Sigulda facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sigulda
Town
Castle at Sigulda
Flag Coat of arms
Sigulda Location in Latvia
Country	Latvia
District	Sigulda Municipality
Town rights	1928
Area
• Total	Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). km2 (Formatting error: invalid input when rounding sq mi)
• Land	Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). km2 (Formatting error: invalid input when rounding sq mi)
• Water	Expression error: Unexpected < operator. km2 (Formatting error: invalid input when rounding sq mi)
Population  (2024)
• Total	14,632
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	LV-2150
Calling code	+371 67
Number of city council members	15
Website	http://sigulda.lv/public/eng/

Sigulda is a town in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is about 53 kilometers (33 miles) away from the capital city, Riga.

Discovering Sigulda's Natural Beauty

Sigulda is located in the beautiful Gauja river valley. This area is known for its reddish sandstone cliffs and caves. Because of its stunning scenery, Sigulda is often called the "Switzerland of Vidzeme."

Gutmanis Cave

After Latvia became independent again in 1991, people in Sigulda worked hard to protect its parks and monuments. They also focused on making the town a great place for tourists to visit.

Fun Activities and Festivals in Sigulda

Every summer, an Opera Festival is held in an outdoor music hall among the old castle ruins. In May, when the cherry trees bloom, Sigulda celebrates its Town Festival. The town is also famous for the amazing colors of its trees in autumn.

In winter, sports like skiing, bobsledding, and the luge are very popular. During the rest of the year, you can even try bungee jumping!

Exploring Gutmanis Cave

The Gutmanis Cave is a famous spot between Sigulda Castle and Turaida Castle. A small stream flows from inside the cave. It is the largest cave in the Baltics, measuring 19 meters (62 feet) deep, 12 meters (39 feet) wide, and 10 meters (33 feet) high.

You can still see old writings on the cave walls from as far back as the 1600s. People believe that drinking the water from the cave is healthy and can help you live longer. From the cave, you can climb up the hills and take a cable car across the river valley for amazing views.

Sigulda's Growing Community

The number of people living in Sigulda has been increasing since the year 2000. Most of the people (86%) are Latvian, while 9% are Russian, and 3% are Belarusian. Sigulda celebrated its 800th birthday in 2007.

Places to Visit in Sigulda

• Aerodium Latvia
• Gauja National Park
• Gutmanis Cave
• Krimulda Castle
• Sigulda bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
• Sigulda Castle
• Sigulda Medieval Castle
• Turaida Castle

Sigulda's Twin Towns and Sister Cities

Sigulda is part of the Douzelage, which is a group of twin towns from across the European Union. This program started in 1991 and helps towns from different countries connect. They often have events like markets where products from each country are sold, and various festivals.

As of 2019, the members of Douzelage include:

Other Twin Towns

Sigulda also has other twin town connections:

Famous People from Sigulda

Many notable people have come from Sigulda, including:

• Milda Lauberte (1918-2009), a chess player
• Alvis Vītoliņš (1946-1997), a chess player
• Sandis Ozoliņš (born 1972), an ice hockey player
• Anda Čakša (born 1974), a politician and children's doctor
• Juris Šics (born 1983), a luger
• Mihails Arhipovs (born 1984), a bobsledder and skeleton coach
• Andris Šics (born 1985), a luger
• Jānis Strenga (born 1986), a bobsledder
• Elīza Tīruma (born 1990), a luger
• Toms Skujiņš (born 1991), a cyclist
• Lelde Priedulēna (born 1993), a skeleton racer
• Kendija Aparjode (born 1996), a luger
• Kristers Aparjods (born 1998), a luger
• Mārtiņš Bots (born 1999), a luger
• Elīna Ieva Vītola (born 2000), a luger

See also

In Spanish: Sigulda para niños