Top 12 Caves in Vidzeme

Geologically interesting 😇 Small caves and lots and lots of inscriptions 🙄

Hiking trail down into the forest. Past two small caves, one to the left of the path and one to the right. Small streams appear to emerge from the caves. Unfortunately, this is not explained further on the signs. Warning: when it is wet and snowy, the wooden steps down are very slippery.

Previously, one of the many bends of the River Gauja passed directly along the Spoguļu Cliffs, leaving visible traces in the rock face. Over the course of time, as the Gauja carved its way deeper into the valley, the waters of the river, seeking a more direct route to the sea, cut through the bend in the river at the narrowest point and continued flowing along the new bed. Both ends of the loop gradually silted up, forming a closed water-body. This is how all the oxbow lakes along the bank of Gauja were formed. The water supply in this former river channel is greatly supplemented and clarified by the springs flowing from the Spoguļu (Mirror) Cliffs, making the water clean and clear. The cliffs are reflected in the clear water as in a mirror, giving rise to the name. The 140 m long and up to 10 m high sandstone cliffs are remark- able natural sites in the River Gauja Valley. The cliffs face is stud- ded with small caves, crevices and hollows. Several major springs emerge at the base of the cliffs, where there is a former channel of the River Gauja. In the rock face, a few meters above ground level is the 3,8m long Trijstūra (Triangle) Cave - a niche adorning the cliff like a temptation out of reach. The Spoguļu Cliffs were exposed comparatively recently - only 4-8 thousand years ago, when the water of the River Gauja carved their way down until they finally exposed the sandstones wall, thus reveal- ing evidence of much earlier date - Devonian rock strata. The sandstone rock is about 350 million years old and developed as sand gradually accumulated on the seabed, at a time when the whole territory of Latvia was covered by the Devonian Sea. Look- ing carefully at the rock, the observant visitor will notice several bedding planes. For many years, the Cīrulīši Cliffs were frequented by the visitors, who unfortunately scraped their makes on the rock, as every- where else.

The age of the rock in the cave, as with the Spoguļu Cliffs exceeds 350 million years. However, the cave is not natural, but rather is in artificial egg-shaped hollow, connected with legends. It is said that in 1577 during the Livonian War, when Ivan the Terrible and the Tartars besieged Cēsis, a bridegroom hid with his bride in the cave, no far from Cēsis. However, the Tartars found the two fugitives and killed them. From their blood, the whole cave was colored in red, giving rise to the cave's other name, Red Cave.

A narrow gap in a Red sandstone wall. Like all the caves in this area, of course this cave also comes with a legend! It is said that a farmer named Peter was hiding in this cave during the Polish-Swedish War .

Gauja sandstone outcrop in the ravine at the left bank of Vējupīte. The highest point in the ravine is 11.5 m (~34 ft). A small triangular cave has formed in the rock wall. The high vertical walls are covered with visitors' names, dates, and random drawings. A small triangle-shaped cave, about 5 meters deep has formed in the wall. There is an old story about Raven's ravine. In the old days, there was a very kind "vagars" - a supervisor of serfs. He treated the serfs with dignity and would even defend them in the face of a baron. For this reason, the barons could not stand him and threw him down in the ravine. So the man disappeared and people could not find him until they saw a flock of ravens flying over the ravine. Then they descended down and found the body of the poor man and ever since then this ravine has been called Raven's ravine.

Gutman's Cave is the largest cave im the Baltics and is shrouded in legends. One legend has it that in ancient time the cave was home to a good man (literal German translation) who used the water of the spring to heal people. It is also the place where legend says Majia "the Rose of Turaida" was killed by an admirer who in turn was killed by Viktor her true love. The sandstone bears inscriptions and coat of arms of visiting barons and manor lord names made by craftsmen.

In some places the river has washed deep holes and caves into the rock. Interesting sight!