The Church of St. John (Jan – John the Baptist) in Cesis is one of the oldest medieval monuments of Latvia. It was built in 1281-1284, as the main Cathedral of the Livonian order in the form of a three-nave pillar of the Church. This is a huge Cathedral with a length of 65 meters and a width of 32 meters. Consists of three parts, and in its Western part is a powerful 65-meter high bell tower with a Gothic spire height of 15 meters. The Church is designed for 1000 seats.

In 1582-1621 years the Church was the Cathedral of the Catholic Bishop of Livonia, and after 1621 it became a Lutheran Church. Some details (for example, the volume step supports in the groin section) indicate the influence of the architecture of the Riga Cathedral of St. Mary. And the massiveness of the buildings and the decor lapidary characteristic buildings of the Livonian order. The walls are made of roughly carved blocks of limestone, ribs and arches made out of shaped bricks, which are found in the castle of the master of the Order.

Cross vaults of the temple and ascending Basilica-element, coated on the outside with a brick red color, decorated with a frieze of pointed hovels and slotted Gothic Windows, typical of the architecture around the mid fourteenth century. Also this is evidenced by the only console vaults of the middle nave, made in the form of a man's head and situated near the arc de Triomphe.

The growing influence of the Order was the reason for some moderirovanija Cathedral, begun probably in the early fifteenth century. The chancel was extended and similar in height to the middle aisle (its vaults very curved compared to the rest, the ordinary facades are decorated frieze of arches), and North of the nave there is the chapel – the chapel has a rectangular shape. Most likely, at the same time was built the West tower with a tall spire collapsed in the early seventeenth century and recovering almost 100 years. The tower still holds its former chief promising portal, decorated with stylized animal figures.

In XVII-XVIII centuries the exterior walls, changed under the influence of the thrust of the arches and frequent fires (1607, 1665, 1748 years), were recorded by massive buttresses and internal links. In 1853 a local craftsman M. Sarum-Padini hoisted on the Western tower of the upper tier and a pyramidal spire. Due to this, she acquired a neo-Gothic features.

Due to the growth of the cultural layer (present ground level to 1, 5-2 meters above the former) the proportions of the middle and side naves distorted. The pillars dividing the Church in the longitudinal direction, unusually low, as the level of the floor comes now almost to her heels arches in them, and vaults – squat.

The interior of the Church placed the tombstones of many of the masters of the Livonian order of bishops, which samples of decorative art of the XV-XVI centuries. I want to allocate among them the late Renaissance tomb of Bishop I. P. Nitecki (about 1588), where the niche is a sculpture reclining figure of the deceased. Neo-Gothic altarpiece created the idea of the architect A. I. of ... from St. Petersburg, 1858, carpenter Beinroth), the altarpiece "Calvary" written by a famous painter I. P. Koehler from Estonia (1860, copies are located in St. Isaac's Cathedral and St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna). The Windows of the choir are decorated with stained glass 80-ies of the XIX century.

In 1907, the Church acquired a new organ. Architect V. Neumann recreated polychrome painting of the middle ages on the ribs of the vaults. It has also started work on the release of the building from the late additions. In the 1930-ies was built the sacristy, which replaced the previously existing southern wall of the choir.

In our days in cēsis St. John's Church of concerts of world-famous choirs and organ music. The temple became the home of the International Festival of young organists. The Church is a favorite place of artists. There are a variety of art exhibitions. With the Church tower offers a wonderful view, and you can even see the Blue mountain, situated at a distance of 40 kilometers.