The Vidzeme region is where the road begins to climb and the Gauja river carves a deep canyon through red sandstone. This area is the core of your Gauja Valley road trip highlights featuring high cliffs and dark caves that have been tourist stops for hundreds of years. You are standing in the middle of a medieval landscape where three different castles look out over the green canopy from their rocky perches.
Drive to Sigulda to scale the towers of the Turaida Castle and shout into the Gutmanis Cave to hear the echo return from the ancient carvings. The winding roads through the valley are a driver’s dream especially in autumn when the maple trees turn a brilliant shade of gold and red. You can cross the river by cable car or test your nerves on the bobsleigh track that overlooks the steep valley floor.
Heading further north the terrain levels out into the rocky coast of Vidzeme where boulders are scattered across the sand like giant marbles. The town of Cēsis waits with its cobblestone squares and the most well preserved medieval castle in the land where you can explore the dark cellars by candlelight. The Vidzeme region has high energy and a deep history where every hill holds a fortress and every river bend reveals a new scenic overlook.
Vidzeme (region) highlights
- Gauja National Park Drive through the deep green valley that people call the "Little Switzerland" of the northern land. It is the best region for hiking and seeing high river cliffs made of bright red stone.
- Turaida Castle See the red brick towers rising from the trees like a scene from a fairy tale book of kings. You can climb to the top for a view of the entire winding river and the green hills of the park.
- Cēsis Medieval Castle Take a candle lantern and go down into the dark stone cellars of this grand ruin built by knights. It is the best way to feel the history of the old wars and the life of the people in the past.
- Gutmanis Cave Read the ancient names carved into the soft sand walls of the largest cave in the Baltic land. The water from the spring inside is cold and is said to have healing powers for those who drink it.
- Sigulda Bobsleigh Track Ride a real sled down the steep turns of one of the fastest tracks in the world today. It offers a great view over the valley for those who want to watch the action from the top.
- Līgatne Nature Trails Walk through the deep woods to see brown bears and owls in their natural home in the wild. The park is a great spot for families to see the wild side of the north in a safe way.
- Rocky Coast of Vidzeme Drive to the beach to find giant boulders scattered across the sand like toys left by a giant. It is a unique part of the coast that looks different from any other beach in the country.
- Zvārtes Rock Stand at the foot of a massive cliff that looks like a giant stone nose poking out of the hill. The river below is fast and cold making it a popular spot for boat trips and picnics.
- Alūksne Narrow Train Take a ride on the last regular steam train that still runs between the small towns of the north. It is a charming way to see the deep forest landscape while sitting in an old wood car.
- Araīši Lake Castle Visit a wooden village built on stilts in the middle of a lake as it was over a thousand years ago. It shows how people lived in the Viking age to stay safe from their foes.
The local Four
History of Vidzeme (region)
Vidzeme is the Latvian region of war and stone where German knights built a chain of castles to control the deep river canyon. They used boulders stuck together with a mix of lime, eggs and honey to build walls that could stand for a thousand years. From these high towers, they ruled over the land and fought off the pagan tribes who lived in the dark woods below.
The town of Cēsis is the place where the red and white flag of the nation was flown for the first time in the 1200s. During a great siege in 1577, three hundred locals chose to blow up their own castle rather than be taken by the invading army of the czar. This spirit of grit is still felt in the old stone cellars where you can walk through the dark by the light of a hand held lantern.
The road through the valley follows the path of the first schools and the birth of the local choir traditions. Swedes once ruled this land and built grand manors like Alūksne, which has a park full of fountains and a temple to honor the fame of the past. Today, the valley is a driver's dream with high cliffs and the oldest caves in the north that hold carvings from many centuries ago.