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(Top) 1 Overview 2 Points of interest 3 Twin towns — sister cities 4 Notable people 5 References 6 External links

Sigulda

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Sigulda
Town
Castle at Sigulda
Flag Coat of arms
Sigulda Location in Latvia
Coordinates: 57°09′N 24°52′E / 57.150°N 24.867°E / 57.150; 24.867
Country	Latvia
District	Sigulda Municipality
Town rights	1928
Government
• Mayor	Uģis Mitrevics
Area ^[1]
• Total	22.88 km² (8.83 sq mi)
• Land	22.15 km² (8.55 sq mi)
• Water	0.73 km² (0.28 sq mi)
Population (2024)^[2]
• Total	14,632
• Density	640/km² (1,700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	LV-2150
Calling code	+371 67
Number of city council members	15
Website	http://sigulda.lv/public/eng/

Sigulda (pronunciation^ⓘ; German: Segewold) is a town in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, 53 kilometres (33 miles) from the capital city Riga.^[3]^[4]

Overview

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Sigulda is on a picturesque stretch of the primeval Gauja river valley. Because of the reddish Devonian sandstone which forms steep rocks and caves on both banks of the river, Sigulda has been called the "Switzerland of Vidzeme".

Gutmanis Cave

After the restoration of Latvian independence in 1991, an emphasis was placed on conserving Sigulda's public monuments and parks as well as improving the town's tourist sector. Supported by the town council, a traditional Opera Festival takes place in an open-air music hall in the castle ruins each summer. A Town Festival is celebrated in May when cherry trees blossom, while Sigulda is known for the colors of its trees in autumn. Sports such as skiing, bobsledding, and the luge are popular in wintertime and bungee jumping is practiced during the rest of the year.

The Gutmanis Cave lies halfway between Sigulda Castle and Turaida Castle and has a small stream flowing from it. It is the largest cave in the Baltics, measuring 19 m (62.34 ft) deep, 12 m (39.37 ft) wide and 10 m (32.81 ft) high. The cave still bears inscriptions from as early as the 17th century; drinking the water is supposed to be healthy and is said to increase one's lifespan. From the cave it is possible to climb into the hills and take the cable car over the river valley.

The town's population has been growing every year since 2000. 86% of the population is Latvian, 9% Russian, 3% Belarusian and 2% others. Sigulda celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2007.

Points of interest

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Twin towns — sister cities

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Sigulda is a member of the Douzelage, a town twinning association of towns across the European Union. This active town twinning began in 1991 and there are regular events, such as a produce market from each of the other countries and festivals. As of 2019, its members are:^[5]