Historic centre of Riga keeps a lot of secrets and mysteries, one of which is leading to the dome square inconspicuous street, situated in the heart of the old city. This short, tucked away behind the houses and the Central streets of the street of the old Riga is the most narrow street in town and its name was Rosen (Rozena iela).
This particular street, c lined up and pasted to each other with houses on both sides, is distinguished by its extreme narrowness among the already narrow streets of Old Riga.
According to one of the width of the street Rosen is only 1 meter 10 centimeters, others - 1 meter 80 centimeters. How much the street width really we don't know personally, were not measured. More about this street, it is said that man standing in the middle of it, hands can get to the walls of the opposite houses. As he tried to get the hands to the opposite wall, so we did not work, can hands longer than needed))
In the photo, for comparison, the width of the other streets of the old town in Riga
About the street Rosen goes several legends and each of them is... well, of course, with its narrowness.
One legend says that if two ladies in fluffy dresses of the noble families, faced on the street Rosen are unable to diverge and began to argue who should make way, so much so that are unable to reach a consensus. And if to dig up the pavement of the street, and to this day you can see these ladies arguing about who will give way. According to the second legend, two rider met face to face on the street and are unable to pass each other, no one wanted to give way, believing themselves to be richer and better than the other person.
Street Rosen was formed in the 13th century when the land was inhabited by the Smiths, and still her name came from the basic occupation of the inhabitants. The street was called a Blacksmith. The present name of the street, Rosen, emerged only in the 17th century, in honor of living on the streets of Bishop Rosen. Once this face was the city's first foundry, in which he cast bells and cannon. Unfortunately, until the present day workshop has not survived.
From the middle ages to the present time street Rosen outwardly kept the old Riga pavement, with typical for those times slant to the middle of the street to prevent the ingress of water into buildings.
Another interesting fact rozena street is that the houses facing it relate to other streets, one side of the street tirgoņu another Jauniela.
At the beginning of the rozena street, on crossing with street Krum (Kramu iela) once housed the oldest wine cellar in the city wine warehouses Riga rata. The first mention of them is stored in the Riga manuscripts dates back to the year 1293. Now a wine cellar on the street of Rosen included among the attractions of the city. Currently this place is the authentic historical restaurant "Rozengrals", made in the medieval style.
Thanks to the exterior of the restaurant and paraphernalia around him, the street Olivet the spirit of the middle ages, and walking through it, you seem to be tolerated a few centuries ago. In addition to the decoration of the streets, the feeling help to recreate dressed in medieval garb touts the restaurant Rozengrals.
During the excavation of the wine cellar "Vinarium Civitatis Rigensis" was found the old matrix for the minting of coins. Later it was restored by specialists and now is in the hall of the restaurant. The restaurant offers its visitors a remake of the ancient copper coin 1293 year in memory of the visit of the Latvian capital.
