Turaida

Turaida ( German: Thor Aida or Treyden ) is a district of the town of Sigulda in Latvia and consists mainly of the castle and tourist facilities.

The district is situated on the left bank of the Gauja River and was incorporated in 1953. There is also the village Turaida, but which belongs to the administrative district Krimulda.

History

The name comes from the Liv Turaida " Tarapita " and is translated as God's garden. At the request of Archbishop Albert of Riga, Bishop Philip of Ratzeburg in 1214 the castle Frede country build on the remains of a wooden castle Liv; it also served as a counterweight to the castle of the Livonian Order on the opposite bank of the Aa. It was inhabited until it burned down in 1776, with the exception of the tower. Since 1953, the plant is reconstructed; Today it is a popular destination with its museum, park, sculpture garden, wooden church and some reconstructed farmhouses from the 18th and 19th centuries. The site can also be reached with the only cable car of Latvia Sigulda.