We have been planning a trip to Latvia for a long time. And then somehow all the cards came together. I wanted to change the scenery, but to go not far and the sea was there.
I'll start with a pleasant one - a visa. I heard that Latvians are harmful in this regard, and you shouldn't count on a long-term visa. But here the brothers did not let us down: they opened a six-month "cartoon" to all the members of our trip. I will not write about the whole process, documents, etc. I will only say that the Pony express delivery service surprised me. This service is provided free of charge at the visa application center and the passports are delivered straight home.
We went on a trip by car. It came out more budgetary and on the spot we had our hands untied, that is, our legs. The whole trip took 13 hours, taking into account the border. There were no problems at the border control. Everything is fast and clear. But here the main thing is to calculate the time and not get into the border guard shift. Usually it is from 8 to 9 and from 20 to 21.
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Riga welcomed us with wonderful weather. Despite the fact that it was August, it was good luck to find +30 degrees in the Baltics. I can confidently add Latvia to the list of cities where I would like to return. Therefore, I will write down the points of how and what and answer the main questions.
What to see?
Of course, the most important asset and charm of Riga is Old city... You can safely park your car on the outskirts and go sightseeing on foot.
- The Dome Cathedral - main cathedral countries and must-see places. Enough ancient structure... The first stone was solemnly laid already in 1211. Since then, it has been rebuilt many times, but it has not lost its greatness.
Unfortunately, when we were there, the spire and tower were completely in the woods, so especially beautiful photos no. But then we went to the historical museum. The ticket cost 3 euros.
The main asset of any Catholic cathedral is its organ. We were not lucky and it was restored, but now not only services, but also concerts are regularly held in the Dome Cathedral. The poster can be viewed on the official website. If there is an opportunity to hear the music of this particular organ, then it should not be missed. It is not for nothing that he was recognized as sounding wonderful in the world.
A special luxury interior decoration does not differ, but how calm it is ...
Stained glass is an integral part of all Catholic cathedrals.
There is an observation deck at a height of 72 m, where an elevator will take you. A bird's-eye view offers an excellent view of the city on the banks of the Dvina. Observation deck works every day except Monday.
- Main Dome Square. She seemed a little typical to me. It is very similar to the squares where the Gothic style is preferred, as in Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary. The same neat gingerbread houses.
- Cat house. I used to think that Egypt is a country of cats, but it turns out that it is Latvia. They are everywhere and all black! Superstitious people would go crazy. But as a desperate cat lover, I wanted to see this particular house.
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The story goes: the house belonged to Mr. Blumer, who really dreamed of joining the guild, which was located opposite his house, but was not accepted in any way. In protest, he installed black cats on the roof and turned them around with their priests towards the guild. As a result, comrade Blumer was nevertheless accepted into the coveted state, and the cats were turned in the opposite direction. But since then they have been symbols of Riga.
- Narrow streets of Riga. Back in the days of the USSR, if it was necessary to film "abroad" in a movie, then we went to Riga, because even then it resembled Europe as much as possible. Such film masterpieces as Sherlock Holmes and 17 Moments of Spring were filmed here.
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- Monument to the Bremen Town Musicians.
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The monument was cast by the Bremen sculptor Christa Baumgartel. The moment is depicted when the musicians look into the window to the robbers, and judging by their worn noses, everyone believes in the magical power of these guys. But they look creepy.
Within walking distance from Old Riga, or as the locals affectionately call it - an old woman, there are also several attractions.
- Powder Tower.
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- Lyme clock. In Latvia there is Laima not only Vaikule, but also watches, and even sweets. By the way, Lyme is translated into Russian as "happiness". An invariable meeting place for all citizens. Located opposite the Freedom Monument.
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Riga National Opera. Enough significant place in the town.
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This is a fast food cafe. The specialty of this institution is spicy dishes. Every day the menu changes and in front of each dish there are hot chili peppers, which determine the sharpness of the sensations. Maximum 10. On the day we were there, the hottest thing was with 3 peppers. I must say right away that tears come from a dish with 2 peppers, and with 3 you breathe fire. It is scary to imagine the level of extreme with 10 points.
