So on Saturday’s morning we pretty quickly hitch-hiked from Riga to Cēsis. We wasn’t on hurry so spent few hours there. Our plan was to go by river Gauja. It used to be hiking paths nearby river in soviet times. though it came out nobody used them for at least 20 years. So time to time  we had to break through scrubby paths and bushes.

Further are pictures from hike with some comments. 

Fortress of Cēsis (or what’s left from it). Built in first part of 13th century. One of first buildings made from rock in Latvia.

Oldtown. There’s church in the background.  It’s possible to climb up to the tower. So we used the possibility and there are some photos made in tower.

Unfortunately windows in tower are barred. So picture with castle is “squared”.

Square of Roses (hides behind small house in front). One of central squares with cafés and fountain.

When we left Cēsis road took us into woods. .

We found some bilberries by the way.

Road leads to hillfort of Kvēpene. 

There are legends that oak in photo below  served as prototype for illustration on Latvian money (bank note of five Lats). Don’t know how much truth is there.

After visiting hillfort we started to look for suitable paths as we lacked reliable map and also locals wasn’t much help.  At the end we took longest way but we got to the river Gauja.

At one moment we took wrong path and ended up near small and romantic but abandoned hut.

It took quet a time for us to find a right place for tent. At least we found nice meadow.

Breakfast and morning coffee. And then on the read.

Classical countryside of Latvia.

Ferry on river Gauja near Līgatne.

And Līgatne itself.

.. and just few kilometers to highway. With some more classical landscapes.

Full gallery: http://www.xltphoto.net/gallery/travel/scotland/

Our first cache was on the way to Liepaja – at ruins of Grobiņa castle.

Afterwards we went to Karosa – partly abandoned and demolished part of Liepaja – where we spent most time of day. What i realised -winter isn’t the best timefor geocaching. It’s too cold, too early gets dark and it’s hard to get to all places. So i’m waitingfor the summer now to jain my fellow cachers.

I put some photos from Karosta in my galery.

Our next stop was Lake Engure nature park. It is unique European wetland and one of the most important nature protection sites in Latvia. It’s a home of birds of different species. As well there are deployed wild cows and horses to maintain biotope (or, simply speaking – to eat all the grass at coast to keep the lake from overgrow).

Well, because of continuous rain we got drenched and decided to return to Riga and go to Kolka another time. And it was late afternoon already, too. Still despite the rain our trip was very nice. And I know that I will return here soon – in some sunny autumn day.

For photos see the gallery Port of Engure and Lake Engure nature park.

ore details to follow. I hope there will be no problems with access to internet (you never know when you travel – especially to countries like Romania). I expect to bring back some good photographs for my otoblog.