takes 1 hour.