Photogallery of Cesis, Latvia

Cesis is an interesting town in Latvia. This is a place where history meets modern times. Cesis is also one of the oldest settlements in the country. The town is situated in a spectacular place – in the northern part of the Central Vidzeme Upland. Beautiful forests and enchanting sceneries surround this lovely town. The Gauja River crosses Cesis, making the area even more attractive. This town still has that inimitable medieval magic that is hard to find in more popular tourist destinations nowadays. Do you want to have a relaxing and peaceful vacation? In this case, calm Cesis rich in architectural landmarks is exactly what you need. The history of the town started more than eight centuries ago. First mentions of this settlement date back to 1206. This is when Venden Castle was built in the area. The castle gave the town its first name. Initially, the castle was made from durable wood. A local tribe known as the Vends was the first dweller in the building. Modern Latvians originate from this tribe. The castle was rebuilt later, and wood was replaced with stones. At that time, this was the most protected fortress in the Baltic region. Cesis reached the peak of development when it was the capital of Livonia. Besides that, the town played an important role in the development of Vidzeme. Cesis became a town at the beginning of the 14th century. It joined the Confederation of Cologne at the end of the same century. According to some historical data, the modern flag of … Read further