national park
Gauja National Park
Latvia's largest and oldest national park with forested sandstone cliffs, medieval castles, caves, and the scenic Gauja River valley.
13 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeLatviaCēsis Municipality
Cēsis
Cēsis Municipality, Latvia · Europe
About Cēsis
Cēsis works well as a base: 10 minutes from Priekuļi, 13km from Gauja National Park.
Cēsis is in Cēsis Municipality, Latvia, with about 15,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Priekuļi, about 5 km away.
Cēsis (Latvian pronunciation: [tseːsis] ; German: Wenden, Livonian: Venden, Estonian: Võnnu, Polish: Kieś) is a town in the Vidzeme region of Latvia and the administrative centre of Cēsis Municipality. It lies in the northern part of the Vidzeme Upland, about 90 km (56 mi) north-east of Riga, on ridges above theRead more
valley of the Gauja. At the beginning of 2026, the town had 14,899 residents.
Cēsis developed around a fortified settlement of the Vends at Riekstu Hill and the nearby medieval castle of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and later the Livonian Order. The area is first recorded in connection with events of 1206. Cēsis was documented as a town in 1323 and joined the Hanseatic League in the early 15th century.
The historic centre retains its medieval street plan, sections of the town wall, St. John's Church and the ruins of Cēsis Castle. The town is also a regional cultural centre, with Cēsis Concert Hall, the Cēsis Art Festival and the annual LAMPA Conversation Festival.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Cēsis?
Within an hour or so of Cēsis: Gauja National Park (13 km), Līgatne Secret Soviet Bunker (14 km), Turaida Castle (29 km), Gutmanis Cave (30 km).
Where is Cēsis?
Cēsis is in Cēsis Municipality, Latvia, about 5 km from Priekuļi.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 15,020
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Latvia
- Region
- Cēsis Municipality
- Timezone
- Europe/Riga
- Coordinates
- 57.3119, 25.2746
Tags
Worth the detour from Cēsis
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
museum
Līgatne Secret Soviet Bunker
A 2,000 m² nuclear command bunker 9 m beneath an innocuous rehabilitation centre in Gauja National Park, built for Soviet Latvia's elite and classified until 2003: original 1980s equipment, canteen and all. Guided tours only.
14 km · about 25 min drive
castle
Turaida Castle
A striking red-brick medieval castle rising above the wooded Gauja valley near Sigulda, its round tower offering sweeping views over Latvia's 'Switzerland'. An easy, scenic drive from Riga.
29 km · about 35 min drive
natural wonder
Gutmanis Cave
The widest cave in the Baltics, a sandstone grotto with centuries of carved inscriptions, beside the Sigulda–Turaida road with parking.
30 km · about 35 min drive
racetrack
Sigulda Bobsleigh Track
Olympic-standard bobsleigh and luge track in Gauja National Park offering public rides, with its own access road and car park.
32 km · about 35 min drive
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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