Experience the best of Sigulda

Sigulda lies in the valley of the Gauja River, a short way north-east of Riga, in the heart of Gauja National Park, Latvia's oldest national park. Its red sandstone cliffs, caves and forests gave the region the nickname Livonian Switzerland. A stone castle was begun here in 1207 by the Livonian Order, and its ruins stand beside a later manor house in the town, while the red-brick Turaida Castle rises across the valley.

Gutmanis Cave, the largest cave in the Baltic states, is linked to the legend of the Rose of Turaida, a love story told across Latvia. A cable car crosses the Gauja valley, and the town also has a bobsleigh and luge track used for international races. Paths follow the sandstone cliffs along the river, and canoes drift down the Gauja through the forest in summer.

Latvian cooking uses dark rye bread, smoked fish, pīrāgi, small bacon-filled pastries, and grey peas with bacon, and cafés in Sigulda serve them near the castles. Autumn colours the valley gold in September and October, and winter brings snow for skiing and the sliding track.