Gutmanis Cave

Gutmanis Cave Gūtmaņa Ala. Gutmanis Cave is the deepest cave in the Baltic countries, located on the Gauja River bank in the National Park of Sigulda, Latvia.

Gūtmaņa Ala. 19 meters deep, 12 meters wide and 10 meters high. The cave is connected to several legends...

A local Livonian chieftain named Rindaugas had his wife buried alive in a steep bank of the River Gauja after accusing her of being unfaithful. Her tears became the source of the spring. A sorcerer named Gutmanis, who supposedly cured the locals with water from the cave's spring, named the

cave (Good Man's Cave). According to the old Latvian story of Maija, the Rose of Turaida (1601-1620):
After a battle at the foot of Turaida Castle in 1601, the castle clerk, while searching for survivors, found a baby in the arms of its dead mother. He called the child Maija and brought her up as his own. She grew up to be very beautiful and so was known as the "Rose of Turaida". She fell in love with Viktor, the gardener at the castle of Sigulda (opposite Turaida over the Gauja River) and in the autumn of 1620 they prepared to be married. Shortly before the wedding Maija received a letter from Viktor asking her to meet him at the Gutmanis Cave, their usual meeting place. She went to the cave with Lenta, the young daughter of her adoptive father. When she reached it, however, it was not Viktor she encountered but a Polish nobleman or soldier called Adam Jakubowski who was lying in wait for her with the intention of forcing her to be his wife. Maija promised to give him her magic scarf, that had the power to make the wearer immune from injury (in some versions the scarf is impossible to cut through), if he would let her go, and persuaded him to test its power on her. He struck her with an axe and she died, having thus saved her honor. In the evening Viktor came to the cave and found the body of his betrothed and was accused of the murder. But in court there appeared a witness called Peteris Skudritis, who testified that he had been commissioned by Jakubowski to deliver the fatal letter. The girl Lenta confirmed the course of events. Viktor buried his betrothed near the castle, planted a linden tree on the grave and left the country for ever. According to documents in Sigulda's archives the soldier was later caught, tried and hanged for his crime. From then on it has been customary for newlyweds to leave flowers on the grave of the Rose of Turaida in hopes of knowing the same eternal love and devotion.*

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia*

Due to it's many legends, Gutmanis Cave has become a well visited place over history and is now one of the most visited landmarks inside Gauja National Park. Cave wall inscribings dating back to the 16th century depict names, objects, flowers and coats of arms from local guilds. Gutmanis Cave on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GutmanisCave

18/06/2020

Gutmanala is the biggest grotto in the Baltics. It is located in Sigulda, on the right bank of the Gauja River, not far from Turaida. The grotto’s origins da...

22/08/2019

After a battle at the foot of Turaida Castle in 1601, the castle clerk, while searching for survivors, found a baby in the arms of its dead mother. He called the child Maija and brought her up as his own. She grew up to be very beautiful and so was known as the "Rose of Turaida". She fell in love with Viktor, the gardener at the castle of Sigulda (opposite Turaida over the Gauja River) and in the autumn of 1620 they prepared to be married. Shortly before the wedding Maija received a letter from Viktor asking her to meet him at the Gutmanis Cave, their usual meeting place. She went to the cave with Lenta, the young daughter of her adoptive father. When she reached it, however, it was not Viktor she encountered but a Polish nobleman or soldier called Adam Jakubowski who was lying in wait for her with the intention of forcing her to be his wife. Maija promised to give him her magic scarf, that had the power to make the wearer immune from injury (in some versions the scarf is impossible to cut through), if he would let her go, and persuaded him to test its power on her. He struck her with an axe and she died, having thus saved her honour.

In the evening Viktor came to the cave and found the body of his betrothed and was accused of the murder. But in court there appeared a witness called Peteris Skudritis, who testified that he had been commissioned by Jakubowski to deliver the fatal letter. Lenta confirmed the course of events. Viktor buried his betrothed near the castle, planted a linden tree on the grave and left the country forever. According to documents in Sigulda's archives the soldier was later caught, tried and hanged for his crime. From then on it has been customary for newlyweds to leave flowers on the grave of the Rose of Turaida in hopes of knowing the same eternal love and devotion.

-Wikipedia

30/04/2019
13/04/2017

. Although the solstice usually falls on 21 or 22 June, the public holidays—Līgo Day and Jāņi Day—are on 23 and 24 June. The day before Jāņi is known as Līgo Day (formerly known as Zāļu Day).

15/02/2016
12/02/2016

Vidzeme (Northern Latvia)

07/02/2016

G.G.Kieseritzky, 1813

02/02/2016

The Gutmana Ala, or Gutman’s (Good Man’s) cave in English, is today located in the Sigulda region of the Gauja National Park in Latvia. Apart from Sigulda, this national park extends over

02/02/2016

Turaidas Roze. Maija. The adoptive daughter of the clerk of Turaida Castle who sacrificed her life in the name of true love.

02/02/2016

Turaidas pils (senie vācu nosaukumi: Fredeland, Treyden) ir viena no senākajām mūsdienās apskatāmajām viduslaiku pilīm Latvijā. Atrodas Gaujas labajā krastā,...

19/11/2015
19/11/2015

Augstākā Latvijas ala, lielākā grota arī Baltijas valstīs (10 m augsta, 12 m plata, 18.8 m gara). Uz alas sienām saglabājušies uzraksti no 17.gs. beigām.

Address

Turaidas Iela 2A
Sigulda
LV-2150

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