I want to tell you how my friend and I ourselves, without agencies, visited the Baltic States. I won’t talk about the sights, only about the case. How to go yourself. This is my first solo trip.
At the time of our trip, such a tour of the three capitals of the Baltic States cost 44,000 per person for a week, and we got 23,000 each. Almost two days in each city. There is a difference!!! TIP: I always buy books from the Orange Guide series. Wonderful series. I take it with me on all trips when I travel by myself.
VISA. I must say right away that we decided to submit documents to the visa center. A little more expensive, but easier: if something goes wrong, they fix it, but the documents are still reprinted on their letterheads. For money. Documents are submitted to the embassy or visa center of the country where you will spend more time, namely nights, regardless of the sequence of visiting countries. We started from Lithuania, but we applied for a visa at the Latvian visa center, because in Vilnius it was two days, but one night, and in Riga and Tallinn two nights each. You can find a list of documents on the websites. Along with the documents, be sure to bring copies of your hotel reservation and copies of all tickets, insurance is a must. Read carefully. For example, at the time of our registration, they did not accept reservations for hotels from booking in Lithuania. Maybe something has changed. We booked on Hotels.com. There were few people in the center, they passed an hour and a half. We waited longer for documents to be reprinted. After 10 days, my husband arrived and took the passports with visas. When submitting documents, you note who will pick up. Very comfortably.
MOVEMENTS INTERNATIONAL: we chose the bus. Tickets were booked on the website.
Very handy site. Buses take an average of 4 hours. There is not much to see on the road. The buses were empty. Maybe not the tourist season, but maybe so lucky. We chose the second half of the day, left at 5 pm, arrived at 9 pm, slept, and in the morning with fresh energy to walk around the city. Hotels were chosen closer to the center and to bus stations, so as not to spend extra money on the road..
HOTELS. Chose inexpensive with the expectation of only spending the night. Breakfast.
VILNIUS. Arrived on an airBaltic plane. The plane is tiny: 15 rows of two seats across the aisle.
They flew great. From the airport we took a bus to the Comfort Vilnius 3* hotel. There are two hotels in Vilnius with a similar name and we were a little misinformed by the locals, but from one hotel
to our extra 15 minutes on foot. Found. The hotel is small but cute. For a night or two, no more. Our room didn't even have a closet.
We only took breakfast from all the hotels. Good food, clean linen. All attractions within walking distance. They didn't spend money on the road.
We arrived in Vilnius at 10 am, the bus to Riga was the next day at 16.30. 10 minutes walk from the hotel to the bus station. Almost two days were enough to see the main sights and just walk around the city. But the review is not about that. Travel on your own, don't be afraid.
RIGA. From the bus station to the 4 * hotel on foot min 10. The hotel is very good. Got a discount when booking. Breakfast to slaughter, there was even champagne. In Turkish fives there is no such breakfast. Clean, quiet, to the center 5-7 min. The room even had an ironing board, kettle, tea and coffee. At 17.00 bus to Tallinn. Everywhere we went on foot, we did not spend money on transport.
TALLINN. In Tallinn from the bus station to the hotel 3* by tram 10 min and walk 5 min. The hotel is not bad, but there is no tray in the shower, and the water almost did not go into the hole in the floor and flooded the entire floor in the bathroom. But in mockery there was a mop, you know, with such an elastic band to collect water. But across the road Old city and all attractions. Back to Moscow on an airBaltic plane. By taxi 15 euros and in 20 minutes on the spot.
CONCLUSION: It's twice cheaper by yourself, you are your own masters, travel by yourself and everything will be fine. In all cities we walked, I can’t say anything about transport prices.
Were you going to travel to Europe with your family or company, and ticket prices cost a pretty penny? Do not rush to get upset - consider caravanning. 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 (respectively, the more you are, the more profitable!). And thirdly, you don't have to worry about overweight luggage.
And if you're 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 at our disposal, and far from all EU countries it is possible to drive on such tires - specify this point when drawing up the route.
To travel to Europe by car you will need...
