Sigulda

Sigulda, Latvia — known as "Latvian Switzerland" for the forested Gauja River valley it sits above, dotted with medieval castle ruins and a Soviet-era Olympic bobsled track you can still ride.

Turaida and Sigulda castles face each other across the Gauja valley — the cable car between them gives a treetop view of the gorge. In winter, tourists can ride the real bobsled track with a professional driver; the rest of the year, bring hiking boots for the sandstone cave trails below.