Originally built eight centuries ago, the castle reopened its walls to visitors in 2012 and now encourages everyone to step back in time and enjoy the surroundings that bore witness to many historical events. In the ancient Gauja valley, shaped by the River Gauja and its tributaries, dozens of stone castles were erected and occupied in addition to the many castle mounds that were built by earlier locals. This area has the greatest concentration of castles not only in Latvia but also in Eastern Europe.