The prices are very nice. You can take both the whole dish and half of the serving. This establishment is closed on weekends! And on weekdays it works from 11 am to 8:30 pm.
Address: Gertrudes iela, 6
2nd place. Lido restaurant. A fairly well-known restaurant with unusually beautiful decorations! I advise you to first walk around the territory and take a couple of pictures, and then go inside. There is a buffet restaurant on the ground floor. Take a tray and fill it with whatever your heart desires. I must say right away, everything is delicious! Especially the desserts. There is a bar on the -1 floor. They also have their own mini-brewery, where they brew beer and immediately serve it to guests. And on the 2nd floor there is a restaurant, a banquet hall. There is already dinner à la carte. The choice is yours. But the interior is incredible! And how beautiful it is here at Christmas, I can't even imagine.
- this time the girl shares her ready-made travel plan in Latvia. Wandering around Riga and lying on the beach in Jurmala is a great program, but are you sure 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 for Masha.
Why Latvia?
Latvia became the first European country, the trip to which 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 go around Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, hitchhike 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 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. But even experienced travelers will find it interesting here. Alas, Latvia is often underestimated. Our compatriots and neighbors often perceive it as an intermediate point on the way to “real Europe”. Europeans, on the other hand, go there to get a glimpse of the post-communist country. But do not think that after wandering the streets of Riga before a low-cost airline flight or lying on the beach of Jurmala, you really saw Latvia.
I got the impression that this country is seriously investing in the development of tourism. I would describe it with an English proverb: "If you can" t have the best make the best of what you have. " world-famous monuments of 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 is equipped information centre and twenty Latvian beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag (a mark of quality and suitability for safe swimming). Everything that is even a little interesting is turned into an attraction here: from the destroyed forts to the telescope of the radio astronomy center. Looking at such a careful attitude to their history, I want to express my respect to the Latvians and even slightly envy them.
"Everything that is even a little interesting is turned into an attraction here: from destroyed forts to the telescope of the radio astronomy center."
How to get there?
We went to Riga from Moscow by bus LuxExpress for € 35 per person. The return ticket was taken 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. So, minimum price LuxExpress ticket from St. Petersburg to Riga - about € 13. There are also trains from Russia to Latvia: brand train"Latvia express" from Moscow to Riga costs from € 40.5, ordinary 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: Lux Express runs once a day, the ticket price is from € 10, Ecolines has several flights, the price is € 23.8. Don't forget about discounts for youth and students!
Ecolies travel from Kiev to Riga, but the way will not be close - as much as 30 hours on the way. A one-way ticket will cost € 50. It will be much faster and easier to fly with airBaltic - about 2 hours on the road and about € 100 per ticket.
Lodging
For ten days in Latvia, we have not spent a cent on housing 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 settlements 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 where we were, there were usually no more than ten active hosts - so I advise you to contact them in advance. We managed to find "kauch" in Riga, Liepaja and Kuldiga, a couple of times we spent the night in a tent.
Accommodation prices in the Latvian capital are pleasing: 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, make Riga a transit point. Distances in the country are very small: if you wish, you can move out of the capital in the early morning, explore some city and return to the night.
Transport
We traveled around Latvia by hitchhiking. According to our host from Liepaja, who has traveled around sixty countries in this way, hitchhiking in his homeland is one of the best in the world. I would not give such a high assessment, but I confirm that it is convenient and quick to hitchhike around the country. The average waiting time for our couple was about 10 minutes, the maximum - an hour. It was a pleasant surprise that many drivers are willing to spend a little time and gas to get you straight to your destination. Once the driver not only drove us an extra fifteen kilometers to the point where the not very popular road led, but also left his phone number at parting so that we could contact him if we could not catch anyone on the way back.
In addition to hitchhiking, we tried intercity trains - we drove from Riga to Sigulda (about 50 kilometers). The ticket costs € 1.9. We were driven by a quite comfortable, albeit slightly painted train. You can check the schedule and routes on the company's website Pasažieru vilciens (PV).
