A day in Cēsis.

Because this project concerns all Vidzeme Region not only Valmiera I must include this particular visit to one of the oldest and first towns of Latvia: Cēsis.

Cēsis is a town located in the south-centre of Vidzeme Region and it hosts several ruins which are crib of the latvian society as well.
The most reminiscent thing of Cēsis is its castle: a huge castle built on 13th century by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, which was a german christian order founded by the first bishop to step on Latvia and bringer of the western civilization to it: Albert of Riga. This just happened right when the first cities are born in Latvia and the tribes began to transform themselves in a more modern and medieval society.
The castle had several modifications (as we will see in the pictures) across the years due it served to several different owners: for example, during the XVI century it was severely damaged when the troops of Ivan the Terrible sieged Latvia and the garrison troops decided to inmolated themselves withing the castle...along with the refugeed inhabitants who where seeking refuge in the castle from the russian invaders; damaging it severely. Later, the castle was reused but this time by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Swedish Kingdom but the rebuilt was brief due it was destroyed again on XVIII century during the Great Northern War fighting against the Russian Empire. By this time the castle had several new buildings on it.
And it has prevailed until today, with a museum on it. Despite the countless fires and setbacks it suffered, this precious piece of latvian history hosts visits and history to give.

Here you can see too another historical building: St. John´s church, which date comes from times of Albert of Riga as well.

Ancient manners of harvesting the plants...

...and bake stuff.