Traveling around the Baltics: Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, Sigulda and Jurmala. Independent trip to Riga - five simple steps Traveling around the Baltics on your own

It so happens that PRTBRT often broadcasts from the Baltic countries - one of its editorial bases is located in Latvia. We often look at how our friends and acquaintances travel around Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania and clutch our heads. That's why we decided to write this column about how to truly experience these small countries where you really need to look for color.

Do not take the route Tallinn - Riga - Vilnius at once

For several days you just walk around the Old Towns of three capitals, drink, eat, stare and spend money, and then say: yes, I was in this Baltic region, everything is the same. Although all three cities are unique and very different, this can only be understood by visiting each one separately.

During a trip to three capitals you will remember some passages, but everything will stick together into one lump of cathedrals, towers, food and booze. And at the same time, each city has its own face and its own unusual places, which you most likely won't see. Simply because the “three (five, seven) days - three cities” format does not imply anything other than an endless race and walks in the Old Town together with British lovers of cheap flights to stag parties and getting drunk, old people and tourists from ferries.

Advice: Don't be fooled by the size of the countries - each is best viewed individually. Therefore, do not try to travel around everything during the allotted vacation time.

Old town of Tallinn

But if you do go, don’t spend all your time in the Old Town

As already mentioned, each city has its own face and its own places of power: in Tallinn this is the Telliskivi district, which is located outside the Old Town. In Riga, for example, the best bars have never been located within the Old Town: just go for a walk along Krisjan Barona Street and turn into small streets. That's where the most will be interesting places and establishments such as the editor’s favorite bar - Taka or the city's most current dance floor - Piens.

In the Old Town there is average entertainment, typical bars and restaurants, of which there are many in any city in Eastern and Northern Europe from Krakow to Stockholm. This is not why you come to see the country.

Advice: If you know that there is no life in the Old Town, then there is no need to rent housing there either. Look for apartments on Airbnb or hotels near places of power: you will save both time and money.

Telliskivi district in Tallinn

Another cool place outside of the old town of Riga – Kaņepes Kultūras centrs

Don't linger in cities

You won't get to see the country in cities, so be sure to plan to visit alternative or out-of-town attractions.

From Tallinn you can easily go to see the quarry in Rumma (there is still room to climb through, don’t be scared by the fence), and then go to the island of Saaremaa, where there are almost more attractions than in all of Estonia.

From Riga you should definitely go to Irbene - a ghost town with a huge radar, spend the night on Cape Kolka, see the seaside Ventspils and Liepaja. Who even knows about the existence of the Mark Rothko art center in Daugavpils? The famous artist was born in this city.

From Vilnius you should definitely go to the Hill of Crosses and visit landscape park Europos Parkas is an analogue of the Russian Nikola-Lenivets, explore Klaipeda and cross the border with Russia on the Curonian Spit.

All three countries have many opportunities for diverse tourism: alternative attractions, eco-farms and national parks - plan your route so that you can stay in the capitals for one or two days, get acquainted with the main places and cultural life, and then go deeper!

Countries are replete with craft, family-run productions of everything from cheese to amber. A fair is held annually in Latvia, where you can buy not just handmade things, but modern and beautiful accessories and clothes. It’s nice to use such things not because they are crafted, but simply because they are convenient and beautiful.

Mountain of Crosses

Quarry in Rummu

But if you are still delayed, be sure to travel out of town at least one day

If it’s already late and you stay in each of the capitals for three days, then don’t be sad: there are many interesting places around each of the cities:

near Vilnius - the beautiful Trakai Castle;

from Riga you should definitely go to Jurmala or national park"Kemeri";

From Tallinn, go to Laachema National Park.

By the way, the locations from the previous paragraph also apply to this: this is the Baltics, and you can go back and forth to any place within one country! The main thing is not to be lazy and plan. It’s entirely possible to rent a car for one or two days, or find a driver using BlaBlaCar, use Lux Express buses, or maybe even stop hitchhiking. In summer, Estonia is overrun by friendly Finns, and Latvia and Lithuania are overrun by Poles and Germans (and less wary tourists in Russian cars).

