The Rose of Turaida

Today was once again a wonderful day. The occasional moment of fright was outweighed by the many highlights. But let's start from the beginning: With a heavy heart, I left Lakeside Camping in Sidulga this morning, as well as the dedicated caretaker Artur. I chose today's destination on the Park4night app, which likely saved me from a flop.

Still in Sidulga, I visited one of the Baltic's attractions: the Gutman's Cave. It is the largest cave in the Baltics and is located in the Gauja River valley, which began forming 300-370 million years ago. The valley is 1-2.5 kilometers wide, and at Sigulda, it reaches a maximum depth of 85 meters.

The last major transformations occurred 12-13,000 years ago, when the current Gauja River valley formed as the glacier receded.

The Gutman's Cave is the setting of a tragic legend:

During the Polish-Swedish War, a bloody battle took place in 1601 near the Turaida Fortress in Courland, which also claimed many civilian casualties. Among the few survivors was Maija[1], who later became known as the "Rose of Turaida" due to her renowned beauty and virtue. Her heart belonged to Victor Heils, the same-aged son of a castle gardener. They were already planning their wedding according to tradition. In August 1620, in the 20th year of this accursed war, two foreign Polish officers arrived in the town, coincidentally crossing paths with the beautiful Maija. Immediately inflamed with intense desire and passion, both men courted the virtuous maiden, but without success. With a forged letter, a supposed message from Victor, they lured Maija into the Gutman's Cave (Latvian: Gūtmaņa ala). The two men were already waiting there, but the young maiden immediately recognized their true intentions and the hopelessness of her situation. To preserve her honor, she claimed to possess a magically powerful scarf.[2] As proof, she asked one of the men to strike her with his sword, promising that it would cause her no harm. With this diabolical ruse, she managed to preserve her virginity and honor. With horror and covered in blood, the two men realized Maija's stratagem and hastily left the area. Due to the forged letter, which was still in Maija's clothes, her guilt was not recognized, and Victor was put on trial. Only on the day of his execution did one of the officers approach the judge and tell the true story to those present, also revealing that his accomplice had gone insane after the deed and hanged himself in a forest. Victor was now a free but broken man. He buried his beloved Maija, planted the lime tree on her grave, and left his homeland with a bag of soil from his bride's grave. No one has ever heard from him since.

With this tragic story, I set off on my way. Next, a short visit to Cesis is on the agenda. Cesis was first mentioned in a document in 1224.[1] The St. John's Church was built between 1281 and 1284. Its location on the Gauja River and on the trade route between Riga and Pskov contributed to its rapid development into a thriving trading city. Cesis joined the Hanseatic League in the 14th century. The market square and the church formed the city center. The city and castle were surrounded by a wall made of dolomite with eight towers and five gates.

Unbeknownst to me, I crossed the border into Estonia at Valga. The third country in the alliance has been reached! I noticed it mainly by the radio station, as the voices suddenly changed from harsh Latvian to melodic Finnish. In the middle of the city, I then saw a signpost for the "Military Map Park." Of course, I couldn't resist: a short visit took me back to my recruit days. There, you can still see original vehicles that were drilled into our heads during tank recognition training, so that we could recognize them in our sleep, in fog, and in the dark.

Later, it's time to hit the road. The final destination is still 70 km away. The roads are very good, except for a section of about 10 km where I saw gravel for the first time in a long while. And suddenly, the warning light for the rear right tire pressure comes on. A first check shows no abnormalities, so I continue driving cautiously.

At the destination, I receive a friendly welcome and instructions. It is a small holiday resort right on the lake, which also provides a little forest for campers. Fantastic! Set up, swim, drink a beer. That's the good life!

Good evening, Schwyz!