What to expect
Cēsis Medieval Castle, the 13th-century Livonian Order fortress walked by candlelight with a lantern in your hand. Emperor's View (Ķeizarskats), the cliff edge where the Gauja Valley opens beneath you. Tsar Alexander II stood here in 1862 and gave the spot its name Award-winning artisan rye-bread bakery visit, a hands-on tour with a tasting of fresh-baked breads (spelt, rye, heritage grains) Turaida Castle & Museum Reserve, the red-brick fortress on the ridge — tower views over the Gauja, the Folk Song Hill sculpture garden, and the “Nature’s Pearls” outdoor conservation trail (insect hotel, heritage trees, hermit beetle) Cēsis Old Town walking tour, the surviving Hanseatic core — Vienības laukums, the wooden lanes, St John's Church, the German guild marks if you know where to look Sigulda Medieval Castle, the 13th-century Livonian Brothers of the Sword stone ruins (1207), with a view across the Gauja valley toward Turaida