Where you can't get there by train, they go 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 with a surcharge.
National cuisine
Rye bread is loved in Latvia. So much so that they not only eat it, but also add it to various dishes. For example, you can try bread ice cream or bread yogurt with prunes. And also bread soup, which, oddly enough, is not eaten for the first, but as a dessert. It is prepared from dried fruits and bread itself and seasoned with cream. Another local dish is made from rye flour - sklandrausis - an open pie with a vegetable filling (usually from boiled potatoes and carrots, mixed with an egg and sprinkled with sour cream).
As a main dish, I recommend gray peas, which are prepared with onions and smoked cracklings. And for dessert, taste the cake “ Old Riga»(Vecriga) with curd cream.
Most of the 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 had to communicate in English only with one - a Dutchman.
Only once did we have difficulties with communication. In Kuldiga, we wandered into a working canteen, which by some miracle got into the guidebook. Only locals dined in it, the menu, as from a school cafeteria, hung on the wall and was only in Latvian, and food was poured from huge pots and pans, so there was not even a chance to understand what was there. I turned to the woman on the distribution in Russian, and she answered in Latvian. I repeated my question in English - and then she switched to Russian.
The language situation in the country is closely related to the historical context. After the collapse of the USSR, only 2/3 of the population of the country 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 in the territory of Latvia - received the status of “non-citizen”. In 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, there are economic and other restrictions for them. To obtain the status of a citizen, it is required to go through the “naturalization” procedure: to take an oath of allegiance to the country, pay a fee, and pass an exam on knowledge of the Latvian language, constitution, anthem and history. At the same time, back in the 90s, the Russian language ceased to be the state language.
On this moment a little more than 10% of people still live in the country who have not received citizenship: someone considers the procedure itself unfair, someone is not ready to pay the fee, someone does not know the language sufficiently to pass the exam. However, not all Latvians like the fact that people live in their country who do not want to master official language and speak it. According to a 2005 survey, 47% of Latvians believed that the interests of Russian speakers in the country were taken into account even more than they should. On the contrary, 68% of Russian-speakers believed that their rights were infringed. To this day, relations between the two nations within the country are slightly electrified.
Route
In the visa center of Latvia we were provided with a couple of guidebooks, I also found a lot 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 was going home.
Riga and Jurmala
Riga became the first European capital where I have been. Everything delighted me: organ music from churches, paving stones and tiled roofs, prices in euros ... But no, these, rather, upset. I went through a bunch of guidebooks, and did not want to miss a single point recommended there. I enthusiastically wandered around the Town Hall Square, tried to fit into the frame the houses huddled close to each other, called the Three Brothers, and looked out for black cats on the roof of the house, the owner of which, in revenge for the elder who did not accept him into the merchant's guild, turned the sculptures with a fifth point towards his window. However, about Riga has already been written in detail in.
Of the places not mentioned there, I would recommend Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum (Brīvdabas iela 21), where more than a hundred old wooden buildings were brought from all over the country. During the warmer months (from May to September), entrance for adults costs € 4, for full-time students - € 2; in cold weather (from November to April) - € 2 and € 1.4, respectively. V summer time artisans demonstrate their skills on the territory of the museum. We spent almost half a day for a walk and had an inexpensive lunch in a tavern on the territory of the park.
“I was delighted with everything: organ music from churches, paving stones and tiled roofs, prices in euros ... But no, they were rather upsetting”
I also advise you to go inside. Latvian National Library(Mūkusalas iela 3)... Although she is considered ugly by many locals, she looks quite cute on the inside. You can see the building along with a guided tour in Russian, which is booked by phone on weekdays and costs € 2. I walked around the library for free with our host, seeing from the 1st to the 8th floors. The library's website says that on Sunday 11th and 12th floors are also available for visitors.
We visited Jurmala on the eve of departure, and it seemed to us rather boring 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 vacation: a third of the Latvian beaches that have received the Blue Flag are concentrated here, and the total length of the well-maintained coastline- 26 kilometers.
