The historical centre of Valmiera city is comprised of the reopened St Simon’s Church, originally built in 1285, and the nearby located castle ruins of the Livonian Order together with the medieval fortress remnants stretching along the Gauja River. The following city buildings have been preserved from the 18th – 19th century: the Old Pharmacy, the Little House of Valters and the Postal Service Horse Station.
The church has memorial plaques of the most distinguished city dwellers from the 15th–16th century, a pipe organ (1886), pulpits and pipe organ paintings (1730). The church tower serves as an exhibition hall, and its vantage platform provides a panoramic view of Valmiera. The Old Pharmacy at Bruņinieku Street is the oldest wooden building in the city and the second oldest pharmacy in Latvia. It was built in 1735 above the cellar of the Livonian castle.
Permission to set up a pharmacy was received in 1755. In that particular building it operated for 210 years – up to 1965. Currently the building houses an exhibition hall of Valmiera Museum of Regional History and Art. The culture and recreation park contains a preserved settlement of the ancient Latgalians. It is located close to the Luca Dell, where a small spring of healing water used to flow.
Valmiera is the only city in Vidzeme with a professional theatre - among the best in Latvia. The Museum of Valmiera will help familiarise with the history of the city, whereas excursions to manufacturing enterprises will reveal much about the local industrial environment.
Go and explore the city on your own or with a skilled guide. Watch the city life on the webcam. More information about Valmiera and its tourism objects available at www.valmiera.lv