1. Reliable car.
2. A green card for a car (like our OSAGO) - costs about 2,500 rubles, can be issued both in advance, at any insurance company in your city, and immediately before leaving the Russian Federation. As you approach the border, you will now and again begin to meet points with the corresponding signs, and cards are also issued at some border gas stations.
3. Schengen visa. Here we were in for a surprise. It turns out that now almost all embassies are moving to work with intermediaries. That is, of course, you can do without them, but then you will have to sign up at the consulate to submit documents for two or three weeks and plus 10 days to issue a visa, but save 25 euros on Pony Express services.
4. Navigator. We had Sygic downloaded, which took us from house to house, that is, to rented apartments. In addition to the basic functions, it can be used in pedestrian mode - it will show the nearest sights 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 to sit in different ends, then in the car you can’t get away from each other. And even better, if this company has a second driver you trust - the road is much easier if you change at the wheel every two to three hours.
By the way, about the road. There are several options for how to travel to Europe: the choice depends on the specific route. Our first destination was Riga, so we chose Novorizhskoe highway with the passage of the border at the point Burachki (Russia) - Terekhovo (Latvia). Judging by the reviews of acquaintances and Internet blogs, the highway was reconstructed just a couple of years ago. We did not have a single complaint: neither to the quality of the coating, nor to the markings, nor to the signs. There was only one imperfect, but short-lived site in the Pskov region, it did not cause any serious inconvenience.
Leaving Moscow at 4 in the morning, at 11 we were at the checkpoint. On the way there was a feeling that we were alone on the track. Only in the rear-view mirror sometimes could be seen someone's headlights, but once every five minutes, oncoming cars rushed by. We were third in line at the border, but after about ten minutes there was already a decent tail of cars behind us - it’s not even clear where all these people came from. When passing through control, the driver mostly has to fuss: he takes all the passports, shows the car, and draws up the documents. Passengers can be asked to get out of the car at most, and even then not always. Having settled the formalities in about an hour, we set off further.
On the other side of the border, the asphalt has become noticeably worse, but still of acceptable quality. By the way, before the border, fill in a full tank - a liter of 95th gasoline in Latvia costs about 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 whole journey, taking into account the passage of the border, stops at gas stations and lunch, took about 13 hours. For comparison, the train from Moscow to Riga takes 16.5 hours.
Parking in the center of European cities is paid, so consider in advance the question of where to store the 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 and not worry about the safety of 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 City. Having reached the Church of St. Peter and assessing its scale, we realized that we were hungry from the road. Looking around, we went to a cafe local cuisine- what a steering wheel there was! Honestly, it was the most delicious dinner of the whole trip. I wanted to order mulled wine, but the waiter offered to try a hot drink based on Riga Balsam and blackcurrant juice - delicious! The bill for dinner in 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 reasoned that we would lose some of the flavor without exploring the local cuisine.
After walking a little more in the evening center and carefully tasting mulled wine on central square 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 Maiori station, where we got off. Previously, it was here that the New Wave, KVN and other festivals were held. Very cozy city ok s beautiful architecture and pines. On the beach in winter, the wind, of course, knocks you down, but the streets themselves are quiet and nothing interferes with the walk. Imagine how great it is here in the summer! This place is especially good for families.
Having returned to Riga and armed with a guidebook, we again headed to the Old Town. If you wish, you can hire a personal guide on the square near the House of the Blackheads, who will take you around the city and tell you everything in detail. Unfortunately, we were unable to climb observation deck St. Peter's Church: due to heavy snowfall, this did not make sense. The next morning we wanted to go for a 20 minute organ concert in the Dome Cathedral. So we went to buy tickets. As it turned out later, it was a very right decision - immediately before the concert there was a huge line at the box office. Going further and looking into the Cathedral of St. James, we got to the end of the service and the organ was just playing. “Oh, my 10 euros were crying, I spent it in vain,” I thought. True, it turned out, nevertheless, 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 next 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 pass without stopping at a low speed checkpoint, and that's all - you are in Estonia. The track immediately noticeably changes - the road surface becomes better, there are much more cameras, and gasoline is cheaper (about 1 euro per liter). In Tallinn, we also parked in closed yard at home with the prior permission of the owners. The price of the apartment is comparable to the housing in Riga - 50 euros for a spacious apartment within walking distance from the historical center.
