Latvian Countryside

I didn't have much of a drive today (Riga to Liepupe, 1 hr, 45 miles / 72 km) -- so I decided to explore the Latvian countryside a bit.

It was a wild weather day -- the sky was very threatening for most of the day, and I did get caught in a couple of rain showers (fortunately I was either in and/or close to the car both times).

The Latvian countryside is just fantastic -- kind of wild & a bit beaten up.   And I absolutely loved my stay at Liepupe Manor -- in hindsight, I wished I had booked for another night.

I drove from Riga to Guaja National Park to Sigulda and its medieval castle.  Constructed between 1207 and 1209 by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, this castle lies mainly in picturesque ruins after being severely damaged during the Great Northern War.   There is also a "new" castle in Sigulda (actually a manor house) -- but it was literally "under wraps" while I was there.  From there, I could also see Krimulda Manor and Turaida Castle (if the weather had been better -- I would have gone to visit both of them).

After Sigulda, I drove to Cēsis to see the castles there.  The weather turned for the worse while I was there -- so it was a quick tour around (and I didn't spend any real time in the town).

Cēsis started eight centuries ago as a Livonian Order's stronghold in a land of unruly pagans and it saw horrific battles right under (or inside) the castle walls.  It's actually two castles in one.  The first is the sorrowful dark-stone towers of the old Wenden castle.  Founded by Livonian knights in 1214, it was sacked by Russian czar Ivan the Terrible in 1577, but only after its 300 defenders blew themselves up with gunpowder.  The other is the more cheerful castle-like 18th-century manor house once inhabited by the dynasty of German counts von Sievers.  Note:  supposedly they are doing work on the inside of the old castle -- the way it is right now, not really worth it.

Last stop was at one of Latvia's best preserved muižas (manor houses).  Ungurmuiža is a pretty red mansion built by Baron von Campenhausen, who served under the Swedish king and Russian czar.  Descendants of the baron lived there until WWII, when the government swiftly seized the property.

Food:  I stopped outside Cēsis at a little cafe and had frikadelu zupa (meatball soup) for lunch -- very delicious!  (sadly I ate it before I thought about taking a snap)   Dinner was at Liepupe Manor -- surprisingly good, although a bit pricey.  Breakfast was included at almost everywhere I stayed -- and universally good (although a couple of places were lacking in fresh fruit).

History background:

• Unlike their fellow Germans of the Teutonic Knights, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were not founded in the Holy Land but right on the spot in Livonia, specifically in Riga.  The order was founded by the Bishop of Riga, also known as the Prince-Bishop of Livonia, in 1202 and gained official recognition from Pope Innocent III in 1204.  Their initial aim was to convert and or conquer the pagan tribes of the region and defend the Christian community from their attacks.  Following their defeat by the Samogitians and Semigallians in the Battle of Saule in 1236, the surviving Brothers merged into the Teutonic Order as an autonomous branch and became known as the Livonian Order.
• The Great Northern War was fought during the years 1700-1721 between Sweden and a coalition of countries who sought to carve up the Swedish Baltic Sea Empire between themselves.  The coalition, which included Denmark, Saxony, Russia, Prussia, and Hanover, would eventually succeed in their endeavor -- even though the war reached an epic scale as the greatly outnumbered Swedes fought hard and won many battles in their two-decade-long effort to keep their realm intact.