Traveling through the Baltic countries. We are going to the Baltics. Simple truths. Traveling around the Baltics
Vilnius - Kaunas - Trakai
Breakfast in the hotel.
Transfer to Kaunas (100km)
Excursion around Kaunas.
Kaunas- the second largest city in Lithuania, located at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers. Kaunas was founded in 1362 and is the second capital of Lithuania. The city is famous for its medieval square. Here you will see the Town Hall, which is called the “white swan”, and admire all European architectural styles.
You will see the house of Perkunus (Thunder) - one of the most original late Gothic buildings in Lithuania. You will admire the Church of St. Vytautas and see the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and Paul.
The modern street of Kaunas, Laisves Alley, is a boulevard that is called “little Paris” with its cozy shops and cafes. The length of this street is about 2 km, and the panorama is completed by a magnificent church, built at the beginning of the 20th century according to the design of Benoit (now the Church of St. Michael the Archangel).
Kaunas is famous for its K.M. Museum. Ciurlionis. Many tourists from the east and west come here to admire the paintings of this great artist and composer. Also here is the famous Devils Museum, which the whole world knows about.
Transfer to Trakai (86 km).
Lunch at a Karaite restaurant. The menu includes the famous Karaite dish - kibinai, which is a crescent-shaped pastry made from dough stuffed with sliced meat and big amount onions and spices. Lithuania should be grateful to Grand Duke Vytautas for this extremely popular dish. It was he who brought the Karaites to Lithuania 600 years ago, and they brought the “kibinai”. The surprising thing is that no more than two to three thousand Karaites lived in Lithuania, and their “kibinai” peacefully conquered the entire country.
Excursion around Trakai.
Trakai, the ancient capital of the Principality of Lithuania, located just 30 km from Vilnius. Trakai is the ancient capital of Lithuania, a city between three lakes. The main attraction of the city is the famous Trakai Castle, standing on an island in the middle of Lake Galve. It should be noted that this is the only island castle in Eastern Europe, one of the largest medieval defensive structures in Lithuania, it occupies an area of 1.8 hectares. To enter the fortress, visitors must pass through two wooden bridges. Center architectural ensemble The castle is a princely palace surrounded by a thick fortress wall with defensive towers. Now it houses a museum, the exhibition of which covers the period from ancient times to the mid-20th century. The exhibition features authentic furniture, dishes, glass and bone items, seals, hunting trophies and archaeological finds discovered during excavations. By the way, this is where the film “The Adventures of Electronics” was filmed.
Return to Vilnius.
Free time.
How to travel to the Baltics on your own, without services travel agencies. It’s easy and simple, because almost everyone there speaks Russian, so you won’t have any problems with communication. It is enough to get a foreign passport and open a Schengen visa to one of the three Baltic countries. We also recommend creating your own itinerary around the Baltics, making sure to include Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. If someone convinces you that any of the three countries is the most beautiful, then do not take their word for it, because each country is unique and has its own zest.
What to take with you when planning an independent trip to the Baltics. Of course, you need to take your passport with a valid Schengen visa. Car insurance, technical passport and green card. Several credit cards from different banks and a supply of cash, by the way, will be in case of unforeseen circumstances. When going on a trip in a personal car, it is better to take 2 navigators with different cards, because one navigator may get lost or have outdated maps.
Route for an independent trip to the Baltics
A trip to the Baltics independently begins from Lithuania. Crossing the Lithuanian border, we immediately head to the city of Vilnius. It’s just a stone’s throw from the border, so you can have time to see a lot of things almost immediately after crossing the border. The city is quite small, but very interesting. In the architecture of the city you will find the Baroque style, in which as many as 9 churches were built. The wall in the city and the church are made in the Renaissance style. As many as three Catholic churches are made in the Gothic style. Must visit Old city, which has retained its charm over the centuries. The narrow winding streets of the old city are paved with paving stones and are considered pedestrian, but some are allowed to drive. However, we do not recommend driving to the old city in your own car; a taxi will be cheaper and faster, because you still need to park your car somewhere.
