It's a popular and long-established ritual of the Fall for Rīgans. One almost suspects that as far as some of the city-dwellers are concerned, a day trip to Sigulda in October means they have 'done' the countryside, and indeed the rest of the country, for another year and can return to their boulevards with the satisfied feeling of Amundsen on his return from the South Pole.
Now, without doubt, Sigulda is very nice. It's convenient, cheap and quick to get there on the train. You only need to walk a few hundred meters from the train station and you get a spectacular view across the Gauja River valley. The more adventurous can then disappear down well-established hiking trails before returning for a hot chocolate at one of the cafes by the station and a train home. The less adventurous can go straight for the hot chocolate. It's undeniably a nice day trip – which is why at this time of year you will just be one among many others doing exactly the same.
So, if you want to escape the crowds, you might consider somewhere other than Sigulda. There are plenty of places that offer Autumnal landscapes that are at least its equal. They might take longer to get there, but 'effort returns reward', according to the sort of thing you hear during a PowerPoint presentation.
Due to the fact that pretty much everywhere outside of Rīga looks stunning in the Fall, a condition has been imposed in compiling this list: the destinations must in theory be reachable by train from Rīga. That rule will be bent close to breaking point, as you will see. But for what it's worth, here are a few suggestions for spectacular autumn trips away from the capital city.
Cēsis
On the same line as Sigulda but adding another 40 minutes or so of journey time will bring you to the pretty city of Cēsis. Head south from the station and within half an hour you will be on the banks of the River Gauja. The Cirulīši nature trail is a good one, but less well-known is a section of the Santiago di Compostella route that winds along the river and over some small hills nearby. Another short, pretty circular trail just across the river at Sarkanās cliffs comes complete with the freshest spring water you will ever drink.
More: https://visit.cesis.lv/
Ogre
Ogre is just as easy to reach from Rīga as Sigulda and indeed it, too, used to be a resort town, evidence of which remains in its pretty wooden villas. The station is right in the middle of town, and you have several options as you disembark – should you head for the River Ogre, the River Daugava or the 'Zilie Kalni' (Blue Hills) nature park, which has trails specially designed for bikes, walkers, nature lovers and even dogs?
Ogre is a particularly good choice for cyclists who will be able to take in a lot in a single day and the trains are frequent, even at weekends. It also offers plenty of excellent places to eat when you have worked up an appetite, unlike some others on this list.
More: https://www.visitogre.lv/en/
Saldus
Heading into Kurzeme region, Saldus is reachable by train on the line towards Liepāja. It's a town that has really improved its attractiveness in recent years and now makes a very pleasant and different destination for people who want to explore Latvia in a bit more depth.
There is a great viewpoint over the town right beside the road on Biļļu hill, while for walkers the pretty Ciecere nature trail winds along the Ciecere river and can be continued all the way to the picturesque Saldus Lake. The best autumn colors can probably be found in Kalnsēta park and the best view from the top of Lake Ciecere observation tower.
One thing to bear in mind though – the Saldus railway station is actually located a couple of kilometers away from the town itself.
More: https://turisms.saldus.lv/en/
Skrīveri
Skrīveri is not a big place, but it does have one thing that is a very big draw at this time of year – a large and beautiful dendrological park. However, as with Saldus above, this is located quite a distance from the train station – in the case of Skrīveri Dendrological Park, nearly five kilometers away, so perhaps this is more of an option for cyclists and motorists unless you really want to wear down the soles of your hiking boots (or use a taxi).
It is worth the effort, either way – the dendrological park which is owned by Latvian State Forests extends over 16 hectares right on the banks of the River Daugava and includes more than 300 different species of trees.
Parts are decidedly park-like and open (it was originally the formal park of Skrīveri Manor), while others have been allowed to get a little wilder. A perfect place for an autumn picnic.
More: https://www.mammadaba.lv/en/mammadaba-nature-objects/skriveri-dendrological-park
Alūksne
We'll admit that this is a bit of a stretch, in more ways than one. First, you might not be able to make it all the way to Alūksne and back in a day. Second, you'll look in vain for 'Alūksne' on the departures board at Rīga Central Station. However, the north-eastern city does have a rail station – it just happens to belong to the 33 km narrow-gauge 'Bānītis' track which operates between Gulbene (which is reachable by train from Rīga) and Alūksne on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. Bānītis is an attraction in itself (details https://visitaluksne.lv/en/visit/banitis/) as you will be able to take in the autumn scenery as it slowly puffs its way across the landscape of forest, field and bog.
There's plenty to see when you reach Alūksne, which sits on the shore of a huge lake. Walk across the causeway to Castle Island and Temple Hill with its viewing platform for the most spectacular panoramas.
