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Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (72) The castle is the highlight to the visit to the Turaida Museum reserve especially the climb up the tower and the view over the Gauja Valley. There is an exhibition in the tower as well.
The castle was built in 1214 by the Archbishop of Riga on the site of a Liv stronghold. It was burnt down in 1776 (the tower survived). Some restoration has taken place since.
The name Turaida means God's Garden. Leave a Comment
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The first stop on a tour of Sigulda is Sigulda Church which is still a functioning church. They were preparing for a wedding on the Saturday we were there but we did go inside for a quick look.
It was built in 1255, rebuilt in the 17th/18th century.
It was impossible to get a good picture of the church because of all the trees, how nice to be able to say that! Leave a Comment
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After you get off the cable car, the first place to visit on the other side of the Gauga Valley is the ruins of Krimulda Castle. The way to the castle wasn't particularly well marked and since there's not much left to the castle, I wasn't actually sure that we had found it.
Krimulda Castle was built between 1255 and 1273, it was thought because it was surrounded by deep valleys that it would be secure but it was sacked in 1602.
You can also take a bus to Krimulda from the Sigulda bus station. Leave a Comment Directions: Not well marked, Lonely Planet says to go up the track from near the bridge. My recollection is that we turned right from the cable car, walked down a small set of stairs and then up a path.
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Unless you have a car, taking a cable car over the Gauga Valley is a good way to get to the other side to see Krimulda Castle, the caves and Turaida and provides a lovely view of the valley.
See my transportation tip for more specifics.
Here's a picture taken from the cable car Leave a Comment
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Turaida Castle is part of the Turaida Museum Reserve - and the highlight of a visit to the museum.
The red brick castle on top of a hill overlooking the Gauja Valley was built in the early 13th century, as the residence of Bishop Albert of Riga - the castle was built on the site of a wooden Livonian castle. Turaida castle was modified and rebuilt several times during the following centuries. A fire in 1776 ruined large parts of the castle, and in the 1970s the castle was restored and reconstructed - but the round tower is still largely original.
There are various exhibitions inside the castle, of archaelogical findings in the castle complex and of the castle's history. The displays are in Latvian only - but there are factsheets available in English.
The climb up the stairs of the round tower is a definite must-do - the view from the tower is excellent! You'll see parts of the castle, and the Folksong Park - and you'll have a lovely view of the Gauja Valley and the river. The climb up is not very strenous at all, and the stairs are quite good (but a little steep).
Entrance Prices:
Adults 2 Ls (covers the entire Museum Reserve)
Opening hours:
November 1st - April 30th: 10 - 17
May 1st - October 30th: 10 - 18 Leave a Comment Address: Turaida - just north of Sigulda centre
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In the churchyard of the Turaida church, two lime tree shade the grave of Turaida Rose. A simple headstone reads "Turaida Rose 1601-1620".
The legend of Turaida Rose is this: a local beauty from Sigulda named Maija loved a gardener at Sigulda Castle named Viktors, they would meet at the Gutmanis Cave. One day a suitor of hers who was a Polish officer lured her to the cave on the false pretense of meeting Viktors.
Maija offered him this challenge, the scarf around her neck was magical and if his sword could pass through it without stopping, he could have her forever. The officer withdrew his sword, passed the blade through the handkerchief and Maija's neck killing her.
Viktors is said to have buried her and vanished, the Polish officer is said to have been caught and hanged for his crime. Leave a Comment
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While we were waiting for the friendly cable-car lady to come back to the Krimulda-side of the valley to pick us up, we went for a walk in the small village of Krimulda. (According to the schedules posted on the wall, the cable car was supposed to be closed for the day already - but the lady operating it told us she'd come back to pick us up an hour later - very nice.. :o)
Krimulda is a pleasant little village, the dominating building being the large, light yellow "baronial estate" just south of the cable car station. Records of the manor dates back to the 15th century, the current building is from the 19th century and now houses a rehabilitation clinic. Leave a Comment Directions: To the south of the cable car station on the Krimulda side.
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The cable car ride across the Gauja Valley offers nice views of the Gauja river and the Turaida Castle.
The station is situated to the west of the Sigulda castle and Sigulda Lutheran church - walk north on the main road, Raina iela, and turn left by the church. (Or drive - there's a parking area by the cable car station) The cable car seems to have a somewhat erratic schedule - according to signposts it was supposed to run once every hour (on the hour from the Sigulda side, ten past the hour from the Krimulda side, until 17.10) - but it seemed to just go whenever there were passengers, even after the posted closing time... :o)
Price:
Adults 1 Ls per ride. Weekends: 1.5 Ls per ride.
Children: 0.75 Ls / 1 Ls per ride
If the ride across the valley is too boring for you, you may try bungee jumping off the cable car... ;o) Available after 18.30 Friday - Sunday, May - October - price 20 Ls weekends, 17 Ls Fridays. Leave a Comment Phone: +371 797 25 31
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You'll find the Sigulda Castle Ruins near Sigulda Lutheran church - just to the north of the new Sigulda castle.
The German "warrior monks", the Order of the Brothers of the Sword started building the castle in 1207 - at the same time the archbishop of Riga was building his castle nearby in Turaida, on the northern side of the Gauja river. (The Gauja river was the dividing line between the lands of the archbishop, and the territory of the Knights.) Sigulda castle was ruined in the Great Northern War in the early 18th century. You'll find more on the history of this place on the web site I've linked to below.
Only a small part of the castle is left: the southern wall of the convent building, and the tower of the main gate. Leave a Comment Directions: Walk past the visitor's centre (behind Sigulda Lutheran church), and onto the grounds of Sigulda new castle. The ruins are just to the north of the new castle.Website: http://www.sigulda.lv/index.php?pid=2214
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On the grounds of Turaida Museum Reserve, there's a headstone with the inscription "Turaidas Roze 1601 - 1620".
The legend goes as follows: Turaida's Rose was a local girl (called Maija) who'd been found wounded after a battle in 1601 - she was taken into Turaida Castle, and grew up to be a renowned beauty - but Maija declined all the marriage proposals she got, because she loved Viktors, a gardener at Sigulda Castle. Viktors and Maija used to meet in Gutmanis Cave, and one day a Polish officer, desperately in love with Maija, copied her lover's handwriting and lured her into going to the cave - where the officer was waiting for her. Maija offered him a scarf in exchange for her freedom - she claimed her scarf was magical, and would protect anyone wearing it, and to prove the powers of the scarf she told him to drive his sword through her heart. Viktors later found Maija's body, and buried her on the castle grounds, before planting one of the lime trees (linden to the Americans!) shading Maija's grave.
There are signs pointing you in the direction of the grave, which is located near Turaida Church. Leave a Comment
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on June 14, 2004
on July 9, 2006
