What to see, where to stay and the best time to visit Cēsis, Latvia.
Photo: Guntars Mednis / Wikimedia Commons
Cēsis is a small town in Latvia, home to about 14,899 people, set at the edge of Gauja National Park. It's a mixed destination: a compact medieval Old Town with a castle and museum, plus nature trails and cliffs just outside the centre. Visitors come for the quiet streets, the ruined stone castle, and easy access to the forests and river valley around Cīrulīši. June is the best month to visit, with long days for walking the Old Town and exploring the park trails nearby.
One full day covers the Old Town, castle, and museum. Add a second day if you want to walk the Cīrulīši Nature Trail or see the Ērgļu Cliffs in Gauja National Park.
Castle Park, Old Town
The stone ruins of a castle built by the Livonian Order, one of the best kept in Latvia. You can climb the towers for views over the town, and in the dark western tower you find your way up with a lantern.
Castle Park, Old Town
The museum fills the manor house, called the New Castle, next to the medieval ruins. Rooms cover local history and art, and the Lademacher Tower has a viewing platform over the castle and the park.
Old Town
A landscaped park below the castle with a pond, old trees and paths. It is a calm place to walk between the castle and the Old Town.
Old Town
A large medieval Lutheran church and the oldest landmark of the Old Town skyline. When the tower is open, you can climb it for a wide view over the red roofs and the Gauja valley.
Old Town
Cobbled streets such as Rīgas iela keep the medieval street plan, with low wooden and stone houses, cafés and small shops. Rose Square is the main square and a good starting point for a walk.
Cīrulīši, edge of Cēsis
A walking trail in Gauja National Park that follows the Gauja River past red sandstone cliffs, including the Gūdu cliffs, and a spring. It is the easiest way to see the national park from the town.
Gauja National Park, near Cēsis
High sandstone cliffs above a bend of the Gauja River, reached by a short walk through forest. Viewing points give a clear look at the cliff face and the river valley.
Near Old Town
A small green park with a pond close to the centre. It is a quiet stop for a short rest during a walk around town.
Town centre
A modern concert hall and cultural centre on Unity Square. Check the programme for concerts, theatre and exhibitions during your stay.
Average weather and our month score, from 10 years of climate data.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -1°C / -6°C | 14 days (65 mm) | 1.8 h/day | 0.6/10 |
| February | 0°C / -5°C | 12 days (57 mm) | 3.6 h/day | 1.5/10 |
| March | 4°C / -3°C | 12 days (49 mm) | 6.4 h/day | 2.3/10 |
| April | 10°C / 1°C | 13 days (58 mm) | 9.3 h/day | 3.5/10 |
| May | 16°C / 6°C | 11 days (59 mm) | 12.3 h/day | 6.9/10 |
| Best month: June | 21°C / 12°C | 12 days (81 mm) | 13.5 h/day | 7.6/10 |
| July | 21°C / 13°C | 17 days (106 mm) | 12.4 h/day | 7.0/10 |
| August | 21°C / 13°C | 14 days (88 mm) | 10.7 h/day | 7.2/10 |
| September | 17°C / 10°C | 11 days (71 mm) | 8.3 h/day | 7.1/10 |
| October | 10°C / 4°C | 14 days (79 mm) | 5.0 h/day | 2.3/10 |
| November | 4°C / 1°C | 14 days (63 mm) | 1.9 h/day | 0.7/10 |
| December | 1°C / -3°C | 15 days (59 mm) | 1.4 h/day | 0.4/10 |
Deep winter. Highs of -1.4°C, lows of -5.9°C, 14.4 wet days and only 1.8 sun hours. Score 0.6: tough for sightseeing, but suited to cold-weather travellers.
Still freezing at night. Highs of 0.3°C, lows of -4.8°C, 11.8 wet days and 3.6 sun hours. Score 1.5, held down by cold and short days.
A slow thaw. Highs reach 4.4°C, but nights drop to -2.8°C. Expect 11.7 wet days and 6.4 sun hours. Score 2.3 reflects the lingering cold.
Spring arrives. Highs of 10.2°C, lows of 1.4°C, 12.9 wet days and 9.3 sun hours. Score 3.5: still cool and changeable, but improving.
A good month, with a score of 6.9. Highs of 16.2°C, 10.9 wet days (the fewest of the year) and 12.3 sun hours.
