RSLV04 - Valmiera > Caunītes

The journey begins in the center of Valmiera, in front of St. Simon's Church. To stock up on supplies, you can visit the "Valletta" shopping center, located directly opposite the church, or the "Rimi" supermarket, easily reachable by crossing a pedestrian bridge. You start by walking along the Gauja river, passing through some asphalted and dirt sections, until you gradually leave the urban environment. After crossing a road bridge, you proceed along a country road that leads to the edge of the forest.

As you go deeper into the woods, the path narrows and turns into a natural track, often marked only by foot traffic. The route, at this stage, follows the ancient "Baron's Trail" (Sentiero del Barone), which is not physically marked but appears on some maps. On this stretch, you move completely away from civilization, only sporadically encountering cyclists, other hikers, or isolated farms.

After several kilometers in the quiet of the forest, you finally reach Sietiņiezis, one of the highlights of the hike. Here you can take breaks, use the facilities, and above all, admire the imposing wall of white sandstone that dominates the river. A boardwalk allows you to walk along the base of the cliff and then climb back up to the top of the slope, from where the trail continues.

Leaving Sietiņiezis behind, you re-enter the forest. The route crosses clearings and old rural roads, passes a few more farms, and again immerses itself in more isolated sections. The vegetation alternates between dense woods and small open spaces, where occasional signs of human presence can be seen. After a final downhill section and a few turns along a dirt track, you finally arrive at Caunītes, the end point of the stage, where some cycling routes coming from Cēsis and Valmiera also converge.