Trakai
Next stop is the city of Trakai, the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Anyone who knows the history will understand how unique this place is. It’s only thirty kilometers away, so you can safely plan a visit to it for one day along with Vilnius. The city is famous for Trakai Castle, which is surrounded by water, because... is located on the island. You won't find any other castles like this in Europe. The castle alone is worth coming to Trakai.
Kaunas
After seeing the castle and the city of Trakai, we go to Kaunas. It's quite compact and very well torn old City, in which you will find a large number of monuments and attractions. You can easily spend a whole day in Kaunas exploring and admiring the city's attractions.
Klaipeda
Traveling to the Baltics on your own is not difficult, especially when there is ready route. Next our route takes us to Klaipeda. By the way, the city has a very interesting maritime museum. If you are in the city with children, then go to the dolphinarium. For those who love sailing, there are two yacht clubs where you can rent a boat, motorboat or yacht for any time.
Palanga
Palanga is a resort that does not need to be advertised, because... All tourists in the world know it. The resort is located not far from Klaipeda, so we are heading there. In recent years, Palanga has changed a lot thanks to new comfortable hotels and guest houses. The most a nice place in Palanga, it is Botanical Garden, in which the Tyszkiewicz Palace is located. On the territory of the palace there is an amber museum and a souvenir shop.
Liepaja
We cross the border and find ourselves in a Latvian town called Liepaja. The royal family loved to vacation in this city, and today it is favorite place for rest of musicians. Constant concerts and musical performances attract more and more tourists every year. The city has a zoo that is open all year round. We recommend that after exploring the city of Liepia, you will go to Rudel Castle. From the castle it’s a stone’s throw to our next destination, so it fits perfectly into our itinerary.
Saldus
The city of Saldus is not particularly remarkable, but its suburbs will be very interesting. Here In the suburbs of Saldus you will find Kalnsetas Park. In the park you will find ancient estates and monuments from the reign of the German barons, which is very interesting and educational. The Tsiecere River flowing through the park offers many water activities and excellent fishing.
Jurmala
Of course, after Riga we go to Jurmala, fortunately it’s just a stone’s throw away, one might say, a suburb of Riga, only 25 km. Here we recommend staying for a few days to relax in a truly legendary resort that has a lot to offer to local tourists.
Sigulda
Having rested and gained strength, we set off for Estonia, and on the way we will stop at last city Latvia called Sigulda. There are quite a lot of ancient castles in the city and the most big cave throughout Latvia. From Sigulda it will take us an hour and a half to reach our next stop in Estonia.
Tartu
The hospitable youth city of Tartu. It has the largest number of universities in Estonia, and therefore the largest number of young people, so it is a city in which life is constantly in full swing. The history of the city goes back more than a thousand years. A combination of modern student traditions and medieval flavor city, unique and will not be repeated.
Tallinn
Just 185 kilometers from Tartu is Tallinn, where we are going. Tallinn, like Riga, offers us a lot of interesting things, so it’s worth staying in this city for a few days to get to know it at least a little better. We recommend that you prepare a separate route for the sights of Tallinn in advance, since there are quite a lot of them.
Rakveri
On the way home, it’s worth stopping by the city of Rakveri, where the ruins of the order’s castle have been preserved. There is a museum in the city and concert hall under open air. You will have the opportunity to see a real old mill that is still working.
Kuremäe
Next we go to Kuremäe. Here is the Orthodox Holy Dormition Pyukhta Convent. Quite interesting and famous place. It is here that the oak tree grows, on which the image of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary appeared. By the way, this is the only monastery in Estonia that is subordinate to the Moscow diocese.
Toila and Narva-Yesu
Our Ending station before crossing the border these are Toila and Narva-Yesu. Toila is very beautiful resort, although it is not very advertised. Narva-Yesu is a wonderful city that has private beach, several kilometers long.
see also
Don't let the rising exchange rate scare you. If you plan your trip well, the trip will cost you several times less. I was convinced of this once again during last trip to the Baltic countries, now I’m sharing my tips with you.
1. Buses between Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn for 3 euros
The capitals of the Baltic countries are connected by a bunch of bus routes with great service (toilet, heating, Wi-Fi and even free monitors).