Kemeri National Park

Spend more time searching

Not all good hotels, campsites and guesthouses are available on the usual booking sites. For example, the editor’s favorite campsite Saulesmājas with barrel houses on Cape Kolka (another chic Latvian location - the meeting place of the waves of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga) appeared on booking.com only in May of this year!

Or another great option - glamping Klaukas in the Sigulda area and national park Gauja. And this is just what is on the surface - there are dozens of such places, but you will have to prepare well and search.

Camping Saulesmājas

Don’t forget that these are already different countries

If in the minds of the older generation this is still a homogeneous Baltic region, then for the modern traveler striking differences are striking: Estonia and especially Tallinn are full-fledged Northern Europe, Lithuania gravitates towards Poland, and Latvia is still at an undefined crossroads, but with European features. At the same time, each of these countries has preserved unique original places and cultural features. Understanding this simple fact will help you take a different look at these neighboring countries and choose the one that is closer in spirit for a full-fledged trip!

Check tickets to Tallinn, or maybe Riga or Vilnius

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Are you planning to go to Europe with your family or company, but ticket prices are skyrocketing? Don’t rush to get upset - consider auto tourism. It has many advantages.

Firstly, by car you can move along any trajectory and are not limited in time. Secondly, if there are at least two of you, gasoline will be much cheaper than tickets (accordingly, the more of you there are, the better the price!). And thirdly, you don't have to worry about overweight luggage.

And if you are still in doubt, read below real story about how we went to travel around the Baltics.

For the first time, we decided to start small and go for a few days to the Baltic states - Latvia and Estonia. Here it must be said that we only had cars with studded tires, and not all EU countries allow you to drive on such tires - check this point when planning your route.

To travel to Europe by car you will need...

1. Reliable car.

2. Green card for a car (like our MTPL) - costs about 2,500 rubles, can be issued in advance, at any insurance company in your city, or immediately before leaving the Russian Federation. As you approach the border, you will now and then come across points with corresponding signs, and cards are also issued at some border gas stations.

3. Schengen visa. Here a surprise awaited us. It turns out that now almost all embassies are switching to working with intermediaries. That is, you, of course, can do without them, but then you will have to make an appointment at the consulate to submit documents two or three weeks in advance and plus 10 days to obtain a visa, but you will save 25 euros on Pony Express services.

4. Navigator. We downloaded Sygic, which took us from house to house, that is, to the rented apartments. In addition to the main functions, it can be used in pedestrian mode - it will show nearby attractions and give brief information about them.

5. Good company. After all, you will have to spend a lot of time nose to nose: if in the city you can still scatter to different places, and on the plane sit at different ends, then in the car you will not be able to get away from each other. And it’s even better if this company has a second driver whom you trust - the road is much easier if you change the wheel every two to three hours.

By the way, about the road. There are several options for traveling to Europe: the choice depends on the specific route. Our first destination was Riga, so we chose the Novorizhskoe highway with the border crossing at the point Burachki (Russia) - Terekhovo (Latvia). Judging by reviews from friends and Internet blogs, the highway was reconstructed just a couple of years ago. We did not have a single complaint: neither with the quality of the coating, nor with the markings, nor with the signs. There was only one imperfect, but short-lived site in the Pskov region; it did not cause any serious inconvenience.

Having left Moscow at 4 am, we were already at the checkpoint at 11. On the way there was a feeling that we were alone on the track. Only in the rearview mirror sometimes someone’s headlights could be seen, and every five minutes oncoming cars rushed by. We were third in line at the border, but ten minutes later there was already a decent tail of cars behind us - it’s not even clear where all these people came from. When going through control, it’s mainly the driver who has to fuss: he takes all the passports, shows the car, and fills out the documents. Passengers can at most be asked to get out of the car, and even then not always. Having settled the formalities in about an hour, we moved on.

