Sigulda lies in the valley of the Gauja river, about fifty kilometres from Riga, and it behaves like a small Switzerland dropped into the Baltic plain. The land here is deeply cut by the river and its sandstone cliffs, covered in pine and birch forest, and the whole area forms the Gauja National Park, the largest in Latvia. Three castles face one another across the valley, and a cable car crosses it, giving the visitor views of the forest, the river and the autumn colours, which in October are among the best in the Baltic region.
The history is that of the Livonian crusaders. In the early thirteenth century, the Sword Brethren, a German military order, built a stone castle at Sigulda, whose ruins stand in a park near the town, and Bishop Albert of Riga founded Turaida Castle across the valley in 1214, its red brick towers still rising above the trees. A local legend tells of the Rose of Turaida, a girl named Maija who, according to the story, died in 1620 rather than betray her love, and her grave beneath a linden tree is a place of pilgrimage for newlyweds. Gutmanis Cave, the largest cave in the Baltic states, has walls covered with graffiti dating back centuries.
For riders, the loop around Gauja National Park is relaxing, with winding roads through woods and farmland, small villages with wooden houses, and views over the river valley. Surfaces are mostly good, with some sections of gravel on side roads. Latvia's drivers can be fast, but traffic outside Riga is light. In winter, Sigulda is a centre for bobsleigh, with an Olympic-standard track that attracts competitors, and the area is cold and snowy, so most riders visit between May and October.
Fuel and supplies are easy to find in Sigulda, which has about ten thousand people, plus small cafés that serve rye bread, smoked fish and local beer. The paths along the river are good for stretching after a ride. The mosquitoes in summer can be fierce near the water, so carry repellent. Take the cable car if the weather is clear, and watch the forest roll out beneath you in every direction.