Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate

mobile centre in sigulda,riga’s official partner cityRiga and Sigulda were both first mentioned in historic texts aroundthe same time – more than eight centuries ago. Both towns werefounded on the sites of the autochthonous settlements of theFinno-Ugric Livonians. Like Riga, the hill forts of Sigulda and thecastles and fortifications that replaced them when it was a Livonianstronghold (medieval Livonia was named after the indigenousFinno-Ugric people by the conquering Germans) were later takenby diverse armed forces. Sigulda flourished in the late 19th centuryas a consequence of the construction of the Riga-Pskov roadand the Riga-Valka railway line. Grand Duke Kropotkin, the ownerof a great estate there, developed Sigulda as a resort, popularin the Russian Empire, where tourists could walk the so-called‘alpine paths’, visit the castle ruins and caves, and enjoy carriagerides or bobsled runs.The wooden buildings of Sigulda, built in the style of a Swissalpine resort, were partly destroyed in the First World War. Themanor of the estate was nationalised during the agrarian reformwhen Latvia became independent, becoming a guest house forthe Union of Writers and Journalists. During the Second WorldWar, Sigulda saw the destruction of its railway station, the bridgespanning the Gauja River, and the amphitheatre. In the Soviet period,development plans resulted in the growth of industry andconstruction of apartment blocks. It became a minor regional administrative,economic and cultural centre.The Sigulda area is still nicknamed the Switzerland of Vidzeme.Efforts to preserve the environment led to the creation of Latvia’sfirst national park in the area in the 1930s; its status was renewedas the Gauja National Park. The park covers 91,745 hectares andis listed as a specially protected territory by the European “Natura2000” programme, and as a sanctuary for birds by the EuropeanUnion. There are more than 500 cultural and historical places ofinterest within – hill forts, castles, churches, ancient estates, watermills,windmills, and other architectural, archaeological and artsites.The aerial cable car to Krimulda, opened in 1969, quickly becamea popular tourist attraction. The sledding complex, opened in1986, made Sigulda an international winter sports centre.An integral part of Sigulda’s renown is its Opera Festival. The celebrationof the town’s 800 th birthday in 2006 was testimony to thefact that Sigulda is a regional centre that can attract attention notonly in the area but throughout Latvia and among foreign visitors.An open air theatre festival and the concert hall known asthe “White Grand Piano” (Baltais flīģelis) play a role in the town’spopularity as a festival venue.The Sigulda region has two principal approaches with regard tothe 2014 project, taking into account its place in the history ofculture of this part of Europe:• producing an audit of the cultural and historical heritage thatupdates the centuries old ethical and aesthetic values of the regionin an international context;• using the skills and know-how, intertwined with local historyand the services Sigulda provides, in a manner that involves asmany local residents as possible.In preparing its proposal to participate in the Riga application tobe the European Capital of Culture in 2014, Sigulda has closelyfollowed the goals and themes of the Riga proposal.140 141