St John's Church

Lutheran Gothic church with a monks' hermitage built into its southern wall

Address Jāņa iela 7, Riga

St John's (Sv. Jāņa baznīca) is one of the oldest churches in Riga, built by Dominican friars in the 13th century and later given to the city as a Lutheran church. The building is a striking mix of Gothic and Renaissance elements added at different periods.

The interior is spacious and relatively unornamented in the Lutheran tradition, but worth a look for its carved altarpiece and the unusual arches of the nave. The courtyard (Jāņa sēta) alongside the church is a quiet space in the middle of the Old Town, with fragments of the original city wall visible.

things to do sight
A story
Two Dominican monks requested to be immured alive in the church wall in 1384, believing it would bring divine blessing to the building. A small niche in the southern wall, visible from Jāņa sēta courtyard, marks the spot — with two carved faces peering through the stone.