Arriving in the beautiful city of Riga, travelers first go for a walk around the Old Town, where the spires of ancient churches rise to the sky, courtyards hide the most colorful establishments, and long cobbled streets form medieval structures. Some of these unique monuments of medieval architecture are the famous Jacob's Barracks that are hard to miss.

The complex of city structures was built for the needs of Swedish soldiers in the 17th century. The unusual name of Jacob's Barracks comes from the translation of the "Jekaba kazarmas" into English. By the way, the complex can also be named "James’ Barracks" in honor of the Cathedral of St. James, which was famous among soldiers. The barracks were almost adjacent to the city defensive wall. There was such a narrow passage between them that two people could hardly pass by each other there. Today, this passage has become Torna Street, and Jacob's Barracks – one of the main attractions in the capital.

In fact, the real Jacob's Barracks were built at the end of the 18th century on the site of the old wooden barracks by order of Peter the Great. The pale yellow walls fitted perfectly into the overall ensemble of the city and set the color scheme and modern look of Riga.

Throughout its rich history, the barracks housed the statistical bureau, the job center, and even the classrooms of the city flight school. Today, there are shops, souvenir stores, bars, restaurants, as well as offices of representatives of Latvian cities. The representative office of each city is decorated with a coat of arms depicted on one of the gable facades of its building.

The restaurant located in the barracks' basement deserves special attention. It is very easy to find it: next to the building, there is an original menu that looks like a helm. The best view of the barracks is from afar, from the height of Bastion Hill, which rises opposite the complex.