The carrier SimpleExpress throws out 5 promotional tickets for each flight exactly six months before departure. Travel Vilnius-Tallinn, Vilnius-Riga, Riga-Tallinn and back for only 3 euros.
There are also regular promotions in the bus companies LuxExpress, Ecolines, and Eurolines.
Discounts can reach 70% and a ticket for international route costs around 5 euros.
2. Discounts on railways and buses.
In Lithuanian railways There is a -15% discount when purchasing a round trip ticket. Remind the cashier about this. In Latvia, train travel is a quarter cheaper on weekdays during working hours. It is better to travel between Estonian cities by SuperBus. A ticket costs 2 euros (cunning people indicate the price in Eureka, but there is no escape from paying for the reservation).
3. Don’t overpay for travel in cities.
The cost of public transport for our money is crazy. For example, in Riga, a ticket when purchased from the driver costs as much as 2 euros! However, the same ticket from the machine will cost you 1.15 euros. If you will use transport more than 4 times in 24 hours (from the date the ticket was punched), then it is more advisable to buy a pass for 5 euros.
In Tallinn and Vilnius, for multiple trips you should buy a special plastic card. They cost 2 and 1.5 euros respectively. In the capital of Estonia it can be returned (but only at the customer service center); Lithuanians do not return money.
4. Get free maps at tourist centers.
In every center tourist information You can get a free paper map of a city, region or entire country. As a rule, they are located in the main squares of cities, train stations and airports. Don’t hesitate to ask the employees of tourist centers about events that take place in the city, free museums and where to eat inexpensively but deliciously.
5. Business lunches, canteens and fast food.
On weekdays at lunchtime (usually from 11 to 15), many restaurants offer set lunches (or business lunches) at a significant discount. For example, in the center of Tallinn at the Karja Kelder restaurant, soup with minced meat (that’s how it was presented to us) and the main dish (pictured) cost us only 3.7 euros.
There are still Soviet canteens in Vilnius. Lithuanian they will be Valgykla.
If the goal is to satisfy your hunger, then in Riga fast foods you can buy a complex: a burger, fries and cola for 2.65 euros.
6. Where is the best place to refuel?
The cheapest gasoline among the three Baltic countries is in Estonia. A liter of 95 costs a little more than a euro. You will have to pay the most in Latvia. The difference in fuel prices between states is within 10 cents.
7. Without money for the museum and parliament.
There are a number interesting museums, where entry is absolutely free or the fee is purely symbolic. For example, these are money museums at banks in Estonia and Lithuania. It's not boring here - it's very modern and interactive. You can even print your own money or treat yourself to candy with the bank's symbols.
Also in the Baltic countries there is a great opportunity to visit local parliaments. You can sign up for an excursion to the Lithuanian Seimas or the Estonian Parliament in advance.
Tallinn's art museums have so-called "One-Europe Environments". Once a quarter, admission on Wednesdays is 1 euro. Check the museum's website before your trip!
Some museums offer free entry with a press ID. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s “Zhmerinsky Rabochiy” or “Forbes Ukraine”. For example, in the interesting Tallinn Maritime Museum. Employees of other museums (including ours) also have a similar benefit.
8. Shopping from catalogs in supermarkets.
The lowest supermarkets in Lithuania. We are absolutely crazy about their chocolate cheesecakes! Price from 0.2 euro cents. Citrus fruits - like ours. Before entering the supermarket, take with you a brochure with promotional prices. Sometimes the discount can reach 50%. Of course, anything cheaper is not worth taking, but this is how we bought ourselves delicious Riga sprats or a double Snickers with coffee at the IKI supermarket for 1 euro.
9. Book accommodation earlier.
We booked a hotel in Riga a couple of months in advance. In addition to the discount for early booking used a promotional code on the hotel website. Won more than 10 euros. My friend used Airbnb service. Had a private room in Tallinn for 9 euros.
