Cēsis is so homely and cosy that a visit to this town seems like a holiday to a kind Latvian granny. This is a place, where genuine cordiality and real cosiness vibrates in the air; where one can laze a bit and forget everything else in the world; where each traveller is welcomed warmly and plied with the tastiest honey-covered bread slice ever.

Cēsis is truly not only one of the oldest but also one of the most Latvian towns. Rich in picturesque landscapes and testimonies of the past, it embodies both an intriguing sense of antiquity and modern self-esteem. Both Cēsis and the Cēsis district are among the most attractive temptations for travellers in Vidzeme.

If you wish to recover your mind from the crowd of the city, you should take a walk through the small lanes of Cēsis, which still maintain their layout as in medieval times. They cross unique silent yards, with small one- or two-storey buildings with red tile roofs on the side, as mute but friendly witnesses with lilac bushes and roses blossoming next to them in spring-time. The Cēsis church and the old castle-ruins with the castle park are places where to let yourself think and wonder.

In 2006, Cēsis celebrated a grand event – its 800-year anniversary! Its biography features the times of the old Vendi tribe castle, which has given the city its German name “Venden”, and year 1206, when the town was first mentioned in chronicles, and the Hansa union period, when even the counsels of the Baltic region Hansa cities took place here, as well as the personality of the count Valter von Plettenberg, during whose reign the city prospered notably. Cēsis is the origin of the red-white-red national flag of our country. The modern Cēsis awaits tourists from far and near, to share with its aura of antiquity, interesting sights and cosiness, letting each guest enjoy the hospitality of the town.