Muižas pils (no sarkaniem ķieģeļiem celta) ir meklējama ceļu krustojumā pie Gaujām – 2 km ziemeļaustrumos no Jaunpiebalgas centra, Gaujas labajā krastā. Līdz 1918. g. muižas īpašnieki bija slaveno grāfu Šeremetjevu dzimta. Muižas pili nodedzināja 1905. g. nemieros, bet vēlāk atjaunoja. Muižas pilī bijušas dažādas iestādes: slimnīca, kolhoza „Piebalga” administrācija, mūsdienās – pašvaldība un dažādu sadzīves pakalpojumu sniedzēji.

Vieta, ko nekādi nevar uzskatīt par tūrisma objektu, bet tajā pat laikā tas ir Latvijas mērogā nozīmīgs kultūras un vēstures piemineklis, ko nevar nepieminēt! Laikā no 1923. – 1943. gadam muižas pilī atradās Latvijā zināmākā mājturības skola, kurā mācījās izslavētās kaucmindietes! Tagad muižas pils ir pamesta, avārijas stāvoklī un apskatāma tikai no ārpuses un „pa gabalu”. Ap 1780. gadu celtā pils, kas 1909. – 1912. g. tika pārbūvēta pusloka būvapjomā, ir Latvijai diezgan unikāls arhitektūras paraugs.

Several of the buildings of the Šlītere Semi-Estate have survived to the present day – the servants' house (late 19th century), the pump house (mid-19th century), the smokehouse (mid-19th century), the cattle barn, etc.  A forestry building was built here in 1936 and renovated in 2010.  Since the end of 2009, the administration of the Slītere National Park has been housed here.  Today the building also houses the Kurzeme regional branch of the Environmental Protection Board.  Opposite the building are two yews, and there is a productive ivy which has covered the northern side of the servants' house.  The common yew and the Baltic ivy are symbols of Šlītere, and you can see and photograph them here without "bothering" them in their natural environment.  The pump house contains a well that is unique in Latvia – it is 34 m deep, which is nearly the height of the Blue Hills of Šlītere.  It reportedly was active until the 1970s and delivered water to the forestry system.  A fragment of the stone well can be seen as a part of the wall of the pump house.  The semi-estate is surrounded by small elements of a park, including an impressive alley of elm trees.  Locals says that pre-war Latvian President Kārlis Ulmanis spent the night at the building once while on a hunt.

The Castle was restored recently and now exhibits life and history of a noble family on three floors. Tour guides have numerous stories and legends to tell, visitors can make their personal castle souvenirs.
Kivi Kõrts (www.kivikorts.ee) near the castle is a pub with simple meals from locally sourced produce, characteristic to the Estonian cuisine and the Peipsi area.

The castle was built during the first half of the 19th century in Tudor Neo-Gothic forms.  The first owner of the castle was Baron Johann Gottlieb von Wolff.  During the 1870s and 1880s it was rebuilt in the style of French Neo-Renaissance.  The castle was burned down during the 1905 Revolution, but it was restored with certain elements of Art Nouveau forms.  Tours are available of the interior of the building.

Atrodamas ziņas, ka Rankas muižas pils celta 18. gs. vidū un 19. gs. vidū (nozīmīgi - 1836.-1866.g.) pārbūvēta, kad uzceltas pārējās saimniecības ēkas. 20. gs. šeit atradās dažādas ar izglītību saistītas iestādes: 30. gados - Rankas mājturības skola, pēc 2. pasaules kara - Rankas lauksaimniecības skola. Muižas pils cieta 80. – 90. gadu mijā divu ugunsgrēku laikā. Daļēji saglabājušās kalpu mājas, kūtis, klētis, dārznieka māja, “brūzis” u.c. ēkas.

Kopš 2013. gada ieguldīts milzīgs darbs, lai Rankas muižas kompleksu atjaunotu un izveidotu par sakārtotu, tīru vidi. Teritorijā notiek atjaunošanas darbi muižas ēkām. 2003. gadā par Rankas muiža kompleksa īpašniekiem kļuva Ābolu ģimene un, pateicoties viņiem, Rankas muižas komplekss pamazām atdzimst. Ekskursija pa Rankas muižu iekļauj visu telpu apskati: recepciju, antīko automašīnu un priekšmetu izstādi, mākslas galeriju, bibliotēku un Romas katoļu kapelu, kā arī muižas 8,4 hektārus plašo parku ar trīs dīķiem.

On the left bank of the ancient Gauja River valley, between the Paparžu ravine and the ravine along which the Sigulda-Turaida road passes through the valley there are the ruins of a castle built by the Order of the Brethren of the Sword.  Construction on the castle began in 1207, and three decades later, in 1236, the castle was rebuilt for the needs of the Livonian Order.  The Sigulda Castle suffered much damage during wars in the late 16th and early 17th century.  During the Great Northern War, it was burned down and never restored.  What is there today is the south-western segment of the castle's convent building, as well as the tower of the main gate.  Beyond that is the internal forecastle, where there is an open-air stage for the annual Sigulda Opera Music Festival and other public events.  There are also impressive views of the ancient Gauja River valley, Krimulda and Turaida.  Reconstruction of the ruins is currently ongoing, and after the work is completed a second tower on the left side of the stage will be available to visitors.  The plan is to install crossings around the walls of the convent building.  Presently the ruins are available on a 24/7 basis and free of charge, but after the restorations are completed in 2012, admission will be charged.

Work on the Valmiera Castle began in 1283.  The castle was burned down in 1702 during the Great Northern War, and the city’s walls were torn down in the late 17th century.  Ruins of the castle and remnants of other Medieval fortifications have been preserved.

The Trakai Island Castle is the only East Europe's castle which is built on a little island. The process of building this castle started in 14th century. After its fall on 1410 during a war it lost its meaning as a military base and became a living place for ruler of Lithuania. Trakai Castle is one of the most popular objects in Lithuania for tourists. Inside the castle is a museum which tells about Trakai history. 

The castle was commissioned by Baron Alexander von Fittinghof and built between 1859 and 1863 in the late Tudor Neo-Gothic style.  It is one of the most important monuments to this style in Latvia and has an ornate limestone façade.  The 7th Sigulda Infantry Brigade was housed in the castle from 1921 until 1940.  Today it is home to the Alūksne Museum with a permanent exhibition and an “environmental labyrinth.”  One of the most unusual exhibits is a set of fluorescent minerals that can be viewed under lights with various spectrums.