Baltic Bike Tour Day 5: Gauja National Park

The Gauja National Park is the largest and oldest of the national parks in Latvia, characterized by great biological diversity, variety of landforms, natural springs, sandstone outcrops, picturesque views and unique natural, cultural and historical monuments.

We all left together today - the first time the group of 8 has ‘synced’ but it wasn’t long before the two so-called navigators with their GPS’s led the group ‘up the garden path’ - or should I say out of Sigulda via a steep descent to the river below, thereby missing the first attraction on the list for today, Sigulda Castle. (We won’t mention who one of the navigators was ...).

With everyone merrily snapping photos of a large manor set up high over the valley overlooking the river valley below, it didn’t take long to work out this was NOT Sigulda Castle which in fact was back in Sigulda (doh!) back UP the hill we had just descended! Arghh!!

So up we went - a real heart-starter, MF and I the only two to do this.

Eventually we found Sigulda Castle, built in 1207 by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword which was a military order comprised of German "warrior monks.”

Back down the steep hill - again ! - to the Gauja River (the only bonus of going UP!). A lovely ride along bike track to the Gutmana cave where we had coffee at a cute rotunda. The cave is the widest and highest cave in the Baltics. It is 18.8 meters deep, 12 meters wide and 10 meters high. There is a tragic story of a girl called Maija known as the Rose of Turaida that has a connection to this cave.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_of_Turaida


On to Turaida via a long steep (11%) climb. Turaida church, the oldest wooden church in Latvia was consecrated in 1750. The castle here was quite worthwhile for the views out over the complex. The kind ladies at the reception kasse office minded our panniers whilst we walked around the lovely grounds, our trusty bikes locked up outside.

It was about 6 kms on BUSY (!) road from here to Krimulda, the oldest church in Latvia (as opposed to the oldest wooden one earlier) then onto Ragana to meet the bus for the 50 km transfer to Rīga, the capital city (pop. 640,000).

The traffic on the final 6 kms after the church to the bus was not so busy and we could enjoy the lovely countryside: fields of lupins and a couple of big storks’ nests with the young being fed up high.

We will have two nights here, ‘free’ day tomorrow and we say goodbye to Vaidas. There will be a minibus from here and new driver.

At 4 p.m. we have a walking tour of the Old Town scheduled.

Cycle: 20.5 kms