– this time the girl shares ready-made plan trips around Latvia. Wandering around Riga and lying on the beach in Jurmala is a great program, but are you sure that you will learn a lot about the country from such a trip? Castles, waterfalls, lighthouses, gingerbread towns - where else to go and what to see in Latvia - the word to Masha.
Why Latvia?
Latvia became the first European country, a trip that I completely planned myself. We wanted to go to Europe, but we were limited in money and time - only ten days, so the choice fell on the Baltic countries. Initially, we were going to travel around Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, hitchhiking between them, but to buy bus tickets to one of the countries - to make it easier to obtain a visa. The cheapest flights were to Latvia - and that’s how the fate of the trip was decided.
Now I can say that Latvia is an ideal country for those who want to travel to Europe for the first time, but are afraid of the language barrier and do not want to spend a lot of money. But experienced travelers will also find it interesting. Alas, Latvia is often underestimated. Our compatriots and neighbors often perceive it as an intermediate point on the way to the “real Europe”. Europeans, on the contrary, go there to take a look at the post-communist country. But don’t think that by wandering the streets of Riga before a low-cost airline flight or lounging on the beach of Jurmala, you have really seen Latvia.
I have the impression that this country is seriously investing in the development of tourism. I would describe this with an English proverb: “If you can"t have the best make the best of what you have” (“If you can’t have the best, make the best of what you have”). There’s not much here world-famous architectural monuments, impressive natural attractions or places with a very ancient history - for example, only two points from Latvia are included in the UNESCO list. But in every more or less attractive city there is an information center, and twenty Latvian beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag (a sign of quality and... suitable for safe swimming).
“Everything even slightly interesting here is turned into a tourist attraction: from ruined forts to the telescope of the radio astronomy center.”
How to get there?
We traveled to Riga from Moscow by bus LuxExpress for €35 per person. Return ticket We took it to St. Petersburg for € 17.5. Ecolines are also transported from both cities to Latvia. If you plan your trip in advance, you can save money. Thus, the minimum price of a LuxExpress ticket from St. Petersburg to Riga is about € 13. There are also trains from Russia to Latvia: branded train“Latvia Express” from Moscow to Riga costs from € 40.5, regular from St. Petersburg – from € 37.5. Travel time in both cases is a little more than 16 hours.
You can also get from Minsk to Riga by bus. The state carrier Minsktrans will take you to Latvia for € 14.5. There are also offers from private companies: LuxExpress runs once a day, ticket price starts from € 10, Ecolines has several flights, price – € 23.8. Don't forget about discounts for youth and students!
Ecolies travels from Kyiv to Riga, but the journey will not be close - a full 30 hours on the road. A one-way ticket will cost €50. It will be much faster and easier to fly on airBaltic - about 2 hours on the road and about €100 per ticket.
Housing
During our ten days in Latvia, we didn’t spend a cent on accommodation thanks to couchsurfing. Finding a host in Riga is not difficult: the site has more than 700 users from this city who are ready to receive guests. In others populated areas the situation is different: in the second largest Daugavpils the population is seven times less than in Riga, in the third largest Liepaja - nine times. In the cities we visited, there were usually no more than ten active hosts - so I advise you to contact them in advance. We managed to find a “couch” in Riga, Liepaja and Kuldiga, and spent the night in a tent a couple of times.
Housing prices in the Latvian capital are encouraging: a night in a hostel – from € 5. In other cities, everything is not so pleasant: the cheapest option from Booking in Ventspils – from € 10, in Liepaja – from € 12, in Kuldiga – from € 19, and in Cesis - from € 25. If you prefer to explore the country at a dynamic pace and want to save money, you can, like us, do Riga transhipment point. Distances in the country are very short: if you wish, you can leave the capital early in the morning, explore a city and return at night.
Transport
We hitchhiked around Latvia. According to our host from Liepaja, who has traveled to about sixty countries this way, hitchhiking in his homeland is one of the best in the world. I wouldn’t give such a high rating, but I confirm that hitchhiking around the country is convenient and fast. The average wait time for our couple was about 10 minutes, the maximum was an hour. A pleasant surprise was that many drivers are willing to spend a little time and gasoline to take you straight to your destination. One day, the driver not only drove us an extra fifteen kilometers to a point where a not very popular road led, but also left us a parting phone number so that we could contact him if we couldn’t catch anyone on the way back.
