Zvartes Rock

Zvartes iezis rises around forty metres above a bend of the Amata river in Gauja national park, a wall of red Devonian sandstone cut by the water, with the strata clearly banded and the face pocked with hollows. It is among the most recognisable natural features in the country and appears in a body of folklore, including stories of a witches' court held on the top. A stairway climbs to a viewing platform above and a path runs along the river below, where the water is shallow enough to wade across in summer. The Amata trail continues along the valley through more cliffs and rapids, and this is the standard access point for it.

What you actually see

• The sandstone face - the banded red cliff above the river bend.
• The viewing platform - the stairway to the top of the rock.
• The Amata - the river running below through the valley.
• The valley trail - the marked route along the Amata.

When to go

April to October for the trails; spring high water makes the Amata run strongly and the valley trail can flood. Autumn colours the valley. Winter offers ice on the cliff face and quiet.

Honest expectations

Parking is charged and fills at weekends. The site is small and the visit takes an hour. Boardwalks and steps are slippery in wet weather. The valley trail is longer and rougher than it looks.

Nearby

Cesis lies northeast; Sigulda is west down the Gauja.