Rakšu cliffs

Located on the left bank of the valley of River Rakšupe, not far from the old bridge.

Powerful springs comes out of the earth at the feet of the cliffs. The cliff wall is overgrown with velvet lichen, creating an impression as if the outcrop was covered with soot. Traces of a massive landslide, which occurred a few years ago due to erosion and other natural processes, are seen.
www.entergauja.com


At the left riverbank of Rakšupe there is visible more than 100 meter long, 3-10 metre high cliffs of light Gauja sandstone with some small alcoves and caves. The origins of the name of these cliffs have an obvious link to Latvian words ornaments (raksti) and to write (rakstīt). It is likely that there was a tradition to carve Latvian symbols and ornaments into Rakši cliff, but more likely that highway travelers passing a sandstone cliffs used to scratch their names on the cliffs and as the result the inn took its name.

Although carvings from the 16th-18th century haven't been preserved, there is a carving from Livonian times (14th-15th century) - a drawing of a Hanseatic ship and two unfinished sketches of the ship, which allows us to suppose about the presence of the medieval pilgrims on the banks of the Gauja.