Sigulda
We went to Sigulda for the sake of castles, of which there are as many as three: medieval Turaida destroyed Krimulda and more modern Sigulda palace... Half a day will be enough for a leisurely walk between them, while you will admire the views of the Gauja River valley and will be able to appreciate several objects that are unique for Latvia.
First, it is Gutman's cave (57.176235, 24.842062) 18.8 meters deep, 12 meters wide and 10 meters high. Those who are fond of speleology or have just been once in caves, such dimensions are hardly impressive, but this is the most big cave in the Baltic countries. Secondly, Krimulda Castle from the opposite side of the river can be reached by the only one in the country cable car... The views are magnificent, but the price for 7 minutes of travel is unreasonably high - € 8 one way. You can jump with a bungee right from the tram's cabin, but the pleasure is even more expensive - € 60.
For fans of extreme sports, Sigulda has other entertainments: for example, a 1200-meter-long bobsleigh 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 Vendensky, by the name of the people living in these places.
For the entrance to the 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). For visiting the museum in the new castle, you will have to pay € 2 (for schoolchildren and students - € 1). We bought a full ticket, but came to the conclusion that it was possible to limit ourselves to the castle.
I not only climbed the entire building, going down to the prisoners' dungeon, but also watched the work of 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 the dismantled monument to Lenin lies, 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 before a third of the city was occupied by a military port - in Latvian “Karosta”.
Construction of the largest marine military base v Russian Empire started here in late XIX century. It was from here in 1905 that the Russian fleet went to Pacific Ocean to participate in the Russo-Japanese War. But the location for the base was initially poorly chosen - only 40 kilometers from the border with a potential enemy, Germany. Soon the First World War began, 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 blown up forts have survived to this day and are popular with tourists.
In Soviet times, 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 wandered 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 escaped." But this does not indicate the security or scale of the structure: in fact, this is a clever advertising move. From tsarist times until the end of the last century, there was not a prison here, but a guardhouse, where military personnel were serving disciplinary sentences. 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. The admiration for how diligently and creatively in Latvia they use those opportunities to attract tourists that they have, for the first time came to me here. For € 5, you can visit a regular tour, where they will take you through the cameras and tell 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 show "Behind Bars". Although children are allowed on the excursion, and the guide constantly makes jokes, the guardhouse has retained its gloomy atmosphere.
Today Liepaja is the musical capital of Latvia, where the festival takes place every summer Summer sound... Thanks to this, the city has new sights - glass concert hall"Big Amber" and the Walk of Fame of Latvian Musicians. It took us less than a day to inspect 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, it can be walked 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 sake of two waterfalls.
First - Alekshupitsky waterfall (56.969851, 21.975383) on the Alekšupite river - it looks very nice, but it impresses poorly, although with a height of 4.5 meters it became the highest in Latvia. Second - Ventas-Rumba (56.967965, 21.978900) on the Venta River - it was awarded a higher rank: its width from 100-110 meters to almost 280 in high water made it the widest in Europe. But do not imagine the Latvian Niagara: its maximum height is just over two meters, so it looks more like a river rapids 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 object - the ski mountain "Lembergs' Hat". The mountain is notable for the fact that it was created on the site of a landfill: the landfill was mothballed, processed, covered with construction waste, covered with sod, planted with grass and equipped with jumps and lifts. The rubbish heap, which has become a popular holiday destination, was named after the long-term mayor of Lembergs.
One of the mottos of Ventspils is “a city with a future”. Indeed, one does not feel the depression and devastation that is usual for the province. Progressive trends are illustrated here not only by the story of the landfill. So, in 2002, the city took part in the Cow Parade - an international art event in which artists create creative sculptures of cows and exhibit them in different places cities. After that, the monuments are sold at auctions, 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 adorned the city during the campaign, only six were not sold. But the parade inspired the residents and the 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 herself in the mirror, to a police cow or a cheerleader cow watching football on TV with the owner. These works of art not only cheer you up local residents but also attract tourists.
