Mežaparks (also known as Kaiserwald in German) is a neighbourhood in North Central Riga, Latvia. The name is literally translated as "forest park". The park was built in the early 20th century and was originally called Kaiserwald. It was one of the world's first garden cities.It had large number of Art Nouveau and Eclectic villas for upper class inhabitants of Riga.
During the Second World War, the Kaiserwald concentration camp was located in this park, and many Jews, Gypsies, communists, and other opponents of Nazi rule were murdered in these woods.
Today it is still one of the wealthier areas of Riga, the park hosts the Latvian Song and Dance Festival in early July every 5 years, most recently in 2013.
Mežaparks is also host to the Riga Zoo and its lakeside locale allows for various water sporting activities. There is also an amusement park in Mežaparks, which makes the neighborhood a popular summer destination for Riga residents.