On the other side of the border, the asphalt has become noticeably worse, but still of acceptable quality. By the way, fill your tank full before the border - a liter of 95 gasoline in Latvia costs approximately 1.8 euros. The next 300 km to the capital of Latvia took us about 5 hours - there are many settlements on the highway and the speed drops to 50, and sometimes to 30 km/h. That is, the entire journey, taking into account crossing the border, stops at gas stations and lunch, took about 13 hours. For comparison, the Moscow – Riga train takes 16.5 hours.

Parking in the centers of European cities is paid, so think in advance about where to store your car. We had an agreement with the owners of the rented apartment that they would give us the keys to the courtyard of the house, which helped us save a lot of money and not worry about the safety of our transport. By the way, the apartment itself with all amenities for four people, a 10-minute walk from the Old Town, cost about 50 euros per night.

Of course, we immediately went to the Old Town. Having reached St. Peter's Church and appreciating its scale, we realized that we were pretty hungry from the road. After looking around, we went into the cafe local cuisine- what a knuckle it was! I can honestly say that it was the most delicious dinner of the entire trip. I wanted to order mulled wine, but the waiter suggested trying a hot drink based on Riga balsam and blackcurrant juice - delicious! The bill for dinner at a restaurant in the center is about 20 euros per person - this is meat with a side dish and a drink. Some, but not all establishments automatically include a 10% service charge.

You can save a lot on food if you eat at home or in establishments similar to our “Mu-mu”, for example. In the latter case, a very hearty dinner will cost about 10 euros. But we figured that we would lose some of the flavor by not exploring the local cuisine.

After walking around the evening center a little more and thoroughly tasting mulled wine in the central square, we went to rest.

The next morning, we left the car and went to Jurmala by train. The fact is that the station is located right next to the Old Town, the train takes only 20 minutes, and we decided not to bother. And the price of gasoline again... Jurmala is a resort on the coast of the Gulf of Riga. In the very center is the Maiori station, where we got off. Previously, it was here that New Wave, KVN and other festivals took place. A very cozy town with beautiful architecture and pine trees. On the beach in winter, the wind, of course, knocks you off your feet, but the streets themselves are quiet and nothing interferes with your walk. I can imagine how great it is here in the summer! This place is especially suitable for a family holiday.

Returning to Riga and armed with a guidebook, we headed back to the Old Town. If you wish, then on the square near the House of the Blackheads you can hire a personal guide who will take you around the city and tell you everything in detail. Unfortunately, we were not able to climb observation deck St. Peter's Church: due to the heavy snowfall this did not make sense. The next morning we wanted to go to a 20-minute organ concert in the Dome Cathedral. So we went in to buy tickets. As it turned out later, this was a very correct decision - right before the concert there was a huge line at the box office. Having walked further and looked into the Cathedral of St. James, we found ourselves at the end of the service and the organ was just playing. “Oh, my 10 euros were wasted, I wasted my money,” I thought. True, it turned out that the organ of the Dome Cathedral sounds much cleaner, even in my amateurish opinion. But if you want to save money, this is quite an option.

The day after the concert we went to Tallinn. There are about 300 km between the cities, and this journey took about five hours. Crossing the border is purely formal: you drive through the checkpoint without stopping at a low speed, and that’s it – you’re in Estonia. The route immediately changes noticeably - the road surface becomes better, there are many more cameras, and gasoline is cheaper (about 1 euro per liter). In Tallinn, we also parked in a closed courtyard of a house with the prior permission of the owners. The price of the apartment is comparable to Riga housing - 50 euros for a spacious apartment within walking distance from the historical center.

On Town Hall Square, following a very tasty smell, we ended up in the medieval tavern “Three Dragons”. In all seriousness, no electricity or cutlery - you have to drink the soup from a cup-bowl! The choice of dishes is limited to one type of soup, boar ribs and sausages for main course; there are also pies with various fillings and drinks. Prices are reasonable for tourist center: dinner with sausages – 12 euros, with ribs – 20 euros. Of course, I wanted to try something unusual, and I chose boar ribs. The portion is very large and quite enough for two young ladies. Objectively, the meat was cooked well - not tough, very juicy. But it has a very specific marinade, it gives off sweetness. And sweet meat is... not my thing in general. Although the surrounding men drank beer with pleasure.

