The 17th century Blackhead's House is a low-rise building that figures prominently as an integral part of Riga's architectural landscape.

    The Blackhead's House was first mentioned in 1334. The building was owned by the Great Guild that sprang up not later than in the 14th century. The Guild consisted of the privileged groups of merchants and landholders in the Baltics and had a great influence on the town council work.

    In the 15th century, the house was rented out to the Blackheads Merchant Guild and became their property in 1713. Blackheads organization was a union of unmarried foreign merchants who lived in the Baltic towns without families. Beachheads' houses were clubs and communities at the same time.

    This beautiful Gothic building with a Dutch Renaissance facade was destroyed in 1941, during World War II. It was just recently rebuilt in honor of the city's 800th anniversary in 2001. The building is now open to the public. The renewed building, wide and squat topped with mechanical clocks, is so authentic that it looks like as if it was transported directly from the 14th century.