SIGULDA: IT STARTED WITH A ZIP-LINE, AND ENDED WITH A BUNGEE JUMP

‘I’m feeling very Olympic today!’ – Sanka Coffie, Cool Runnings

Despite the receptionist assuring us we were in the right place-  with the arduous climb to the top floor for the promise of views over Sigulda confirming that yes, this was the only bobsleigh track in sight- as we waited by the deserted ‘bobsleigh’ sign I again questioned whether I had read the reviews wrong. Was this really Sigulda’s ‘top’ activity? At 12pm a few other groups of bemused tourists walked through the building to join us by an opening to the bobsleigh track, sheepishly forming a relieved queue. And so we waited. Waited for the summer bobsleigh to come into sight, which promised speeds of up to 85 km/h on Eastern Europe’s only Olympic standard 1200m track.

The clattering of wheels introduced us to those supervising us, who had emerged from what had appeared to be an unoccupied shack further up the road. A young man holding helmets gestured to us to put them on and jump in to our ride, driven by a middle aged woman who looked like she was about to pop to the shops. No words were exchanged other than ‘go’ and away we went. G-Force soon froze our laughter at the casual set up, as our skilled driver dictated the angled corners and turns with ease. Within minutes it was done. A truck pulled us back up the hill. Its pace no longer matched the adrenaline gained from the previous two minutes, that had felt like a surreal rollercoaster ride on fast forward.

The bobsleigh is one of the original adrenaline filled activities available in Sigulda; the Snowdonia of Latvia some may say. An aero tunnel, zip-lining and bungee jumping are a few other activities on offer which you can attempt to fit in your schedule. We had begun the day with the zip-line after arriving at opening time to see if we could be fitted around the slots that had booked up weeks in advance. This was a unique introduction to the Gauja National Park, where we would be spending the day exploring. A welcome at 55m above the river flying at 60km/h, with an almighty bounce back from the cable car which follows the same line to return to the start. This was much to the amusement of the camera wielding tourists who were travelling comfortably in the cable car that we met midway across the river.

The bobsleigh had topped the adrenaline peak we experienced from flying over the Gauja river. The zip-line now felt like a  pleasant memory in comparison to the 85km/h speeds we had just experienced. Smugly we then became the camera wielding tourists in the cable car viewing those experiencing the zip-line. This is the easiest way to cross the river. We spent the next few hours hiking to the main spots recommended on the map provided by the tourist office. This included the disney-esque Turaida Castle and Gutmanis Cave. 

After a few hours exploring the ruins, caves and castles surrounded by woodlands, our adrenaline had retreated. It dawned on us we had one last activity to end the day: a bungee jump out of the cable car over the Gauja river. As the sun began to set we headed back over the river on the last cable car, looking down at what we were soon going to be plummeting towards.

We were the only overseas tourists, and after bobsleigh experience it took a second to realise the instructor was joking when he said ‘happy?’, after going through the safety instructions in Latvian. Happy was not the first word that came to mind as the cable car stopped halfway across the river.  As the zip-line had finished for the day there was no distraction, just silence as we all peered down, the English instructions soon forgotten anyway.

One by one we jumped. The silently shared anticipation combined with the screaming jumper felt the polar opposite to the comic informality of the bobsleigh introduction. I shuffled forward, as the instructor counted 3,2,1 and I pushed away any hesitations my survival instinct screamed at me, in order to jump-bouncing back several times then being lowered toward the river bank.

Laughter and a rush of adrenaline were two of the first introductions we had to Sigulda and Gauja National Park, when we’d began the day zip-lining above. Now we had come full circle, ending with these on the river bank we had observed from above, being brought down to earth in more ways than one as we realised we would have to run to catch the last train back to Riga. This was a fitting way to end our experience of Sigulda: exciting, full of activity, and unpredictable until the end.

• Get there- Taxi is an option as always. I took the train but you can also catch a bus from RIGA to SIGULDA. I would recommend going from Central station. It is easy enough to buy tickets from one of the vendors. You can also pick the train up at one of the later stops.
  Journey time is around 1 hour 15 minutes, and €1.90 at time of travel. 
• Get around- The tourist information centre is right by the train station. Pick up a map that has all the main points of interest in the town and national park. We easily followed this and one of the hiking routes listed. There are different length walks and also a bus should you not want to get the cable car and/or walk. 
• Eat: Doma for surprisingly hipster-meets-garden party vibes in a homely setting. Serves tasty food from waffles, salads, burgers to beers and coffee at cheap prices. Mr. Biskvits for cake, snacks and coffee. This is opposite the train station.
• Prices: The summer bobsleigh: 10 euros each.
  The zip line was 95 euros for a tandem ride, and 55 euros for one person. Optional film options.
  Bungee jumping is 105 euros for two, or 60 euros for an individual jump. There are options for filming too for around 15 euros. However they were happy to take photos or film on our phones before lowering our bags down after we jumped.
  The cable car ride was 12 euros for a return or 7 euros one way.
  You have to pay to enter some of the sights such as the Turaida Museum Reserve (5 euros). 
• Tips: If you know what activities you would like to do, it is best to book. However try your luck with arriving at opening as you may be able to get a last minute slot.
  You cannot book the bobsleigh. Get there just before opening what was at 12pm at time of travel.
  Get up early to fit in as much as possible! There is plenty more on offer so do your research, for example in winter there are different activities on offer.
  Take plenty of water and snacks for when exploring the park by foot. Dress comfortably.

USEFUL LINKS:
TRAVEL INFORMATION: https://www.1188.lv/en/transport/
tourist information: http://www.tourism.sigulda.lv/gauja-national-park-/
activities: http://siguldaadventures.com
DOMA: https://tourism.sigulda.lv/en/objects/eat-and-drink/cafes-and-pubs/doma/

read my three day riga itinerary here

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