The best month, scoring 7.6. Highs of 21°C, lows of 11.6°C, 12.2 wet days and the most sun of the year at 13.5 hours.
The warmest month, with highs of 21.4°C, but also the wettest: 16.7 wet days and 106 mm of rain. Still rated good, with a score of 7.
Warm and pleasant. Highs of 21.3°C, lows of 13.1°C, 13.8 wet days and 10.7 sun hours. Rated good, with a score of 7.2.
Mild days with highs of 16.7°C, 11.3 wet days and 8.3 sun hours. Rated good at 7.1, the last good month before the autumn cold.
Conditions drop sharply. Highs fall to 9.8°C, with 14.2 wet days, 79 mm of rain and 5 sun hours. Score 2.3: grey, damp and cooler.
Dark and damp. Highs of 4.2°C, lows of 0.6°C, 13.9 wet days and only 1.9 sun hours. Score 0.7 reflects the cold, gloomy weather.
The lowest-scoring month at 0.4. Highs of 0.9°C, 15 wet days and just 1.4 sun hours, the least of the year. Suits travellers who enjoy winter quiet.
Climate averages 2015–2024 · Best time to visit Latvia →
The best areas to base yourself and who each one suits.
Good for first-timers, history, short stays
The medieval centre around the castle, Rose Square and Lielā iela has cobbled lanes, cafés and most of the town's sights within a short walk. It is the easiest base for a first visit because you can do everything on foot. The streets are hilly and cobbled, which can be hard with heavy luggage or a pram.
Good for train and bus travellers, day trips
The streets around the railway and bus station are practical and plain, with shops and direct links to Riga and other Gauja valley towns. It suits travellers arriving without a car or planning day trips. The area has little old-town character, and the walk to the castle is uphill.
Good for active travellers, winter sports, families
This hillside on the Gauja River has the town's ski slope in winter and canoeing, hiking and cycling in the warmer months. It suits people who come for the outdoors more than the old streets. It is out of the centre, so expect a longer walk, or use a car or taxi, to reach restaurants.
Good for nature lovers, quiet, hikers
A wooded area of sandstone cliffs and nature trails on the edge of town, close to the Gauja National Park landscapes. Stay here for calm evenings and walks from your door. Services are thin, and without a car you will depend on walking or taxis to reach the centre.
Cēsis is home to Cēsu Alus, one of Latvia's best-known breweries, and brewing is part of the town's history. Locals drink it with meals in town cafés and at summer festivals.
Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi are grey peas fried with bacon and onion. It is a classic Latvian dish found in traditional taverns, and families often eat it around Christmas.
Dark, dense and slightly sweet rye bread is served with almost every Latvian meal. Look for it in local bakeries, or try maizes zupa, a dessert made from rye bread.
Soft, crescent-shaped buns filled with chopped bacon and onion. Latvians buy them from bakeries as a snack and bake them at home for holidays and family gatherings.
A fresh cheese flavoured with caraway seeds. It is the traditional food of Jāņi, the Latvian Midsummer festival, when people eat it with beer around bonfires.
Yes, August is a good month to visit. The fact pack scores it 7.2 out of 10, with a 'good' verdict. Daytime highs reach 21.3°C and lows sit at 13.1°C, so it is warm for outdoor sightseeing. There are 13.8 rain days and 88 mm of rain, so pack something waterproof, but 10.7 hours of sun a day still leaves plenty of time outside.</answer_placeholder>
June is the best month, scoring 7.6 out of 10 and marked 'best' in the fact pack. It combines warm weather, with highs of 21°C and lows of 11.6°C, with 13.5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is moderate at 81 mm over 12.2 days. May, July, August and September are also rated 'good', each scoring between 6.9 and 7.2.
One or two days covers the main sights. The castle, museum, park, church and Old Town each take 30 minutes to 2 hours, so you can see the historic centre in a single day. Adding the Cīrulīši Nature Trail or Ērgļu Cliffs, which each take 1 to 3 hours, is easy to fit into a second day for nature walks in Gauja National Park.
Yes, winter is cold and dark. December, January and February all score below 1.5 out of 10 and are marked 'avoid' in the fact pack. January is the coldest month, with a high of -1.4°C and a low of -5.9°C. Sunshine is scarce too: December gets only 1.4 hours of sun a day and January just 1.8 hours.
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