Gauja NP was founded in 1973, and it was the first national park in the territory of Latvia at that time. It focuses mainly on nature protection but it is also used for educational and leisure tourism. Its territory of 91745 ha is divided into five functional areas. The most important of them are nature reserves and restricted nature areas. Nature reserves take up a small but particularly valuable part of the Gauja NP, and access to these territories is restricted.
   Gauja NP includes the Primeval valley of the Gauja River and together with its tributaries it forms a particularly original landscape. On the banks of the Gauja, Amata, Brasla, many smaller rivers and brooks there are the biggest Devonian outcrops in Latvia – sandstone cliffs, rocks and caves.
   Forests cover 47% of the park’s territory. About 900 plant, 149 bird and 48 mammal species inhabit the territory of the Gauja NP.
   The territory of the Gauja NP comprises more than 500 monuments of history and culture – castle mounds, castles, churches, manors, water and windmills as well as numerous archaeological and art monuments.
   Tourists started to visit this area already in the 19th century. Nowadays the main tourist attractions are Sigulda and Cēsis towns, Turaida museum reserve, Āraiši Lake fortress and Līgatne Nature Park as well as the most popular archaeological objects – Zvārtes rock, Ērgļu (Ērģeļu) cliffs and Sietiņiezis rock.
   On the banks of the Gauja, Amata and Brasla Rivers there are special campsites for water and car tourists.
   Gauja National Park Administration and Visitor Centre are located at 3 Baznīcas Street, Sigulda.

Memeber since 1994