In addition to hitchhiking, we tried intercity trains - we traveled from Riga to Sigulda (about 50 kilometers). The ticket costs € 1.9. We were transported by a quite comfortable, although slightly painted, train. You can check the schedule and routes on the company's website Pasažieru vilciens (PV).
They go to places that cannot be reached by train. intercity buses. A ticket from Riga to Sigulda costs € 2.75, to Ventspils – € 7.55, from Liepaja to Kuldiga – € 3.85. Check the schedule and prices, and on a separate portal you can buy tickets online, but at a premium.
National cuisine
In Latvia they love rye bread. So strong that they not only eat it, but also add it to different dishes. For example, here you can try bread ice cream or bread yogurt with prunes. And also bread soup, which, oddly enough, is eaten not as a starter, but as a dessert. It is prepared from dried fruits and bread itself and seasoned with cream. Another one is made from rye flour local dish– sklandrausis – an open pie with vegetable filling (usually boiled potatoes and carrots mixed with eggs and topped with sour cream).
As a main dish, I recommend gray peas, which are cooked with onions and smoked cracklings. And for dessert, try the “Old Riga” (Vecriga) cake with curd cream.
Most dishes of Latvian cuisine can be tasted in the restaurant Lido, and we bought “Old Riga” cakes and bread yoghurts in supermarkets.
Language
There is practically no language barrier in Latvia: as a rule, the younger generation speaks English, the older generation speaks Russian. Of all the drivers who gave us a lift, we only had to communicate in English with one – a Dutchman.
Only once did we have difficulties with communication. In Kuldiga we wandered into a workers' canteen, which by some miracle was included in the guidebook. Only locals dined there, the menu, like something from a school canteen, hung on the wall and was only in Latvian, and the food was served from huge pots and basins, so there was not even a chance to understand what was there. I addressed the woman at the counter in Russian, and she answered in Latvian. I repeated my question in English - and then she switched to Russian.
The situation with the language in the country is closely related to the historical context. After the collapse of the USSR, only 2/3 of the country's population received Latvian citizenship - citizens of the pre-war Republic of Latvia and their descendants. The rest - mainly Russians, as well as Belarusians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Poles and a number of other peoples living on the territory of Latvia - received the status of “non-citizen”. As of 2013, there were about 80 differences in rights between citizens and non-citizens: for example, the latter cannot take part in elections, hold a number of positions, and there are economic and other restrictions for them. To obtain the status of a citizen, you must go through the “naturalization” procedure: take an oath of allegiance to the country, pay a fee, and pass an exam on your knowledge of the Latvian language, constitution, anthem and history. At the same time, back in the 90s, Russian ceased to be the state language.
On this moment There are still a little more than 10% of people living in the country who have not received citizenship: some consider the procedure itself unfair, some are not ready to pay the fee, some do not know the language sufficiently to pass the exam. However, not all Latvians like the fact that in their country there are people who do not want to master the state language and speak it. According to a 2005 study, 47% of Latvians believed that the interests of Russian speakers in the country were taken into account even more than they should be. 68% of Russian speakers, on the contrary, believed that their rights were infringed. To this day, relations between the two nations within the country are slightly electrified.
Route
IN visa center Latvia provided us with a couple of guidebooks, and I found a wealth of information on the official tourism portal of Latvia. Initially, I wanted to fit all the Baltic countries into a ten-day trip, but after studying a dozen booklets and websites, I realized that there was simply not enough time for Lithuania and Estonia.
I marked points of interest to us on the map, and a route emerged: arrival in Riga, inspection of the country to the east of it, then to the west, and finally returning to the Latvian capital, from where the bus went home.
Riga and Jurmala
Riga became the first European capital, where I visited. I was delighted by everything: organ music from churches, paving stones and tiled roofs, prices in euros... Although no, these rather upset me. I studied a bunch of guidebooks and didn’t want to miss a single point recommended there. I enthusiastically wandered around Town Hall Square, trying to fit into the frame the houses huddled close to each other, called the Three Brothers, and looking out for black cats on the roof of the house, the owner of which, in retaliation for the elder who did not accept him into the merchant guild, turned the sculptures with their fifth point towards his window. However, Riga has already been written in detail in.
