Cēsis

Code:022
Type:municipality
Native name:Cēsis Municipality
Population:16,143 (2021)
Area:173 km²
Capital:Cēsis

Introduction

Cēsis, ninety minutes from Riga at the far end of the Gauja valley, is the destination travellers with time for one more stop beyond Sigulda tend to remember most — a genuinely ruined medieval castle explored by handheld lantern rather than a restored museum piece, paired with one of Latvia's best-preserved small old towns.

Overview

Cēsis Castle sets itself apart from Sigulda's rebuilt grounds by staying genuinely ruined — visitors are handed a real lantern rather than relying on electric lighting to explore the medieval tower's dark stone stairwells and roofless halls, a deliberately unpolished experience that gives a far more direct sense of what a real ruin actually feels like than a restored castle can. The adjoining New Castle, an 18th-century manor house built into part of the old fortifications, houses the region's museum and gives useful context before or after the lantern-lit tower climb. Beyond the castle, Cēsis's old town is one of Latvia's most intact small-town cores — cobbled streets, a medieval church, and a genuinely local café and craft-beer culture that's earned the town a reputation among Latvians themselves as the country's most charming smaller town, distinct from Sigulda's larger, more day-trip-oriented visitor flow.

Discover Cēsis

The Lantern-Lit Castle

Cēsis Castle's main tower is deliberately left without electric lighting on the upper levels, and visitors climb it holding a genuine oil lantern provided at the entrance — an experience that trades polish for authenticity, since the darkness, uneven stone stairs and roofless upper chambers give a far more visceral sense of a real medieval ruin than a fully lit, restored castle would. The surrounding grounds and the adjoining 18th-century New Castle manor, now a museum, add context on the site's centuries of continuous use and decline.

The Old Town

Cēsis's old town has stayed genuinely small-scale and lived-in — cobbled streets converge on a medieval church, and the town's café and craft-beer scene has developed a real local following rather than existing purely for day-trippers. It's frequently named by Latvians themselves as one of the country's most charming towns, a reputation earned by staying unhurried rather than by any single headline attraction beyond the castle itself.

Ways to Experience This Destination

A Genuinely Ruined Castle

Cēsis Castle's lantern-lit tower climb, deliberately unrestored, alongside the 18th-century New Castle museum.

A Charming Small Old Town

Cobbled streets, a medieval church and a genuine local café and craft-beer culture.

Frequently asked questions

How is Cēsis Castle different from Sigulda's?

Cēsis Castle is deliberately kept unrestored — visitors climb the main tower holding a real lantern rather than relying on electric lighting, giving a far more direct sense of a genuine medieval ruin than Sigulda's rebuilt grounds.

Is Cēsis worth visiting alongside Sigulda, or on its own?

Either works — it's commonly added as a further stop beyond Sigulda for travellers with a full day, but its own old town and castle are substantial enough to justify a dedicated visit on their own terms.

What is Cēsis's old town like?

Small-scale and genuinely lived-in, with cobbled streets, a medieval church and a real local café and craft-beer culture — often named by Latvians as one of the country's most charming towns.

Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.