The Castle of Cesis

Cesis picturesque resort is situated in the central part of Vidzeme region, approximately ninety kilometers to North East from the Latvian capital.
The town dates back to the beginning of the 13th century, when the construction of the stone castle on the bank of the river Gauja was begun. In the 13-15th century the castle was a residence of the Livonian order's grandmasters and played an important role in the history of Baltic region. In the 16-17th century the town suffered several sieges until it was destroyed by the troops of Russian tzar Ivan the Terrible.
Nowadays in the town you can see many architectural monuments of the 13-19th century. Saint John church dating back to the 13th centure, the ruins of the Cesis castle and the fragments of the fortification wall represent the architecture of the medieval Latvia. There are some apartment houses of the 18-19th century as well. …