Of the places not mentioned there, I would recommend Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum (Brivdabas iela 21), where more than a hundred ancient wooden buildings were brought from all over the country. During the warm season (from May to September) admission for adults costs € 4, for full-time students – € 2; in cold weather (from November to April) – € 2 and € 1.4, respectively. IN summer time Craftsmen demonstrate their skills on the museum grounds. We spent almost half a day walking and had an inexpensive lunch at a tavern in the park.
“Everything delighted me: organ music from churches, paving stones and tiled roofs, prices in euros... Although no, these were rather upsetting”
I also recommend going inside. National Library of Latvia(Mūkusalas iela 3). Although many locals consider it ugly, it looks quite nice inside. You can explore the building along with a tour in Russian, which can be booked by phone on weekdays and costs € 2. I walked around the library for free with our host, seeing floors 1 to 8. The library website says that on Sunday the 11th and 12th floors are also available to visitors.
We visited Jurmala on the eve of departure, and it seemed rather boring to us from an excursion point of view, although there are more than a hundred monuments of wooden architecture of national importance here. But it is well suited for resort holiday: a third of Latvian beaches that have received the Blue Flag are concentrated here, and the total length of well-maintained coastline– 26 kilometers.
Sigulda
We went to Sigulda for the castles, of which there are three: medieval Turaida, destroyed Krimulda and more modern Sigulda Palace. Half a day is enough for a leisurely walk between them, while you will admire the views of the Gauja River valley and be able to appreciate several objects unique to Latvia.
Firstly, this Gutman cave (57.176235, 24.842062) 18.8 meters deep, 12 meters wide and 10 meters high. Those who are interested in speleology or have simply been in caves in the past will hardly be impressed by such dimensions, but this is the largest cave in the Baltic countries. Secondly, you can get to Krimulda Castle on the opposite side of the river by the only one in the country cable car. The views are magnificent, but the price for a 7-minute journey is unreasonably high - € 8 one way. You can bungee jump straight from the tram cabin, but the pleasure is even more expensive - € 60.
For extreme sports enthusiasts, there are other attractions in Sigulda: for example, a 1200-meter-long bobsleigh and luge track and an obstacle course at a height of 20 meters in the largest adventure park in the Baltics, Tarzāns.
Cesis
Cesis is one of the oldest cities in Latvia, more than 800 years old. Its main attraction is the largest in the country Castle of the Livonian Order, which is also called Wenden, named after the people who lived in these places.
For entrance to Cesis Castle summer season(from May to September) you need to pay € 4 (for schoolchildren and students - € 2.5), in winter (from October to April) - € 3 (€ 1.5). To visit the museum in the new castle you will have to pay an additional €2 (for schoolchildren and students – €1). We bought a full ticket, but came to the conclusion that we could limit ourselves to the castle.
I not only climbed around the entire building, going down into the dungeon for prisoners, but also watched the work of the blacksmiths, learned about medieval cuisine from the gardener and took part in the entertainment of that time - I practiced fencing with a wooden sword and took a dozen steps on stilts. When walking through the castle park, I advise you to find a wooden “box” where lies the dismantled monument to Lenin, which used to stand on main square cities.
Liepaja
This seaside town in western Latvia boasts the largest mechanical organ in the world and the third largest port in the country. Today the harbor is used only for trade, but previously a third of the city was occupied by a military port - “Karosta” in Latvian.
Construction of the largest sea military base V Russian Empire started here in late XIX century. It was from here in 1905 that the Russian fleet set off for Pacific Ocean to participate in the Russo-Japanese War. But the location for the base was initially chosen poorly - only 40 kilometers from the border with a potential enemy, Germany. Soon the First began World War, and all defensive structures were destroyed by order of the commander of the Baltic Fleet - fearing that they would fall to the enemy, they were never used. The blasted forts have survived to this day and are popular with tourists.
