Straupe

Straupe is on the A3 highway (E264) connecting the A2 towards Riga and Valmeira.

• 🌍 Lielstraupe Castle, Straupe (Contrary to what the name might suggest, not situated in the Lielstraupe village but Straupe town.). One of the six medieval castles in the Gauja Valley. The most intact, but at the same time the most heavily reconstructed – from the distance it will look like some large modern country estate. The castle is believed to have been built in 1263, but its architect is unknown. In the fourteenth century Lielstraupe Castle became a vassal castle for the archbishop of Riga. During the second half of the 16th century, it was destroyed by numerous times and consequently rebuilt in the style of Baroque. The church adjacent to the castle is the only building that survived. It is connected to the residency by a covered passage and stands out from yellow buildings with its white colour and rectangular shape. However, also the church was burned, collapsed, and then in the middle of the 18th century was converted from a three-nave into a one-nave version. In 1905, the castle again was burned, by rebellious peasants this time, and afterwards carefully restored in the former style of Baroque. During Soviet times, Narcological Hospital was moved into the castel, which still there to this day.
  Check out the church behind the castle, and further behind it, a wooden bell tower from 1848. The bell tower was added later, when the church became a parish church. Before it was just part of the castle and did not need a bell. (updated Oct 2017)
• 🌍 Mazstraupe Castle, Straupe. It was built about one hundred years later than Lielstraupe Castle. Otherwise history repeated itself here, just the major restructuring took place earlier, at the very end of the 18th century. The resulting palace was smaller and less impressive. Furthermore, in 1938 one of its parts was demolished due to the lack of money for repairing the roof. Nowadays, the palace is a school and not that interesting anymore. (updated Oct 2017)

• 🌍 Ungurmuiža Manor, Ungurmuiža, Raiskuma pagasts (15 km northwest from Cēsis), ☏ +371 22007332, info@ungurmuiza.lv. May–Sep Tu–Sa 10:00–18:00, Su 10:00–16:00. A very small manor with its main attraction, a wooden baroque manor house from 1732. Of course, separately, there are more than enough wooden houses and baroque monuments all over Latvia. However, in combination, something like it can only be found here. As it was common in the 18th century, the house was painted in the style of Baroque. The paintings were done directly on the logs preserving their texture. Thus, parallels exist with the painted wooden house of Khvalynsk in Russia, and other very few monuments of the same style. The paintings are neither abstract nor primitive, but full of honesty. Besides a slant in serene Italian landscapes, they are absolutely anecdotally, like the portraits of Peter the Great in the form of a grenadier.
  The paintings can only be visited when the museum is open. Access to the rest, the territory of the estate, is not restricted. In addition to the manor house, pay attention to the tea pavilion in the park, which resembles a wooden chapel from the side, the wooden granary (1738-40) and the tomb (1758-60). €3 (2014). (updated Oct 2017)

• 🌍 Underground Lakes (Vējiņu alas) (about 15 km north of Ligatne). Only possible with guide. Fun with kids but probably not that exciting for adults. €1.5-3. (updated Sep 2017)

• 🌍 Kafejnīca "Zem Ozola", Šķesteri, ☏ +371 29 641 454. Mid-range cafe. (updated Mar 2024)

• 🌍 Daina Mezanci Brivdienu Maja, Страупе, Straupes pagasts, ☏ +371 26520523. From €10. (updated Oct 2017)