Vilnius - Kaunas - Trakai
Breakfast in the hotel.
Moving 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", admire all European architectural styles.
You will see the house of Perkunus (Thunder) - one of the most original buildings of the late Gothic style in Lithuania. Admire the Church of St. Vytautas, see the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and Paul.
The modern Kaunas street 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 project of Benois (now the Church of Michael the Archangel).
Kaunas is famous for its K.M. Čiurlionis. Many tourists from the east and west come here to admire the canvases of this great artist and composer. There is also the famous Devil's Museum, which the whole world knows about.
Transfer to Trakai (86 km).
Lunch at the restaurant of Karaite cuisine. On the menu, the famous Karaite dish - kibinai, is a crescent-shaped dough stuffed with meat cut into pieces with a lot of onions and spices. For this, it has become exclusively popular dish Lithuania should be grateful to Grand Duke Vytautas. It was he who brought the Karaites to Lithuania 600 years ago, and those - "kibinai". It is surprising that no more than two or three thousand Karaites lived in Lithuania, and their "kibinai" peacefully conquered the whole country.
Tour of Trakai.
Trakai, the ancient capital of the Principality of Lithuania, located only 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, which stands on an island in the middle of Lake Galvė. It should be noted that this is the only island castle in Eastern Europe, one of the largest medieval defensive structures in Lithuania, covers an area of 1.8 hectares. To enter the fortress, visitors must walk 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 exposition of which covers the period from ancient times to the middle of the 20th century. The exhibition features genuine furniture, dishes, glass and bone products, seals, hunting trophies and archaeological finds discovered during excavations. By the way, it was here that the film "The Adventures of Electronics" was filmed.
Return to Vilnius.
Free time.
Finally, I got around to writing a text about our autotravel route in the Baltics.
The total length of the path is 2,975 kilometers, but taking into account the trips inside the cities and to the surrounding attractions, we hit much more - 3,672 kilometers. I must say right away that it is worth going on a journey only if you have a love for traveling by car, and if you are traveling with a child, it is desirable 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 is 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.
In Smolensk we have lunch (I highly recommend the Peter Push cafe @restoran_peterpush on Lenin Street, 14) and move on towards Belarus. There is no border between countries, even the most formal one.
We didn’t like a single hotel in Minsk, so we spent the night in the "Quiet Dvorik" agro-estate in Lagoisk (306 km from Smolensk)
We will have breakfast and drive to Minsk (distance from Lagoisk - 40 km).
There we went to the zoo @minsk_zoo_official (Tashkentskaya street, 40), had lunch and moved towards the border with Lithuania (to the Benyakoni crossing point - 191 km)
We cross the border and go to Vilnius (distance from the border - 53 km), where we settle for the night
The third day takes place in Vilnius - we have already been here, so they did not repeat the tour of the historical center. Instead, we visited:
Museum under open air"Park of Europe" (Yoneikiskiu village, LT-15148)
Cafe with a huge playground "The World of the Dwarfs" (Laisvės pr. 88)
Interactive Toy Museum (Shiltadarzho str., 2)
We begin to move to the sea. We leave Vilnius in the direction of Trakai, but on the way we stop at a wonderful corn maze (Vilnius – Trakai 16 km)
After getting out of the labyrinth, we go to Trakai and walk around the castle there (only 11 km)
From there we leave for Kaunas for a walk and lunch (on the way - 87 km)
After Kaunas we continue to go to the sea. Our correspondent on the coast was the town of Sventoja (from Kaunas - 250 km)
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 (Zhibininkai, Lepu g. 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 walk in Klaipeda or Palanga, they are very close.
We will have breakfast and go to the old port of Klaipeda, where we will take a ferry to the Curonian Spit. In this part of the spit, you should definitely visit the Lithuanian Maritime Museum, it is beautiful.
We return on the ferry back, get into the car and drive towards the border with Latvia. Again, there are no borders between countries.
