Cēsis Castle Medieval Craft Days is the most ambitious, content-rich and visually attractive event dedicated to medieval crafts in Latvia, which makes a significant contribution to the preservation and popularization of traditional craft skills.

The opening of this summer’s craft days is on July 6 when blacksmith Daniel Wiche, bricklayer Namejs Kalniņš, shoemaker Guna Zommere, enbroiderer Ieva Kalniņš and bone processing master Viesturs Āboltiņš will work at the castle. Masters of various crafts will return to Cēsis Castle over the next eight weekends. 

For visitors to Cēsis Castle, the Medieval Crafts Days are like a journey back in time. They can see medieval craftsmen and their ancient workshops with their own eyes. The craftsmen working in the Cēsis Castle workshops represent crafts that were popular in the Middle Ages but are often forgotten today (bone and antler processing, building ceramic products, traditional paint making, 16th century shoemaking, wooden bowl turning, rope weaving, etc.).

Dressed in authentically reconstructed late medieval costumes and “armed” with period-appropriate tools, the craftsmen not only demonstrate their skills, but also explain to visitors the specific fields or the social context of their products, which is mostly related to everyday life in the Middle Ages.

More information is available at: facebook.com/cesupils

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