What is it?

Cēsis is Latvia's most atmospheric small town — a pocket-sized medieval capital of red brick, timber facades and winding cobbled lanes set on a ridge above the Gauja River valley. Its centrepiece is the ruined castle of the Livonian Order, begun in 1214 by crusading knights and once the seat of the master of the order; visitors are handed a real candle-lit lantern at the gate and left to climb the pitch-dark spiral staircase of the western tower, wax dripping, footsteps echoing off cold stone. Beside it stands the pastel-yellow New Castle and its landscaped park with a lily-strewn pond, while the towering St John's Church has kept watch over the market square since the 13th century. The town hums quietly with craft studios, coffee roasters, contemporary galleries and the Cēsu brewery, whose brewing traditions reach back to 1590. In summer the medieval festival fills the ramparts with clanging swords and roasting meat; in autumn the surrounding forests turn gold and the whole valley smells of woodsmoke and pine.

Where is it?

Cēsis sits in the Vidzeme region of northern Latvia, about 90 km northeast of Riga on the edge of Gauja National Park — the country's oldest and largest — and roughly 30 km from adventure-hub Sigulda. Direct trains and buses from Riga take around 1.5 to 2 hours, making it an easy day trip or a far more rewarding overnight stay. Late spring through early autumn is loveliest for castle gardens and river trips, September and October bring spectacular foliage, while December's Christmas market and snow-dusted ruins are pure fairy tale.

What makes it worth it?

There are grander castles in Europe, but few let you wander their ruins alone in the dark with nothing but a flickering candle — visitors consistently describe it as the most genuinely medieval thing they've ever done, 'like time travel with a fire hazard.' Cēsis rewards slowness: a morning in the castle, an afternoon walking sandstone cliffs and pine trails in the Gauja valley, an evening on a wooden terrace with a local beer as church bells sound across the rooftops. It's the kind of place where travellers arrive planning three hours and end up staying two days, charmed by how unhurried and uncrowded it feels compared with the Baltics' better-known stops. Latvians treat the town as a spiritual home — the national flag is said to have originated nearby, and the 1919 battles fought here shaped the country's independence. Years later, what sticks is the smell of cold stone and candle smoke, and the strange thrill of climbing a tower staircase with only your own small flame for company.

How accessible is it?

Very accessible and remarkably affordable. Trains from Riga cost around €5-7 each way and run several times daily; buses are similar, and driving takes just over an hour on good roads. Castle entry including the lantern experience runs roughly €10-15, guesthouses and boutique hotels €50-100 a night, and a hearty meal with a local beer around €15-20. The old town is compact and walkable, though cobblestones, the castle's uneven ruins and narrow spiral staircases are challenging for wheelchairs, strollers or those with limited mobility — the New Castle, park and town centre are far easier. No booking is needed for casual visits, but reserve accommodation well ahead for the July medieval festival, the Cēsis Art Festival or Latvian public holidays; English is widely spoken by younger staff, and Latvia is in the EU and Schengen zone using the euro.