We spend the night in a small but wonderful town Liepaja (from Šventoji to Liepaja - 61 km)
We walk in Liepaja, swim, weather permitting, and go to Riga (drive to the capital 216 km)
There we went to the Latvian Museum of Nature (K. Barona st. 4), had dinner and went to bed.
This day takes place in Riga - we dedicated it to a walk through the huge open-air Latvian Ethnographic Museum (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 wandering around the historic center Riga. To appreciate all the beauty of the city, we climb the tower of St. Peter's Church (Skarnu street 19).
Then we leave the capital and go to Cesis to see the local castle (88 km)
After we say goodbye to Latvia and leave for Tallinn (on the way - 300 km)
We walk around Tallinn, although one day here, of course, is not criminally 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 the 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 electronic queue!
Once at home, we go to rest and sleep in Veliky Novgorod (distance - 272 km)
We will have breakfast, walk around the Novgorod Kremlin and set off towards Moscow. I would make the most of the paid Leningradka, because it saves a lot of time.
We have lunch and stretch our legs in Tver (from Novgorod - 387 km)
The last push to Moscow (176 km)
- two countries and five cities.
Day 1. Moscow - Riga - Jurmala
I decided to start my journey from, to which I arrived by train (5 thousand re.). I like to travel by this particular type of transport, I like to look out the window and observe the cities, forests and fields flashing one after another. I sat in the compartment late in the evening, and the next morning I found myself in one of the most beautiful cities 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, they screamed outside the door, and terrible snoring was heard at night. Then I still had little experience + greed is my second nature. Now I am trying to fight this quality for the sake of comfort.
In general, you will not be able to relax in the hostel, unless, of course, you first stock up on earplugs. But the main thing is cheap and clean bed.
Leaving my belongings, I decided to postpone the inspection of the city until tomorrow, and on the first day of my trip to go to the famous resort city, which hosts " New wave"," Jurmalina "and other festivals. It's terribly interesting! We all think that Jurmala is whole city, but no. This is one collective name for the whole 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 the central station in the direction of 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 a real medieval Europe, it is old City on the cold Baltic coast. She is like a rich merchant's wife who guards her treasures. The city seemed to be frozen and does not want to change anything. This trip for me became like a journey through time.
All day I walked along the narrow streets of the city, ate in best restaurants, went on sightseeing tours and fulfilled the "must visit" plan, which 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 alone had a whole chair on which the lunch lay. 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 some 1200 rubles.
It takes only three hours to get to Lithuania, but this trip 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). Cozy, not expensive, youth hostel, where in the morning you can make yourself a delicious breakfast with waffles.
Trakai is another reason to come to Lithuania for the weekend. This is a great travel idea for, shall we say, the May holidays. When they talk about the Baltic country, first of all they remember 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; quaint courtyards with ladybirds, hand-painted glass bottles. All this is complemented by sunny weather, spring mood and red tulips that grow everywhere here.
This is a wonderful place that harmoniously combines a castle, a mirror-like surface of water, boats painted in the Lithuanian flag and quaint courtyards with ladybirds, glass bottles, hand-painted with acrylics. All this is complemented by sunny weather, spring mood and red tulips that grow everywhere here.
Not far from Vilnius there is a wonderful town Kaunas, which has not yet been trodden down and untouched by crowds of tourists, which is definitely worth a look if you are in Lithuania.
Having returned to Vilnius, happy as an elephant, I quickly fell asleep. The next day promised to be fine and rich in pleasant impressions from walks in Vilnius.
Day 4. Vilnius
After exploring the city, it turned out that - this is an amazing place to relax on May holidays... You even wonder how so many interesting things can fit in such a very small town.
We went to the Prie Katedros brewery, where we tasted local beer, climbed the Castle Hill, walked around the Old Town, examined all the painted houses in Uzupis.
We returned home by train Vilnius-Moscow (we paid 7 thousand per person for the compartment).
This route through the Baltic States turned out to be full and rich, we tasted a lot, and saw even more. For four days on the road, 38 thousand were spent for two, including travel, accommodation, meals and a couple of souvenirs.
