History

Sigulda town

Sigulda became a city in 1928, although its history is much, much older. The Finno - Ugric tribe of the Livs arrived in the Gauja valley in the 11th century. Legends and documents tell us about a number of fortified wooden castles, including the Satesele, Turaida and Kubesele castles. The Livs used these to fight back against German Crusaders .We know of seven Liv castle mounds and a number of burial grounds in and around Sigulda.

Once the Crusaders had completed their attack, the local land, in 1207, was divided up between the Order of the Brethren of the Sword and the Riga bishop Albert. The order built a brick fortress called SIEGEWALD ("Victory Forest" in German) on the left bank of Gauja, and its functions was to protect the border between the order`s territory and the lands of the Riga bishopric across the river. A tradesmen`s village sprang up around the fortress, and a brick church was built. A papal ambassador called Wilhelm in 1266 established the Christian congregation.

During the Livonian War  (1558 - 1583), Sigulda was sacked twice by the Russians. The last master of the Livonian Order, Gotthard Kettler, swore featly to the Polish - Lithuanian Empire in 1561, thus seeking protection from Ivan the Terrible. Vidzeme became a part of Poland, and Sigulda became a provincial capital. The town was sacked once again during The Polish - Swedish War (1600 - 1629). The castle lost its importance as a military fortress and instead became the central building of a baronial estate. A variety of ancillary buildings were built near the main castle, and a residential building know as the New Castle was put up in 1881.

 Sigulda began to flourish in the late 19th century when the Riga - Pliskau road and the Riga - Valka railroad were installed. The dynasty of the Kropotkins developed Sigulda into a recreational area that was popular throughout the Russians Empire. Convenient links to Riga led to herds of tourists. People could hike the so called "Alpine trails" inspect castle ruins and caves, take rides in horse - drawn wagons, and ride down the Kristin family`s bobsled track.

During World War I many of the wooden buildings in Sigulda suffered serious damage. These buildings had been put up to resemble the style of structures in the Swiss Alps. During the period of Latvian independence, the baronial estate was confiscated, and the central building was turned over to the Latvian Association of Writers and Journalists, which set up a recreational facility there. After 1923 all building in Sigulda was governed by a city plan, which regulated the size of building lots, the direction in which street must run, and the establishment of parks and squares.

During World War II, Sigulda once again suffered major damage - the railroad station, a bridge across the Gauja and an open - air stage were all destroyed. The development plan that was elaborated by Soviet authorities in 1946 spoke to the creation of new foundations for Sigulda`s economic growth, promoting local industry and communal construction. Sigulda became the administrative, economic and cultural center for a small region between 1950 and 1961.

In the early 1950s, the historical centers of Krimulda and Turaida were administratively attached to Sigulda. Three sanatoriums and a tourism facility at Turaida were opened. In 1969, an air cable car was installed across the river valley to improve links to Krimulda.

The Gauja National Park at Sigulda turned into a very popular facility, visited by some 1.5 million tourists each year. Between the 1960s and 1980s construction in Sigulda was typical of small town building in Soviet Union. Private homes sat alongside blocks and blocks of communal housing structures.

After the constructions of a luge and bobsled track in 1986, Sigulda became an internationally important center for those sports.