The blacksmith’s shop is found at the medieval Cēsis Castle. You can examine, order and purchase reproductions of ancient jewellery, watch the craftsman at work, hear a very attractive story about the history of jewellery-making, and try your own hand at the craft.

Before its flooding, the canyon of the Daugava River between Pļaviņas and Koknese was one of the most outstanding and beautiful parts of the Baltic terrain, and Oliņkalns hill was one of the largest castle hills in Latvia.  The Andrejs cliff as up to 20 metres high, and it was part of the Daugava canyon.  Before the area was flooded because of the construction of the Pļaviņas hydroelectric power plant, there were rapids near the hill that made it hard for rafters to sail down the river.  Today it is a small island in the reservoir of the plant (it can be seen from the side of the Rīga-Daugavpils highway (A6) opposite Stukmaņi).  It is separated from the shore by 300 metres of river, under which the Dūņas valley is now resting.  A small part of the ramparts of the castle hill can still be seen on the island along with the ruins of an open-air stage and a few metres of the dolomite cliff that have remained above water.  It is thought that the Alene castle was on the hill in the 13th century.  Latvian mountain climbers installed a memorial stone in 1998 opposite Oliņkalns hill.

The watermill processes wool with equipment that is 100 years old and is used to produce handmade blankets and pillows that are stuffed with sheep wool, as well as souvenirs that can be commissioned and purchased.  The watermill offers tours and fresh-baked bread.  A wool pulling and wrapping machine that dates back to the 19th century and was manufactured at the Šūberts Rudītis & Co company in the 19th century is still used, as are a unique weaving apparatus from Germany and a grain mill.

Latvian cuisine: Marinated herring with vegetables, porridge, mashed potatoes a la Vidzeme (with fried onions), pancakes with jam made of Latvian berries and honey, homemade bread.

Special foods: Water pretzels and local soup with six types of fish.

The history of Cēsis begins at the Riekstu hill, which is 18 m high and the surrounding area.  There was a wooden castle built by the Vendian tribe that stood there from the 11th to the 13th century.  The hill is in the central part of the castle’s park, and it offers a fine view of the park, a pond and the ruins of the Cēsis Castle.  A long staircase leads to the hill.  The Cēsis Castle was built in the early 13th century as the residence of masters of the Livonian Order, and it was one of the most fortified forts in the Baltic region.  Alongside is the New Cēsis Castle, which was built in 1777 in a place where gate fortifications had been before.  The building houses the Cēsis Museum of History and Art, and an annex contains the Castle Visitor Centre and the Cēsis Tourism Information Centre.  From the tower of the castle, we get a good view of the castle ruins, St John’s Lutheran Church and the northern stretches of the city.  Opposite the new castle is the stable of the Cēsis Castle Estate and a wheelhouse (both from the first half of the 19th century).  Today these house the Cēsis Exhibition Hall.  Other buildings include a granary, a hut for coachmen and an old brewery.  On the other side of the street is the romantic May park, which was installed during the 1830s.  Streets in Cēsis include Lielā Katrīna, Mazā Katrīna, Mazā Kalēju, Kalēju and Lielā Līvu streets and Līvu square with wooden buildings from the late 18th and early 19th century.  Torņa Street stretches along the walls of the Medieval castle.  Outside the church is a sculpture, “As the Centuries Pass By,” and legend has it that anyone who rubs the lantern of the Old Time Man can see the future.  One of the most impressive buildings in Cēsis is St John’s Lutheran Church, which was built in the late 13th century by the Livonian Order.  The Roman-style three-segment basilica has elements of Gothic design and a 65 m steeple that was installed in 1853.  The building was reconstructed several times during the 20th century and contains grave plaques relates to masters of the Livonian Order and local bishops.  The pulpit dates back to 1748, the oak altar was manufactured in 1858, and the altar painting “Crucified One” was painted in 1862.  The windows of the altar part of the church contain artistically valuable stained glass.  The organ was manufactured in 1907 by the E.F. Walker firm, and it is one of the best concert organs in Latvia.  The solar clock with the number 1744 is in the south-wester corner of the church.  It is worth scaling the viewing tower of the church.  At its foot is Rose Square, which was a market square from the mid-13th century until 1927 and was restored in 2008.  This is the central square in the city.  During the Middle Ages, a punishment pole and the city well were here.  Rīgas Street has been the main street in the old part of the city from the very start, and here we find most of the architecturally distinguished buildings from the 18th and 19th century – the former city hall, the Fābers house and the Princess house.  At one end of the street is Liv Square, where there a church, cemetery and the Rīga gate in the city’s walls existed in the 13th century.  Today the square is decorated by a lighted fountain at a place where a well was found in the 13th century.  On the other end of the street we find a reconstruction of the foundations of the Rauna gate from the 14th and 15th century, offering a good look at Medieval walls and the size and strength of the gates.  It is commonly claimed that the national flag of Latvia was born in Cēsis, but it must be emphasised that the flag that is mentioned in chronicles was designed in Cēsis in 1279 as the ideological prototype of the current Latvian flag, while the story of the first national flag actually comes from Valmiera, where it was sewn in 1916.

The Limbažu Cheese factory has more than 90 years of experience with dairy processing.  It only uses milk from local farmers in Vidzeme, while the dairy processing technologies have been brought in from Switzerland.  Limbažu Cheese exports 95% of its output.  Alongside the company and on the other side of the street from the ruins of the Limbaži castle is a little store where the company’s products can be bought.

The “Aizvēji” guest house is located only 50 km from Riga and 200 m from the sandy shore of Vidzeme seaside, in a quiet and beautifully landscaped environment. It is a party and leisure complex with a tennis court that provides catering for events. The log house has two banquet halls and several cosy rooms. The summer café is located in a separate building from the guest house.

“Vēveri” is located 7 km to the North of the centre of Vecpiebalga and offers a look at typical and authentic farms and craftsmen’s operations from the Piebalga landscape in the 19^th century. You will wee ancient tools and household objects, as well as a recently restored windmill.