Gutman’s Cave in Gauja National Park
What associations you have when they talk about the largest country cave? Personally, we expected that we would see something incredible sizes when we find ourselves in the most famous cave of Latvia, and the whole of the Baltic states, by the way. But our expectations were not destined to justify. Gutmanla Cave (Gutmanala) – the largest cave-grotto in Latvia, is located in the Gauja National Park, next to Turaid castment. Getting to the cave is very simple, it is right next to the P8 track, which connects Sigulda and Turaida. It is not very noticeable from the side, so it is worth watching the signs.
Not far from the cave is an information and tourist center and paid parking, where you can leave the car, and then by the underpass go to the Inspection of the Gaujaya Park and Caves Gutman.
Park Gauja – the largest National Park of Latvia (in today’s article all the "most-most"), it covers an area of more than 900 square kilometers, founded in the early 70s of the 20th century and is the oldest park of the country.
Previously, this area was called the Livonian Switzerland, so the first tourists appeared here in the XIX century and so far this "pilgrimage" has not ceased.
Most of them, of course, come to the cities of Sigulda and Cesis, which are located on the territory of the reserve, but there are those who get here to admire the sandy cliffs of the Devonian. This period of Paleozoic era ended much of millions of years ago, and sandstones remained. Actually in one of these rocks and is located the famous Cave Gutman.
Name Gutman’s cave our language does not turn. Of course, this is very unusual and, in kind, even a unique grotto, but the caves, in a classic understanding, you will not see here.
His popularity of Gutman’s cave found thanks to numerous legends that are connected with it. One of the most famous – about the death of the Turaid rose – We have already told. According to another legend, the cave appeared from the tears of the wrong wife of one of the Liv leaders.
The angry ruler ordered to bury a grant alive on the bank of the Gauja River, which was very promptly executed. The woman was crying so bitterly that a whole cave molded with her tears, she continues to pour tears, which go to the surface in the form of a small stream, which is considered therapeutic.
Another legend is also associated with a stream. According to her, a doctor settled in the cave, who healed patients with healing water from the source. The elder began to call "Guter Mann", which means a good man, and later this name was transformed in the name of the cave.
The main attraction of the cave are numerous inscriptions made on the sandy walls of the grotto. The earliest of them belong to the XVI century, which allows you to call the Gutman’s cave one of the oldest tourist objects of Latvia. Foreign barons and commander left on the walls of the grotto generic emblems and just inscriptions from the series "Vasya was here".
According to some sources, one of the Russian kings has noted such a hooliganism. Now it is forbidden to do any inscriptions on the arrangements of the cave cave, but some tourists (mostly Russian-speaking), consider their duty to perpetuate their name in history.
Next to the cave Gutmana there are several small grots less. According to the legend, one of them cut down Victor Hale, when he was waiting for his Turaid rose. Unfortunately, in winter it is difficult to rise to these grottoes, but judging by the reviews of tourists, there is nothing remarkable in the inscriptions on the walls on the walls.
If you decide to go to the Gauja National Park to explore this unusual landmark, do not expect you to meet the cave of huge sizes. Despite the status of the "biggest", its indicators are very modest: the depth of almost 19 meters, the height of the arches is 10 meters, and the width is only about 12. Compared to Gutmani, the dragon cave smear in Wawel Castle Looks like someone underground palace. &# 128578; Nevertheless, Gutmana is an unusual place in which it is worth looking if you are near.