In the morning we decided to catch up and went to the observation deck in the Fat Margaret Tower in the Old Town. To get to the top, you need to buy a ticket to the Maritime Museum for 6 euros. Good news - if you are traveling as a family, the ticket will cost you 12 euros for everyone. The prospect of walking through a boring specialized museum did not please us at all, but what a surprise it was when it turned out to be extremely fascinating. There are interactive exhibits, real masts with sails from sunken ships, and ship models. In general, it will be interesting for both big and small; for boys it’s a paradise. You can also go to Hydroharbour, the second part of the museum, and climb on a real submarine there!

In principle, a couple of days is enough to explore the historical part of both capitals. If you want to travel outside the city or delve into the study of museums in more detail, of course, it is better to allocate more time.

The return journey to Moscow took us approximately the same 13 hours through the Luhamaa (Estonia) – Shumilkino (Russia) checkpoint. A couple of differences from the Latvian border: it is better to book the border crossing time in advance - you will spend about an hour. It is unknown how long you will have to wait in line. And you also have to pay a service fee of about 5 euros per car.

Total:

In total, we spent about 12 thousand rubles on the road for gasoline for a sedan with a 1.6 engine and an automatic transmission. For three people it turned out to be much cheaper than tickets.

Green card (insurance) – 2500 rubles.

Service fee at the Estonian border is 5 euros.

How to travel to the Baltics on your own, without the services of 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 make 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 maps, 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, where 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. Behind last 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 a favorite vacation spot for musicians. Every year regular concerts and musical performances attract more and more more tourists. 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 Tsietsere River flows through the park and offers a variety of 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 in the last city of 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. The combination of modern student traditions and the medieval flavor of the city is 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. The city has a museum and a concert venue 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 Pyukhtinsky 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 final stop before crossing the border is Toila and Narva-Yesu. Toila is very beautiful resort, although it is not very advertised. Narva-Yesu a beautiful city, which has private beach, several kilometers long.

Day 1. Moscow – Riga – Jurmala

I decided to start my journey from, where I arrived by train (5 thousand rubles). I love traveling with this particular type of transport, I like to look out the window and watch cities, forests and fields flashing by one after another. I got into the compartment late in the evening, and the next morning I found myself in one of the most beautiful cities in the Baltic states.

I lived in a hostel for two nights in Riga Seaqulls Garret Hostel(60 EUR for two for two nights). About the hostel, I will say that it was not the best choice - the beds creaked, there was shouting outside the door, and at night there was terrible snoring. Then I still had little experience + greed is my second nature. Now I'm trying to fight this quality for the sake of comfort.

In general, you won’t be able to relax in a hostel, unless, of course, you first stock up on earplugs. But the main thing is cheap and clean bed.

Having left my things, I decided to postpone the exploration of the city until tomorrow, and on the first day of my trip to go to the famous resort city, which hosts the “New Wave”, “Jurmalina” and other festivals. It's terribly interesting! We all think that Jurmala is the whole city, but no. This is one collective name for the entire coast, where such settlements as Dubulti, Bulduri, Lielupi and, God forgive me, Stirnurags are located. But I went to Majori.

How did I get to Jurmala? Jurmala is located just 20 kilometers from Riga. The easiest way is by train, which leaves every 15-20 minutes from central station towards Sloka or Tukums.

I spent the rest of the evening in Riga, in the restaurant with cows “1221”, which is located on “Blumenstraße” - Flower Street.

Day 2. Riga

Riga is the real one medieval Europe, is an ancient city on the cold Baltic coast. She is like a rich merchant's wife who guards her treasures. The city seems to have frozen and does not want to change anything. This trip was like traveling back in time for me.

All day I walked along the narrow streets of the city, ate in best restaurants, traveled around sightseeing tours and followed the “must visit” plan that I wrote about.

