Above the green valley of the Gauja, the Archbishop of Riga raised a mighty red-brick stronghold to guard the river routes and Christianize the land. It is Turaidas Pils, built in1214. Its towers watched centuries of crusades, trade, and legend, earning the name “God’s Garden” in the ancient Livonian tongue.
Rebuilt from ruins, the castle now crowns the Gauja National Park as a museum of stone and sky. Visitors climb its tower for sweeping views and walk the walls where medieval echoes mingle with Latvia’s living heritage.