During the Soviet years, submariners were based here, and Karosta became a closed military town. Now anyone can visit this area and admire the architectural contrasts - imperial buildings and typical Soviet houses, abandoned, unfinished or inhabited. We came here to visit museum-prison "Karosta" (Invalīdu iela 4). On the official website, this place is positioned as “the only prison in Europe open to tourists”, “from which no one has escaped.” But this does not indicate the security or scale of the structure: in fact, this is a cunning advertising ploy. From tsarist times until the end of the last century, there was not a prison here, but a guardhouse where military personnel served disciplinary punishments. The maximum term of imprisonment did not exceed a month, so there was no point in running away.
The guardhouse managed to serve the Russian Empire, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, and after it was abandoned, local enthusiasts decided to turn the building into a museum. My admiration for how carefully and creatively Latvia uses the opportunities it has to attract tourists first came to me here. For €5 you can take a regular excursion, where they will take you through the chambers and tell you about the history of the place, and for €15 you can even spend the night. Large groups, by appointment, can experience all the delights of prison life by participating in the “Behind Bars” show. Although children are allowed on the tour, and the guide constantly cracks jokes, the guardhouse has retained its gloomy atmosphere.
Today Liepaja is the music capital of Latvia, where a festival takes place every summer Summer Sound. Thanks to this, the city now has new attractions - a glass concert hall“Big Amber” and the Walk of Fame of Latvian musicians. It took us less than a day to explore all these places, despite the fact that we also had time to swim in the Baltic Sea at the marked Blue flag city beach.
Kuldiga
Kuldiga is perhaps the most cozy city in Latvia from those I have been to. Only 13 thousand people live here, you can walk from edge to edge in an hour, and the historical center of the city is included in national list UNESCO. But we came here primarily for the two waterfalls.
First - Alekshupitsky waterfall (56.969851, 21.975383) on the Aleksupite River - it looks very nice, but is weakly impressive, although with a height of 4.5 meters it became the tallest in Latvia. Second - Ventas-Rumba (56.967965, 21.978900) on the Venta River - was awarded a higher title: its width from 100-110 meters to almost 280 at high water made it the widest in Europe. But don’t imagine the Latvian Niagara: its maximum height is just over two meters, so it resembles a river rapids rather than a waterfall. It is best to come here in spring or autumn to watch migrating salmon “in flight” overcome Ventas Rumba.
Ventspils
I got my first impression of Ventspils on the way to it. The woman who gave us a lift told us about local park entertainment and its key attraction – the Lembergs Hat ski mountain. The mountain is notable for the fact that it was created on the site of a landfill: the waste site was mothballed, processed, filled with construction waste, covered with turf, planted with grass and equipped with jumps and lifts. A trash heap turned into popular place recreation, was named in honor of the long-time mayor of Lembergs.
One of the mottos of Ventspils is “a city with a future”. Indeed, the depressiveness and devastation usual for the province is not felt here. Progressive trends here are illustrated not only by the story of the landfill. Thus, in 2002, the city took part in the Cow Parade, an international art event in which artists create creative sculptures of cow cows and exhibit them in different places cities. After this, the monuments are sold at auction, and the money goes to charity. Ventspils became the first city in Eastern Europe to take part in the parade. Of the 26 cows that decorated the city during the event, only six were not sold. But the parade inspired residents and city authorities, and soon new cows began to appear on the streets, and in 2012 the Cow Parade was repeated again. Walking around Ventspils, you constantly come across sculptures of artiodactyls: from a fashionable cow admiring itself in the mirror, to a police cow or a fan cow watching football on TV with its owner. These works of art not only lift your spirits local residents, but also attract tourists.
Finally, I got around to writing a text about our road trip route around the Baltics.
The total length of the route is 2975 kilometers, but taking into account trips within cities and to nearby attractions, we covered significantly more - 3672 kilometers. I’ll say right away that you should hit the road only if you have a love for traveling by car, and if you are traveling with a child, it is advisable that he shares this passion.
