St. John's Lutheran Church (Cēsis)

Unfortunately, the church was locked when we visited.

St. John's Church is the second most notable architectural feature in Cēsis and one if the oldest medieval monuments and oldest cult buildings in Latvia.

The church was built in the 13th century as Christanity advanced into the Baltics to serve the needs of the Livonian Order. It was first a Catholic Church, as the reformation (1524)/counterreformation(1582)/reintroduction of Lutheran faith (1627) hasn't happened yet. Because Cēsis was the residence of the Order, Cēsis then became one of the most important centres of the German authorities in the Baltic States. Livonian Order Masters, clerics and knights are buried in there, this you can see one of the largest collection of tombstones in Latvia.

The organ is one of the largest historical concert organ in Latvia. The church altarpainting is the masterpiece of the Estonian artist Johann Köhler (1826-1899).