Aerodium Sigulda

Aerodium is an open vertical wind tunnel, a powerful upward jet of air strong enough to hold a person aloft in a simulated freefall. The Sigulda site was the first in the region and staged the flying display that closed the Turin Winter Olympics, and here anyone can try floating with an instructor.

What you actually see

• The wind column - the open-air jet of air that lifts flyers off the net.
• First flights - beginner sessions with an instructor holding you steady.
• Displays - trained flyers performing acrobatics on the column.
• The valley setting - the tunnel sits in the green Gauja countryside.

When to go

Year-round, though it runs to booked sessions, so reserve ahead. It pairs naturally with a Sigulda adventure day.

Honest expectations

Each flight is short, a matter of minutes on the air, so it is an experience rather than a long attraction, and priced accordingly. It runs on a schedule and by weather, so book rather than turn up. It is genuine fun but over quickly.

Nearby

The Sigulda bobsleigh track is close; the Gauja valley castles are just across the gorge.