Our daughter, fortunately, is growing up as a tireless traveler, and takes long trips more than favorably - after all, during this time you can listen to a whole bunch of fairy tales!
So, the route broken down by day:
In the morning we leave Moscow along the M-1 highway and drive towards Smolensk (380 km). To save time and nerves, I highly recommend using the Odintsovo toll bypass.
We have lunch in Smolensk (I highly recommend the Peter Push cafe @restoran_peterpush on Lenin Street, 14) and move further towards Belarus. There are no borders between countries, even the most formal ones.
We didn’t like any of the hotels in Minsk, so we spent the night at the “Quiet Courtyard” agro-estate in Lagoisk (306 km from Smolensk)
We have breakfast and go to Minsk (distance from Lagoisk - 40 km).
There we went to the zoo @minsk_zoo_official (Tashkent street, 40), had lunch and moved towards the border with Lithuania (191 km to the Benyakoni crossing point)
We cross the border and go to Vilnius (distance from the border - 53 km), where we settle in for the night
The third day takes place in Vilnius - we have already been here, so we did not repeat the inspection of the historical center. Instead we visited:
Open-air museum “Park of Europe” (Joneikishkiu village, LT-15148)
Cafe with a huge game “World of Dwarves” (Laisvės pr. 88)
Interactive “Museum of Toys” (Shiltadarzho St., 2)
We begin to move towards the sea. We leave Vilnius towards Trakai, but on the way we stop at a wonderful corn maze (Vilnius–Trakai 16 km)
Having got out of the labyrinth, we go to Trakai and walk around the castle there (the drive is only 11 km)
From there we go to Kaunas for a walk and lunch (the journey is 87 km)
After Kaunas we continue driving to the sea. Our correspondent office on the coast was the town of Sventoja (250 km from Kaunas)
We come to our senses after a busy day and explore the surroundings. We went to the beach in the morning and then went to entertainment center HBH Palanga (Zibininkai, Lepu city 23). You can easily hang out there for the whole day.
In the morning - the sea, and then we go to the dinosaur park DINO.LT (Radailiai, Klaipeda region). After the lizards, you can have lunch and take a walk in Klaipeda or Palanga, they are very close.
We have breakfast and go to old port Klaipeda, where we take the ferry to Curonian Spit. In this part of the spit you should definitely visit the Lithuanian Maritime Museum, it is beautiful.
We return by ferry, get into the car and drive towards the border with Latvia. Again, there is no border between countries.
We spend the night in the small but wonderful town of Liepaja (from Sventoji to Liepaja - 61 km)
We walk around Liepaja, swim, if the weather permits, and go to Riga (the drive to the capital is 216 km)
There we went to the Latvian Museum of Nature (4 K. Barona St.), had dinner and went to bed
This day takes place in Riga - we dedicated it to a walk through the huge open-air Ethnographic Museum of Latvia (10 Bonaventuras Street).
Then I recommend stopping by for lunch or dinner at one of the restaurants of the Lido chain - it’s delicious, cheap and very colorful
We have breakfast and go wander around historical center Rigi. To appreciate all the beauty of the city, we climb the tower of St. Peter's Church (Skarnu St., 19).
Then we leave the capital and go to Cesis to look at local castle(88 km)
Afterwards we say goodbye to Latvia and leave for Tallinn (the journey is 300 km)
We walk around Tallinn, although one day here, of course, is criminally not enough.
We went to the Tallinn Zoo @tallinnzoo (Ehitajate tee 150 / Paldiski mnt 145), the medieval restaurant Olde Hansa @olde_hansa (Vene 1) and went to Pirita beach 15 minutes from the city center.
In the morning we walk around Tallinn, and then we move towards the border with Russia - it was more convenient for us to leave through Narva (211 km). Don't forget to sign up for the email queue!
Once at home, we go to rest and sleep in Velikiy Novgorod(distance – 272 km)
We have breakfast, walk around the Novgorod Kremlin and head towards Moscow. I would use paid Leningradka as much as possible, because it saves a lot of time.
We have lunch and stretch our legs in Tver (387 km from Novgorod)
The last push to Moscow (176 km)
