The hero in fairy tales is typically presented with several challenges. So your first task is to walk around the Old Town quarter, where you can find the oldest wooden building in Jelgava (from the 18th / 19th century). There you have to find which of the old, interesting wooden houses is the Vecpilsētas māja. 

This time I will be Your magic godmother and give you a hint that the house You are looking for is the renovated, dark brown wooden house. On one side of the building, windows are closed with heavy shutters and large keys. Secrets must be kept safe. But for the atmosphere, I would recommend walking the entire Vecpilsēta street.  

You have passed the initial test. Excellent. But your main task will be to discover the history of the Vecpilsētas māja.

When you get inside the house, just like in a fairy tale, you will have a chance to open three magic chests. Only these work not on fairy dust but on modern technology. Vecpilsētas māja perfectly understands how to use gamification elements to intrigue people to discover every detail of the exposition.

You will also be given a magic key - an audio guide with remote control.

Then the button is pushed, and boom! Chests half open. After that, you have to use your adventurous spirit to open each drawer, where a little bit of the story is hidden. The information is presented either with the help of an audio guide, as a game, or as a projection. You will also find ancient objects in some drawers. For example, some love letters of unknown origin.

Do you know which ceiling used to be called the Latvian ceiling? And why did they use to throw coins into the cracks of the boards? Chests will be happy to tell you this, along with other stories about the architecture and renovation of the ancient house. You will also hear stories about the old buildings of Jelgava and discover the big secret - how this building managed to survive during the 2nd World War when others were burned down.

I want to praise the storyteller. If you close your eyes, the story will destroy the boundaries of time and space and allow you to feel as if you were in ancient Jelgava. But who is a storyteller? You will have to look for the answer in the chests again.

But when the magic of the story fades and you open your eyes, it's time to explore the interior.

The premises are unusual - I would like to say the house feels naked. All the decorative layers have been torn away, and only the clean, rough, cracked wood remains. Likewise, the stove in one of the rooms is bare too.

You will find exposed beams and roof tiles in the attic. One can literally see the wind whistling through the cracks. 

In the room, there is an exhibition of pictures of folk costumes by the association Mans Tautastērps. And an exposition that resembles one of those treasure-hunting games where you have to find objects. The more you look, the more you see. Dried flowers. Old phones. Oil lamp. What catches your attention in this collection?