Karlamuiza Country Hotel

We wanted to go to the Gaujas National Park because of the castles around Sigulda and Cesis and lucked out founding this place to stay over night in. It is a lovely bed and breakfast style hotel set in Gauja National Park. The grounds have an apple orchard, a couple of ponds and a good short hike nearby that takes about 20 minutes one way. We booked the Christian room and it was nice and cozy. The beds were very comfy and we liked the number of pillows we got. There is a mini fridge, tea station and a small sitting area with a table in front of the TV. We came in and had a good sleep at this quiet property. The shower needed some help as the door slides were not properly mounted when we arrived and the wheels were off their tracks for both slides - I remounted on my own but the property may want to look into a repair or replacement. The shower was still pretty good and got nice and hot. My wife loved this place and said if we had more time she would have loved to have brought her paint or read a book. The property is very picturesque with some ponds, nice trees and there was a storm nesting on the property when we went. All the rooms are upstairs and there is a big couch in front of the window that overlooks the property and the dining room area is quite spacious too. If you plan on going for a hike here bring some good shoes. The trail can be quite muddy after a rain but it is in decent condition. The hotel has a map and can make suggestions for hikes in the area. The national park is full of good hikes too and the hotel itself is near Sigulda which has some good moderate hikes near the Gutman Caves and castles in the area. The hotel also has some bikes and kayaks on property. We felt the breakfast was good and we believed that most of the items provided were local like the farm fresh eggs and the apple juice. You have to put in your breakfast order the night before and if you book with supper it seems you have to call ahead to make your choices. The hotel is in the countryside so there isn't much around but nature. Cesis is a 10 minute drive away and Sigulda is about 30 minutes away. There are some awesome restaurants in Sigulda and the Cesis Castle was an absolute must. The towns also have lots of stores open until 10 pm if you want to pick up some snacks before going in.

Right at the height of the holiday season, just before Christmas, my fiancée and I decided to go for an almost impromptu roadtrip from Estonia to Latvia. Having visited the Christmas market and had a quick bite to eat with friends in Rīga, we drove about an hour to reach the Kārļamuiža country hotel. Even though we arrived a few minutes after 22:00, Baiba welcomed us with a warm smile and showed us to our Superior Double Room called Dorothea. Located on the ground floor, this room shares a spacious terrace with two similar rooms, but with mesh dividers for privacy. Indoors, the room is well-furnished with modern equipment yet also classically decorated. The commodious bathroom has both a walk-in shower as well as a bathtub while also offering plenty of counter space for toiletries around the washbasin. In the room itself, there's a large flat screen TV, a kitchenette and a large, comfortable bed. The large, floor-to-ceiling windows facing the terrace offer a great view to the garden while also being easily covered. We woke up well-rested, feeling ready to hit the road again and visit the nearby Cēsis Castle. First, however, we indulged ourselves in the plentiful breakfast spread. Baiba was also on hand to generously offer advice for our day ahead, including showing the label on the delicious Cesvaine cheese with clover seeds.

This place was absolutely incredible; I almost don’t want to give it a review because I’m afraid it will get overrun with visitors! The logo “in noble silence” perfectly describes this hotel experience. The location and apple orchard is stunningly beautiful. Make sure you notify at least 3 hours in advance or first thing in the morning if you want sauna or dinner. You can access one of the trails to the Amata River from behind the orchard to go on long day hikes. They were able to accommodate food allergies and dietary restrictions for celiac and other intolerances, even making a wheat & gluten free loaf of bread just for us. Cēsis is about a 20 minute drive away. You could take the train from Riga & get a ride or hike from the train stop, but it would be better to do this if you have a bike or rent a car, since Cēsis is 20 min drive away and Sigulda is 45 minutes away. If you have enough time you could use the local bus service combined with biking to get around, otherwise renting a car is better. We hope to return in the summer for canoeing or the winter for snowshoeing. A real gem.