The Baltics are sometimes neglected on the traditional European highway journey radar; however that’s precisely what makes this loop by means of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania so rewarding.
It’s the place medieval outdated cities rub shoulders with pine-fringed dunes, the place Artwork Nouveau facades gleam above cobbled lanes, and the place the Baltic Sea isn’t greater than a brief drive away.
This highway journey is all about gradual journey: drifting from Tallinn’s storybook towers to sun-dappled forest trails in Gauja Nationwide Park, then skimming by means of sleepy seashore cities and ending on the wild great thing about the Curonian Spit.
Suppose wind in your hair, contemporary smoked fish on the roadside, and a shocking quantity of craft beer alongside the best way.
Route Overview
Tallinn → Pärnu → Cēsis → Gauja Nationwide Park → Riga → Kuldīga → Klaipėda → Curonian Spit
Supreme journey size: 7 – 10 days
Greatest time to go: Could to September for lengthy days, delicate temperatures and Baltic seashores at their finest
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Begin: Tallinn – storybook towers and nordic cool
Begin in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital and arguably essentially the most fairy-tale outdated city within the Baltics.
It’s all red-tiled roofs, pastel homes and medieval towers that appear to be they’ve been plucked from an outdated service provider map.
Wander the Vanalinn (Previous City) early within the morning to get the cobbles to your self, then climb Toompea Hill for sweeping views throughout the town partitions to the Baltic Sea.
Duck into atmospheric cafés tucked in courtyards, browse native design outlets, or sip an Estonian craft brew at Põhjala Faucet Room, a brief tram experience away.
You probably have time, discover the Telliskivi Artistic Metropolis. It’s an outdated industrial quarter became one among Europe’s coolest city areas, with murals, micro-breweries and pop-up galleries.
Keep: Ebook at Resort Telegraaf, Autograph Assortment places you proper within the coronary heart of the Previous City, mixing historic attraction with fashionable consolation.
Cease 1: Pärnu – sand dunes and summer time vibes
Head southwest alongside the coast to Pärnu, Estonia’s self-styled summer time capital.
It’s the form of place the place life slows to a mild sun-lotioned crawl.
Large, sandy seashores stretch for miles, backed by pine forests and vibrant picket villas that trace at its Nineteenth-century spa-town heyday.
Spend a lazy afternoon wandering the promenade, taking a dip within the brisk Baltic, and grabbing contemporary smoked fish from one of many seashore shacks.
Should you fancy a pause from the salt air, the city centre has a handful of stylish cafés and a shocking variety of dwell music spots for such a small place.
Keep: Spend the evening if you wish to lean totally into the spa vibe. An amazing possibility is Hedon Spa & Resort, a trendy beachfront retreat the place you’ll be able to unwind with a sauna session simply steps from the ocean.
Cease 2: Cēsis – cobblestones and chateau ruins
Cross into Latvia and drift inland to Cēsis, one of many nation’s prettiest small cities and an ideal base for exploring Gauja Nationwide Park.
Its cobbled streets really feel unchanged for hundreds of years; a sleepy market sq., outdated townhouses with painted shutters, and the atmospheric ruins of Cēsis Fort, as soon as a stronghold of the Livonian Order.
Climb the spherical tower for views over the city and surrounding forest cover. Then seize lunch at a neighborhood café: hearty soups, rye bread and native cheese are the best way to go.
Cēsis itself is compact, so give your self time to wander and soak it up. You’ll see locals chatting on benches, artists sketching the ruins and the odd marriage ceremony occasion posing in medieval arches.
Cease 3: Gauja Nationwide Park – pine forest trails and caves
Proper on Cēsis’s doorstep is Gauja Nationwide Park, Latvia’s largest and one of many Baltic area’s finest outside playgrounds.
It’s a straightforward place to get pleasantly misplaced; crisscrossed with mountain climbing trails that snake by means of pine forests, river valleys and sandstone cliffs.
Don’t miss the Gutman’s Cave, the most important within the Baltics, etched with centuries of graffiti.
Should you’re feeling energetic, sort out a stretch of the Gauja River by canoe. The water’s calm, the banks are dotted with outdated manors, and also you’ll have herons and kingfishers for firm.
One other good detour is Turaida Fort, simply outdoors Sigulda, the place you’ll discover panoramic views over the Gauja Valley from its tower.
Keep: Take advantage of the park’s magnificence with a keep at Villa Santa, a chic forest retreat simply minutes from Cēsis.