Day 3. Trakai – Kaunas – Vilnius

Early in the morning I left Riga for a new country for me - Lithuania. I got there on a luxury bus, one might say a five-star bus with all the amenities. I was the only one who had a whole chair with lunch on it. Before my eyes hung a TV filled with films and music for every color and taste. And for all this I had to pay only about 1,200 rubles.

It’s only a three-hour drive to Lithuania, but this move was like a whole journey for me. Green fields, grazing cows and Lithuanian-Latvian villages flashed through the window. And it was so good! Look for bus tickets from Riga to Vilnius.

Upon arrival, I immediately checked into the hostel Jimmy Jumps House(30 EUR). A cozy, inexpensive youth hostel where you can make yourself a delicious breakfast with waffles in the morning.

Trakai is another reason to come to Lithuania for the weekend. This is a great idea for a trip, let's say, for the May holidays. When people talk about the Baltic country, the first thing that comes to mind is Trakai, a place that should be included in the “must see” list.

Trakai harmoniously combines an orange-colored castle; mirror surface of water; boats painted in the Lithuanian flag with fishermen sitting in them; whimsical courtyards with ladybugs, hand-painted glass bottles. This is all complemented by sunny weather, spring mood and red tulips that grow everywhere here.

This is a wonderful place, harmoniously combining a castle, mirror-like surface of water, boats painted with the Lithuanian flag and quaint courtyards with ladybugs, glass bottles, hand-painted with acrylic. This is all complemented by sunny weather, spring mood and red tulips that grow everywhere here.

Not far from Vilnius there is a wonderful town of Kaunas, not yet trampled and untouched by crowds of tourists, which is definitely worth a look if you are in Lithuania.

Returning to Vilnius, happy as an elephant, I quickly fell asleep. The next day promised to be fine and rich in pleasant impressions from walking around Vilnius.

Day 4. Vilnius

After exploring the city, it turned out that this is an amazing place to relax on May holidays. You’re even surprised how so many interesting things fit in such a very small town.

We went to the Prie Katedros brewery, where we tried local beer, climbed Castle Hill, walked around the Old Town, and looked at all the painted houses in Užupis.

We took the Vilnius-Moscow train back home (we paid 7 thousand per person for a compartment).

This Baltic route turned out to be complete and eventful; we tasted a lot and saw even more. For four days on the road, 38 thousand were spent for two, including travel, accommodation, food and a couple of souvenirs.

– this time the girl shares her ready-made travel plan for 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 buy bus tickets to one of the countries to make it easier to get 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 also experienced travelers this will be 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 worldwide famous monuments architecture, impressive natural attractions or places with very ancient history– so, 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 suitability 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. Looking at such a careful attitude towards their history, I want to express respect to the Latvians and even slightly envy them.

“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. We took a return ticket 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 starts from € 5. In other cities, everything is not so pleasant: the most cheap 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 is a transshipment 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. So highly appreciated I wouldn’t give it, 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).

Intercity buses go to places that cannot be reached by train. 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 much so that they not only eat it, but also add it to various 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 cake “ Old Riga"(Vecriga) 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 enough to pass the exam. However, not all Latvians like the fact that their country is inhabited by people who do not want to develop official 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

At the Latvian visa center we were provided with a couple of guidebooks, and I found a ton of information on the official Latvian tourism portal. 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 a resort holiday: a third of Latvian beaches that have received the Blue Flag are concentrated here, and total length 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, Krimulda Castle on the opposite side of the river can be reached by the only cable car in the country. The views are magnificent, but the price for a 7-minute journey is unreasonably high - € 8 one way. You can bungee jump directly 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 in the summer season (from May to September) you need to pay € 4 (for schoolchildren and students - € 2.5), in the 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 the main square of the city.

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 in the Russian Empire began 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 they can experience all the delights of prison life by participating in the show “Behind Bars”. 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 managed to swim in the Baltic Sea at the marked Blue flag city beach.

Kuldiga

Kuldiga is perhaps the most comfortable city in Latvia that 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 the UNESCO national list. 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 has become 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 the local amusement park 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 of the city. 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.

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