Trip to Sigulda

Let´s see today a bit more of history s today I was in one of Latvia´s places with most history...well, actually Vidzeme region hosts most of the historical things of Latvia. Why? because Archibishop Albert and his Livonian Brothers of the Sword (sounds like 90´s Middle Age boyband group but no, it wasn´t). They formed the first steps to Latvia becoming a Middle Age nation: spreading christianity (it became very useful for making fires so winters weren´t so harsh...the problem is that usually persons were the main source for pyre the fires), making them using more metal too and steel and building churches and great fortress to defend against the menaces. As most Europe was being

As I mentioned in my trip to Cēsis.

So today I went to Sigulda, a cute city in the southwest of one of the most beautiful areas of Latvia: The Natural Park of Gauja. If not the most beautiful area.
Well, here, in Sigulda. There are several castles (three) and the most emblematic is the orangish castle of Turaida, in the top of a hill. This castle was built in 1214 right when the friend Albert (the archibishop, you know) was on the run. This castle was made with strong red bick and as centuries passed and firearms appeared its rocky layers were reinforced, being the north face of the castle double of thick than the south area...because russians, undoubtely.
But as time passes castles fell in oblivion and when a fire was declared into it in 1776 nobody cared it and it remained abandoned. Poor little thing.
But at the 20th century, specially at 1976, several excavations came in the place and thanks to an architecht people began to take care of the castle and today it´s a museum with the main building partialy restored, the most possible to do...





...which makes it staying in better conditions than Sigulda´s Medieval Castle, main residence of the Livonian Order and which stands in worse conditions due the cruelty of time.