Day tour to Vidzeme region (Sigulda, Līgatne and Cēsis)
Vidzeme is one of the four historical territories in Latvia. It is famous with its beauty of nature, heritage relating to the history of civilization and ethnical traditions. In Vidzeme you can enjoy the picturesque beauty of rivers and lakes, to rejoice at the landscapes made by woods, meadows, hills and lowlands. When visiting the castles and manors of Middle ages you can feel the breath of history as well as get to know many interesting and fascinating facts about Latvian history, traditions and different life-styles. The ancient towns, each with its charm, its history and culture, keep significant heritage of culture and architecture.
| DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION | Riga, Latvia | ||||
| DEPARTURE TIME | Departure time from your hotel at 09:00 AM. | ||||
| RETURN TIME | Approximately 7:00 PM. | ||||
| WEAR | Comfortable clothing, walking shoes. | ||||
| PRICE (ONE PERSON) |
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1
09:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Transportation
From Riga we are moving to Cēsis. Depend on traffics its takes around 1,5 hour.
2
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Excursion in Cēsis
Cesis – is characterized as a typical European medieval town and you can see it strolling around the old town. The emblem, a defensive stone wall, Town Hall and other characteristic elements of the medieval city, in Cesis can be dated back to at least the 14th century.
3
12:00PM – 1.00PM: Lunch in Cēsis
You will have Lunch time in local restourant.
4
1:00 PM – 1:45 PM: Archaeological Park Araisi
Now it’s possible to see a reconstruction of the Lake castle from the 9th century in a full scale, open-air exposition of the ideal reconstructions of 3 separate buildings of the Stone and Bronze Ages on the so called Daughter’s Island. Here you can also experience the ruins of the medieval stone castle. The reconstruction of the Lake Castle is the only project of its kind, which has no equal in all of Northern Europe.
5
2:00 PM – 2:30 PM: Lustuzis
Is a favorite visitable natural site. More and more tourists visiting Ligatne wish to perpetuate themselves and their friends in pictures against the mighty cliff. Therefore a special sight platform was created on the foot of the cliff ensuring rich landscape and at the same time protecting the natural monument from human-induced cracking.
6
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM: The Ligatne ferry
Is the only remaining ferry across the Gauja River. In the 17th century there were nine ferries across the Gauja River to ensure convenient communication with Estonia and Russia.
7
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: The Gutmanala (Goodman's Cave)
Grotto is the most popular and vast cave in Latvia. It was formed in the course of 10,000 years by water gradually eroding sandstone. The grotto is a protected geological site and the oldest tourist attraction in Latvia. Goodman’s Cave is 10 m high, 12 m wide and 18.8 m deep.
8
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Excursion in Turaida Museum Reserve
Turaida Museum Reserve is a heritage site. The 42 hectares of grounds are replete with archaeological, architectural, historical and art monuments, all of which provide an account of the events from the eleventh century onwards. The events of the Turaida Museum Reserve are multi-faceted: besides setting up exhibitions, activities are geared towards the preservation of the cultural environment, the maintenance and shaping of the landscape, as well as diverse visitor-oriented activities.
8
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Return
Return to Riga.
Tour Reviews
Absolutely brilliant!
We were absolutely blown away by this tour; Eva is the best tour guide we’ve ever had! Eva’s passion and enthusiasm for the country, history and the Latvian national identity was completely contagious and her friendly nature culminated in the tour feeling like a really good friend sharing her passion and vast knowledge. I definitely recommend going outside of tourist season as there were no queues and in fact quite often no other people at the sites we visited – it was so peaceful!
Our trip started in Riga, and took us to Turaida castle which was beautiful with spectacular views, Gutmanala cave which was small given its supposed to be one of the largest in Latvia, Ligatne ferry which is not quite as expected, the Lustuzis cave pantries which are fascinating, the beautiful and historic town of Cesis and the incredible reconstruction of Araisi castle which would have dated back to the 9th century. Since the trip was (a surprise as it happens) private tour, we were able to enjoy all the sites at out leisure (within reason). Overall we were absolutely delighted with the tour and would recommend asking for Eva when you book!
We had a great one day trip east of Riga with guide Normunds. Friendly and flexible, recommended company!
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