Event: Latvia - Riga

The Cat House

When:	Daily
Where:	The Cat House
Costs:	Free to look at

This famous building in Riga has black cat sculptures perched on the top of its roof. Legend has it that the sculptor fell to his death in the course of putting them in place.

The story goes that the owner of the house, a rich Latvian merchant, had commissioned the cats after his membership to the Great Guild across the street was rejected. Initially, the cats were positioned with their rear-ends facing the guild and their tails straight up. Taking this as the insult it was intended to be, guild members took the merchant to court, demanding the animals be shifted into a less offensive position. They won the case, and the cheeky cats can still be seen to this day.