Sigulda Medieval Castle ruins are located on the edge of the Gauja valley in the Vidzeme region of Latvia.

The castle reopened its walls to visitors in 2012 and now encourages everyone to step back in time and enjoy the surroundings that bore witness to many historical events.

As part of the land division between themselves and Bishop Albert in 1207, the order gained the territory which stretched along the left side of the Gauja River.

In the ongoing competition to determine hegemony between the Bishop and the Livonian Order, castle placement became a strategic factor.

In 1237 the lands of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword become the property of the Teutonic Order who continued to conquer additional territories in Latvia up until 1290.

In 1625, the King of Sweden bestowed Sigulda as a gift to his Privy Councillor Gabriel Gustafsson Oxenstierna, however, after the manor house reduction program it once again became state property.

It was first the property of the Governor of Livland Peter Lacy, followed by George Brown and von der Borch family.

Monument protection concerns caused some construction work to be done in order to renew the gate tower and other important parts of the castle.

In 1922 Karl Woldemar von Löwis of Menar found a revised reconstruction plan for the castle, dated from the 17th century.

Estonian art history researcher, Armin Tulse, discovered information related to the actual construction.

It was officially titled “Reconstruction of Sigulda Castle Ruins and Infrastructure Adjustment for Tourism Development” and successfully concluded in 2012.

Sigulda Medieval castle is situated on the edge of the ancient Gauja valley on a projection formed by three steep slopes.

The chapel, which was ten meters wide and had Gothic window lintels and a lancet arch, was located at the southern end of the second floor.

In the second half of the 15th century, as firearms evolved, the machicolations on the battlements were rebuilt and the chapel and hall on the south complex second floor got larger windows.

The central castle complex was surrounded by an inner fore-castle in the shape of an irregular square measuring 80 x 100 meters at its widest part.

The main entrance, at the southern side of the castle, swept through a four-story high gate tower that was built around the year 1400.