Hanseatic League Towns and Trading Offices

Riga’s strategic location made it a key Baltic hub by the late 13th c., trading East’s wax, furs, and hemp for West’s textiles, wine, and salt. After joining the Hanseatic League in 1282, Riga became part of the Livonian Third (Riga, Reval, Dorpat voting as one bloc in League affairs). This 14–15th c. map shows Riga’s integration into northern Europe’s commercial web (black circles: towns; black squares: kontors or trading offices).