The Turaida area is inhabited by Fenno-Ugrian and Balt ethnic groups

Liivs arrive along the banks of the Gauja

Cistercian priest Theodoric of Turaida begins to preach the faith of Christianity

Late 12th / early 13th century

The chieftain of Turaida and Kubesele is Caupo

The Bishop of Riga founds the Order of the Brothers of the Sword and later gradually conquers Liiv lands

1206, 1212

In the battles between local inhabitants and the crusaders, the Liiv wooden castle in Turaida burns down

1214

Atop the ruins of the Liiv wooden castle, at the behest of Bishop Albert of Riga, Bishop Philipp of Ratzeburg starts building a fortress – Turaida Castle

1255–1566

The lands of Turaida or the Gauja Liivs are controlled by the two political forces or landlords of the day – the Archbishop of Riga and the German Order. Turaida is the district administrative and economic centre of the Archdiocese of Riga

1298–1366

The Order’s armed forces encircle Turaida Castle, where the Archbishop has sought sanctuary, and is forced to hand over all his properties to the Order – Turaida Castle is now run by the Order

Firearms are used for the first time in Livonia. The need arises for a new type of protective structures – artillery towers. A large semi-circular tower is built in the western part of Turaida Castle

1486

Talks take place at Turaida Castle. Master of Livonia Johann Freytag von Loringhoven, the Riga town councillors and representatives of the Archbishop’s vassals meet in the presence of the Swedish emissary

The invasion of Livonia by Russian armed forces marks the start of the Livonian War. Also involved in the war are Poland, Lithuania and Swedish

1601–1629

Polish-Swedish War

1620

Maija, daughter of Turaida Castle’s clerk Greiff, kills Polish Army deserter Adam Jakubovski, who is serving at Turaida Castle

1652

State advisor Nils Šternšelds sells Turaida Manor to Vidzeme landowner –land judge Baron Gotthard Johann Budberg for 21,000 Swedish talers

1700–1721

The Great Northern War. Russian armed forces ravage Vidzeme. As a result of the horrors of the war, the whole of Vidzeme is afflicted by famine and plague

1710

77.8% of inhabitants die during a plague epidemic in Turaida District

1776

Jacob, son of Baron Magnus von Helmersen, the tenant at Turaida Castle, practices shooting at birds sitting on the barn roof, sparking a fire at the end of which only the walls of the mighty fortress remain standing

1786

A wooden residential house belonging to the owner of Turaida Manor is built within the grounds of the Turaida Castle ruins

Buildings from the Middle Ages gradually turn into romantic ruins, drawing the attention of historians, artists and travellers

1819

The castle owner in Baron Hermann von Campenhausen

1848

The first teachers’ conference in Vidzeme takes place at the Turaida Manor hotel’s “Swiss House”

1869

At the Vidzeme teachers’ conference – writer Atis Kronvalds makes a speech in Latvian, inviting delegates to fight on behalf of the Latvian language

1889

Opening of the Riga-Valka railway line, sparking an increase in the number of summer holiday makers in Turaida

1907

Turaida Manor is inherited by Alexander Stahl von Holstein

1922

At the foot of Turaida Castle – Latvian folklorist Krišjānis Barons spends his last summer at Turaida’s “Dainas” house

1925

Turaida’s Castle ruins are included on the list of State protected monuments

1926

After the agrarian reforms, the built centre of Turaida Manor is entrusted to the Riga Teachers’ Trade Union

1932

A memorial plaque to Turaida’s Roze “Here sleeps Turaidas Roze” is fastened to a lime tree on Turaida Church Hill

1936

A viewing area opens to the public in Turaida Castle’s main viewing area

1953

Restoration of the Turaida Castle tower commences

1969

The Turaida Castle complex of buildings, the wooden church built in 1750 and the memorial site to Turaida’s Roze are included on the list of State protected cultural monuments

1976

An archaeological expedition from the Academy of Sciences’ Institute of History commences work at Turaida under the leadership of archaeologist Jānis Graudonis

1985

In honour of Krišjānis Barons’ 150th anniversary, Dainas Hill is opened with sculptures by sculptor Indulis Ranka

1988

During the Baltica-88 international folklore festival at Turaida, the national flags of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia flutter beside the sculpture Father of Song

Turaida Museum Reserve is founded on the base of the Sigulda Regional History Museum

1990

Unveiling of the sculpture Austra’s Tree, accompanied by an address given by folklore researcher Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga

1996

Turaida Museum Reserve receives the European Museum of the Year Award

2007

Turaida hosts an event “Sun Flowers for the President” as an expression of gratitude to President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga

2016

At the 9th International European Cultural Tourism Conference in Portugal, Turaida Museum Reserve is awarded the Grand Prix “Sustainable Cultural Tourism Destination 2016” – for preserving and promoting intangible cultural heritage

Turaida Museum Reserve is awarded the Cultural Excellence Award

2022

The historical centre of Turaida is included in the list of places bearing the European Cultural Heritage Label

The historical centre of Turaida is included in the list of places bearing the European Cultural Heritage Label