A 6- day customised Road trip through Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland by Car.
Living in Luxembourg city, with the privilege of cheap flights granted by Ryanair. We boarded a 2-hour fight from Brussels to Riga. There, started our adventure to relive the medieval era through these four countries.
Day 1: Day in Riga, Latvia
4 Things to do in Riga, Latvia:
- Visit House of Blackheads
- Walk in the St. Peter’s Church Square
- Take a cup of coffee and stroll down the bank of river Daugava
- Go to Olge Restaurant and enjoy the hummus with pita.
The best way to get the feel of the city is by walking. Walking through the narrow streets of the Old Town restores the medieval town feel that every traveller craves to have, when visiting the Baltic States. Within a 20 minutes radius in the Old Town, you can see most of the attractions that fall into the “10 Things to see in Riga” list, including the House of Blackheads, St. Peter’s Church, the Riga Cathedral and the Riga Castle.
Once you exit the Old Town, you find yourself at the bank of the Daugava River that flows into the Baltic Sea. Evening at this bank can make your day, as you can enjoy a cold beverage or just the company of your family, chatting and laughing until the sun sets. Although as the sun usually sets around 10pm in the summertime, being carried away by the feel of the afternoon sun can elude you from the reality of time.
Back into the Old Town, the variety of cuisines can be overwhelming. We sat at Ogle and shared at variety of dishes amongst their Bulgarian, Lebanese and Georgian specialities. With great service, soft music and lively environment, the cosy outdoor seating wrapped us in their space. Likewise, there were a range of fast food restaurants, all providing an outdoor space to savour the cool summer evenings.
Day 2 – 3: Day Trip to Vilnius, Lithuania
4 Things to do in Lithuania:
- Visit Hill of Crosses.
- Take a boat ride in Lake Galvé.
- Walk on the Snipiskes Bridge to see the juxtaposition of modern and old Vilniu.
- Enjoy getting a little shower at the Lukiskes Square fountains.
With no plans to stay the night at Vilnius, we set out on a day trip towards the city. With the ease of a car, our trip included several detours to the Hill of Crosses and the city of Trakai.
Hill of Crosses, is a site of pilgrimage in northern Lithuania. It is unknown when the crosses start to appear, although over generations catholic pilgrims continue to add crosses.
The city of Trakai, to our surprise was filled with tourists. Trakai Island Castle, constructed in the 14th century is a castle located on the Lake Galvé. The lake is packed with several boat owners offering rides around the castle. With $5 each, we enjoyed a boat ride across the lake, with the cool breeze opposing the beaming sun rays, this 30 minutes ride reenergised us to continue our trip to Vilnius.
Vilnius was a surprisingly industrialised city with a clear differentiation of the modern and old areas. Reaching Vilnius with the need to use washrooms and extreme hunger, we stopped at Cosmos Mall to have some Pizza and doughnuts. Although, the journey was set to reach Vilnius, the stops along the way were much more delightful than the city of Vilnius.
Day 3 : Tallinn, Estonia
4 Things to do in Tallinn, Estonia:
- Look down on the city from Toompea Hill.
- Go to Town Hall Square for architecture and food.
- Get food and fresh fruits at Teleskivi.
- Watch the sunset at a beach closest to your accommodation.
On our way to Estonia we savoured a traditional meal at a local highway restaurant, which was followed by warm cup of cappuccino. Reaching Estonia, changing our clothes, gathering our cameras, we headed to the Old Town. Tallinn, a well restored after the Russian bombings, won my heart with its warm locals and yummy deserts.
Similar to Riga, the Old Town was the home to the main attractions such as the Tallinn Town Hall, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Kadriog Art Museum and the Toompea Hill. Reaching Tallinn in the early evening meant we could take advantage of the late sunsets and capture the aura of the city. The colourful buildings creates a positive and lively touch to the city, leaving a smile on your face.
A place that is a must is the Kohtuotsa Viewing Platform, located on the Toompea Hill, which captures the view of the beautiful red Old Town.
Day 4: Tallinn, Estonia
Brunch at Teleskivi was definitely a highlight. Teleskivi is a local market area with lots of great cheap restaurant options. Personally, the vegan options at this place were amazing and refreshing with lot of flavour.
You can also find fresh fruits and vegetables for cheap prices. We ended out trip in Tallinn with a remarkable sunset at the Pirita beach.
Day 5 – 6: Helsinki, Finland
4 Things to do in Helsinki, Finland:
- Visit the Senate Square
- Chill at the Allas Sea Pool and Bar
- Sit on the bank at the Senate Square and watch the ferries enter and leave the dock.
- Take a trip to the Helsinki Cathedral
We left early in the morning towards out last destination, Helsinki, entering the Scandinavian region. As there is a port right from the city centre in Tallinn, the 2 hour journey is easy and definitely worth it.
TIP: Tickets for ferries (Eckerö Line) across the Gulf of Finland is cheaper at early mornings.
A disadvantage of our journey in Helsinki, was that we happen to arrive days before the Midsummer’s Day Celebrations, which was expected classified as a national holiday. During a national holiday, most things are closed in the city such as the shops and restaurants. Despite of this, the weather we encountered was blissful, unlike the extreme heat in Estonia and Riga during the day. One thing you cant count on, is to definitely find several Pizza places open.
Unlike Riga and Tallinn, the city centre isn’t a prominent spot one can just land in and discover the city. Helsinki is more of a walk, but the city engulfs you in through its large open spaces and the walk doesn’t seem like a long one. The Helsinki Cathedral, the Senate Square and the Market Square seamlessly flow into each other. So, I would recommend getting to the Helsinki Cathedral and walk to other attractions from there.
Although most things were closed, one doesn’t realise it while touring the city as it is still filled with many tourists. One place I would definitely recommend is to spend a few hours in Allas Sea pool, an open bar in Katajanokka, Senate Square. Here there are outdoor pools, food stalls with traditional food and several bars. One should try the moose and reindeer meats at the food stalls, which are popular meats in the Scandinavian countries.
Roasbery Cafe, near the landmark railway station of Helsinki has great cappuccino, which perfectly compliments the chocolate cake they serve. As the weather was pleasant and then sun sets around 11pm, sitting outdoors is the best option.
Final Thoughts
The Baltic states stand out with their colourful medieval style architecture. The juxtaposition between the old and modern architecture and style of living, takes one back to visualize the olden days. There are also a variety of cuisines available, so I would encourage trying a new meal every night and to make the mist of the cities by foot. Although, driving makes commuting easier, once you get to the city, travelling by foot and experiencing the small corners of city can give you the ultimate local feel.
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