Northern lights in Sigulda tonight

Turaida Castle is a 13th-century red sandstone fortress on a hill above the Gauja river valley, 5 km from Sigulda town. The castle tower gives panoramic views north and northwest across the Gauja National Park forest, and the surrounding valley is completely dark at night with no settlement visible. The castle grounds are accessible after museum hours and the hilltop is used by local astronomers; the distinctive red tower makes an identifiable compositional element for photography. From the hilltop the conditions reach Bortle Class 3, with the Gauja river visible below in the valley.

The south rim of the Gauja valley gives elevated views across the forested river valley toward the opposite north-facing side, and several pull-in viewpoints are signed from the road between Sigulda and Krimulda. The valley walls stand 30-40 m above the river, giving a clear overhead sky and a north-facing horizon across the valley floor. The surrounding forest dampens any light from Sigulda town, and conditions from the viewpoints reach Bortle Class 3. In winter the deciduous forest is leafless, opening sightlines along the valley that summer foliage would block.

Gutmanis Cave is the largest cave in the Baltic states, carved into the sandstone cliff of the Gauja valley wall and measuring 18.8 m deep, 12 m wide, and 10 m high. The path along the river below the cave gives a north-facing sky view across the valley, and the cave entrance provides natural shelter from wind for a longer watch. Inscriptions on the cave walls date to the 16th century. The riverside path is accessible at night from the car park at Gutmanis, and conditions from the cave area reach Bortle Class 3-4.