Ogre History and Art Museum

General information

Ogre is one of the few towns in Latvia that started its development as a health resort and rest area. The origin of Ogre dates back to 1861 when a railway line Riga – Dinaburga was opened. The picturesque vicinity of Ogre surrounded by forests, hills and rivers rapidly turned into a rest area popular with the wealthy from Riga. The new health resort was opened in 1962. Before World War I there were 300 summer homes in Ogre. In 1928 Ogre was granted the rights of a town. The architecture of the town mainly consisted of wooden summer cottages built in the 20 – 30-ies of the 20th century, many of them designed by famous Latvian architects.
Due to the beautiful nature and the healthy climate in 1920 – 1930-ies the provincial town Ogre became a popular recreation place both in summer and winter. One of exhibitions - “Ogre – a Water and Air Resort” - reflects the mentioned period of time focusing on recreation, entertainment and sporting activities. The exposition named „Legendary Ogre” ir dedicated to the most significant events in the history of the citiy. The historic facts overlap with legends, interpretations and people’s memories. Each event is like a small legend in the history of Ogre, wich makes city's image recognizable in Latvia and beyond.