- Address: Jāņa Poruka iela 1, Sigulda, Siguldas pilsēta, LV-2150, Latvia;
- Opened: in 2007;
- Phone: +371 67971335;
- Official site: tourism.sigulda.lv.
In 2007, during the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the city, an unusual street composition appeared in Sigulda - a park of walking sticks. The new public garden immediately fell in love with the locals and became one of the most visited places in Sigulda. Fresh air, green lawns, beautiful flowering flower beds and benches in the shade of branchy trees. An ideal place to relax! In addition, this park is unique, the second such in the world there. All because it is decorated with an original way - a colorful exposition of beautiful canes, which represent the main symbol of the city.
Park of walking-stick in Sigulda - city mascot
Once upon a time Sigulda was a small and unremarkable town. Today, this Latvian resort is known far beyond the Baltics, calling it "Vidzeme Switzerland".
In the distant nineteenth century, Prince Kropotkin ruled in these lands. Like all the notable people, he wanted money and recognition, so he sought a way to glorify his possessions. And one day he found it. As a well-known fairy-tale cat in his boots praised to the right and to the left his master, the Marquise de Carabas, with his untold wealth, so Kropotkin began to call the rich men of Riga to Sigulda. He sold out, without regretting, the land for building cottages and holiday villages, developed a large travel company and even achieved the construction of the railway " Riga - Valka ". The prince's efforts were not in vain. Soon, rare tourists began to visit Sigulda, and after a while their stream became endless.
Residents of the city did not lose their heads. Some began to rent excess living space, others went into commerce, and someone especially enterprising organized a new business, which in the future became the main income of many townspeople and glorified Sigulda around the world. This is the production of walking canes. Then in the guides of the XIX century they wrote: "for walking along the steep ravines and hills of Sigulda you need a special cane, which you can buy from a local boy".
Boys with canes really ran all over the city, offering their goods to tourists. The canes were usually made by adult men. For this, thick rods of flexible trees were cut: hazel, willow, buckthorn, juniper. The preforms for the canes were first digested, cleaned, and then bent one end in a special wooden form. In this form they were left until the wood dried completely. Prepared canes with folded handles were decorated more often by women through burning and varnishing.
In the second half of the twentieth century, the production of canes was modernized. Everything was still done by hand, but already used for painting waterproof ink, and for burning patterns - a special hook with which the masters created various ethnographic ornaments.
What to do in the park of canes in Sigulda?
This park has no entertaining format, but was created as a kind of art object dedicated to the symbol of the city. Here you can:
- relax on comfortable benches overlooking the platform with canes;
- walk along beautiful cobbled alleys;
- purchase nearby souvenirs for memory (real canes or interpretation on the topic: magnets, key rings);
- make beautiful photos.
In addition to the canes, which have a different thickness and length, the park also has amusing umbrellas. In summer they are covered with colorful flower beds.
How to get there?
The park of canes in Sigulda is located near the cable car station in Krimuldu. This is a small triangular area between the streets of Cesu, Jan Poruk and Lasples.
If you are traveling towards Turaida Castle along the P8 highway, the park of the walking sticks will be located on the left side.