Cease 4: Riga – Artwork Nouveau Grandeur meets beer halls
Swing southwest to Riga, Latvia’s cosmopolitan capital and a metropolis that reveals extra layers the longer you keep.
Its UNESCO-listed Previous City is a warren of spires and squares. However don’t miss the close by Artwork Nouveau District, the place elaborate facades and legendary creatures peek down at you from buildings designed within the early 1900s.
The Central Market is the beating coronary heart of the town – huge Zeppelin hangars now brimming with contemporary produce, smoked fish, pastries and pickles. It’s an excellent place to graze for lunch.
By night, Riga comes alive in its beer halls and hidden bars. Attempt Labietis, a craft brewery pouring every little thing from heather ale to Baltic porters.
Keep: To take in one of the best of the town’s outdated and new, keep at Grand Poet Resort and SPA. It’s a trendy base proper by the park, with a spa for unwinding after a day’s exploring.
Cease 5: Kuldīga – the Little City with Europe’s widest waterfall
Head west into rural Latvia to Kuldīga, an neglected gem that feels extra like a movie set than a city.
Its declare to fame is Venta Speedy, the widest pure waterfall in Europe; not particularly tall, however lovely in its calm, large sweep throughout the river, framed by an outdated red-brick bridge.
The city’s pastel homes, picket cottages and sleepy cobblestone lanes make it one of many prettiest spots on the entire route.
Spend the afternoon exploring hidden courtyards, visiting the quirky native artwork galleries and sitting outdoors cafés with a slice of honey cake.
Cease 6: Klaipėda – outdated port gateway to the Spit
Cross into Lithuania and attain Klaipėda, your launchpad for the Curonian Spit.
Town itself is small however has an fascinating outdated city with German-style timbered buildings, a handful of fine craft beer pubs and a full of life waterfront with fishing boats bobbing by.
It’s price a night stroll by means of Theatre Sq. and alongside the Dane River earlier than you catch the brief ferry throughout to the Spit the following morning.
Refill on smoked fish and rye bread for a picnic – you’ll thank your self later.
Keep: Relaxation up earlier than your journey at Michaelson Boutique Resort, an enthralling riverside keep that blends outdated port historical past with fashionable consolation.
Last cease: Spit – dunes, pine forests and shifting sands
The ultimate flourish of your Baltic loop is the Curonian Spit, a 98 km-long sandbar shared by Lithuania and Russia’s Kaliningrad area.
As soon as there, don’t miss the possibility to hitch a guided canoe tour at Curonian Spit Nationwide Park, a peaceable method to discover its distinctive landscapes and wildlife from the water.
On the Lithuanian aspect, it’s all sweeping dunes, drifting sandscapes and dense pine forests alive with birdlife.
Base your self in Nida, a sleepy village of picket cottages painted in conventional blue and white, with climate vanes clattering within the sea breeze.
Rent a motorbike and comply with the trail by means of pine woods and dune trails, stopping for a swim wherever takes your fancy.
It’s the right antidote to the town buzz earlier within the journey.
Keep: Get pleasure from a peaceable retreat in a spacious, fashionable flat at Nidos Namai, tucked among the many pines and only a brief stroll from each the dunes and the Curonian Lagoon.
Non-compulsory Cease: Hill of Crosses
You probably have time in your means again inland, detour to Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses, close to Šiauliai.
It’s a surreal and deeply transferring pilgrimage website the place a whole bunch of hundreds of crosses of all styles and sizes crowd collectively on a low hill.
It’s an emblem of resilience and quiet defiance and price an hour or two for the ambiance alone.
Necessities
Driving time (with out stops): Approx. 10 – 12 hours whole.
What to pack: Layers for Baltic breezes, a swimsuit, strolling footwear for dunes and forests, and reusable luggage for market hauls.
Driving tip: Roads are good however preserve money for small ferries and park entry charges. Crossing borders throughout the Schengen zone is simple – simply preserve ID helpful.
Last Ideas
Th highway journey is one for travellers who like their highway journeys with a contact of gradual magic.
It’s not about blockbuster landmarks however about moments – daylight slanting by means of pine timber, a neighborhood explaining how they nonetheless smoke fish the outdated means, the silence of a cobbled sq. at daybreak.
You’ll go by means of three nations with three distinct characters however a shared heat and understated attraction.
Deliver an open thoughts, a relaxed itinerary and loads of room within the boot for jars of native honey, smoked fish and craft beers you’ll want you’d purchased extra of.
