In the small Latvian village of Krimulda, in the vicinity of the town of Sigulda, there are ancient ruins of a once majestic medieval castle. At the beginning of the 13th century, the valley of the ancient Gauja River was even more picturesque. Then the Bishop of Riga decided to build a great fortress here. It is said that the project of the citadel was so monumental that only the preparation for its construction took more than a quarter of a century. The castle was first mentioned in a historical document of 1312, according to which there were cruel wars for the castle between the Bishopric of Riga and the knights of the Livonian Order. A couple of centuries later, the castle was owned by Poles and Swedes, who burned the ancient citadel at the beginning of the 17th century.

It would seem that the castle's history ended there, but luckily some buildings survived the fire. Thanks to archaeological excavations in the middle of the 19th century, the foundations were examined, the walls were restored and even a deep moat was dug. The Krimulda Castle required a new appearance as a small structure with two observation towers and wooden buildings. The new citadel was protected by massive defensive walls more than 2 meters thick. The first floor was occupied by the kitchen and refectory, the second housed the owners' private rooms, and the third comprised the servants' rooms. The castle also had a dungeon with wine cellars and food warehouses, the ruins of which have survived to this day. Over the moat, there was a drawbridge on chains, which led to the fortress gate. Therefore, it can be said that the Krimulda Castle was a reliable defense for all locals.

Unfortunately, only ruins, fragments of defensive walls, and part of the rampart have remained from the ancient stone fortress. The best-preserved parts are the entrance gate and observation towers, which are buried in the blooming greenery of a charming park, laid out near the castle.