On 31 October, the Father of Song Krišjānis Barons will turn 185. To highlight the folklorist’s connection with Sigulda and to mark the writer’s walking trail in Turaida, an eight-kilometre-long walking route has been created. The route, developed by the specialists of the Sigulda Municipality Tourism Information Centre, starts at the Krišjānis Barons monument and leads to the Sigulda Castle quarter, the bridge over the Gauja River, the beautiful nature trail that leads along the Gauja river bank, Gūtmaņala, Kārlis Klan, and the Turaida Museum Reserve (entrance fee applies).
The Krišjānis BaronsTrail starts at the Dainu Hill of the Turaida Museum Reserve at the sculpture “Cloud” and leads from Dainu Hill down to the Gauja Valley, where the house “Dainas” is located. The folklore researcher and collector Krišjānis Barons spent the last summer of his life there. The trail is probably part of Krišjānis Barons’ old walking route through the Turaida ravines. It passes centuries-old oaks, lindens, ash trees, ferns and mayflower groves until it reaches the banks of the Gauja River, where the sculpture “Dainu kalns” is located at the foot of the trail.
Krišjānis Barons says in his memoirs: “My path now went through Jaunpils to Sigulda. I stayed there for a wholeweek, exploring the magnificent Gauja Valley and both its banks. Between Sigulda, Krimulda and Turaida. Sunday came. Many people arrived. There were all kinds of interesting scenes. I was on my feet early. I put on a pair of white trousers, now washed, inherited from my uncle, and went to see Riga, because I was told that from Sigulda one could see the towers of Riga over the low-lying plain. To get a better view of Riga, I climbed another tall tree. In spite of me, the thick air covered the nearby plain and, seeing nothing, I climbed down again. The tree, well up off the ground, had no more branches. I put my foot on the last branch and jumped to the ground, but the cunning trunk caught my trouser leg and split my whole shin to the top.In this sad way, just wetting myself and avoiding the public wandering around, I made my way home, to the inn, where I still had a second pair of trousers.”
The Walking and Krišjānis Barons Memories itinerary is available in print at the Tourist Information Centre, as well as electronically. The walking route is also available on the Sigulda mobile app. The informative material has been created in cooperation with representatives of the Krišjānis Barons family and the Turaida Museum Reserve.