On the Town Hall Square, following a very tasty smell, we ended up in the medieval tavern "Three Dragons". In all seriousness, no electricity and cutlery - you have to drink soup from a cup-bowl! The choice of dishes is limited to one type of soup, wild boar ribs and hot sausages, there are also pies with various fillings and drinks. Democratic prices 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 oh-oh-very large and it will be enough for two young ladies. Objectively, the meat is cooked well - not tough, very juicy. But he has a very specific marinade, gives off sweetness. And sweet meat is ... not mine in general. Although the surrounding men ate with 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. The good news is that if you are traveling as a family, the ticket will cost you 12 euros for everyone. The prospect of walking around a boring profile museum did not please us at all, but what a surprise it was when it turned out to be extremely fascinating. There are interactive expositions, real masts with sails from sunken ships, and ship models. In general, it will be interesting for both big and small, for boys - in general, a paradise. And you can also go to the Hydro Harbor, the second part of the museum, and climb a real submarine there!
In principle, a couple of days is enough to see the historical part of both capitals. If you want to go out of town or go deeper into the study of museums, of course, it is better to allocate more time.
The way back to Moscow took us about the same 13 hours through the checkpoint Luhamaa (Estonia) - Shumilkino (Russia). A couple of differences from the Latvian border: it is better to book the border crossing time in advance - spend about an hour. How long you have to stand in a live queue is unknown. 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 on the machine. For three people it turned out much cheaper than tickets.
Green card (insurance) - 2500 rubles.
The service fee at the Estonian border is 5 euros.
I think that 3 years of regular travel give me the right to summarize the "innermost knowledge" and write FAQ-style notes for those interested in this direction. All information provided here is based on personal experience and communication with like-minded people. Based on our 3-week trip to Latvia and Lithuania (12/19/2012 - 01/10/2013).
Visa. We have become happy owners of a 2-year Latvian Schengen! The Consulate of Latvia willingly issues multiple-entry visas to those who have already traveled to them, and gives single-entry visas to “newcomers”. Last year, an electronic questionnaire was introduced, which can be filled out in Russian, but in Latin letters. The list of documents is on the official website.
The closer to the holidays, the more people wish to get a visa, so it is better to apply in advance (maximum 90 days before the trip). All helpful information in my article How to get a Schengen visa on your own
On the positive side: payment for accommodation is not required, they accept any reservations, including those from airbnb, the main thing is that they correctly indicate the dates and names of all tourists, preferably on letterhead with a signature and seal (usually sent by fax or e-mail to scanned form). This time we brought 5 bookings, and to make it clearer to the visa officer, we wrote everything step by step in the “travel itinerary” document, which is mandatory for those traveling by car.
At the moment, the Latvian visa is the most successful option. For comparison: you can make an appointment at the Estonian consulate by phone (during the high season very early), multiple visas are issued “by mood”; The Lithuanian Consulate requires confirmation of 100% payment for accommodation and issues single-entry visas.
P.S. In 2015, we again applied for a Schengen visa through Latvia and received multiple visas for 2 years according to the validity of our passports.
Accommodation. I plan this part as soon as the dates are determined. In principle, if there is an open visa and a trip in the off-season or on holidays, then there is no need to rush. In recent years, more and more people want to spend New Year in the Baltic States and here the earlier booked, the better. Hotels in Latvia are the cheapest in the European Union (meaning price per room, not quality). Read my recommendations on choosing a hotel in Riga and Vilnius, and it will be easier for you to decide on a place and prices:
Choosing a hotel in Riga
Overview of Vilnius hotels
Usually we go to Riga immediately after the New Year, having met him at home, which I advise everyone, so you will avoid overpaying for a hotel, air or railway tickets, and if by car, then queues at the border. This time we caught all the holidays, including both Christmas and New Year. Finding a room for Catholic Christmas in Riga is no problem - the excitement is created not by English, but by Russian tourists, arriving later, but with the New Year the problem is that there are no places and hotels raise prices, imposing a gala dinner.
Thanks to last year's contacts, this time I booked an apartment in Sigulda at a discount, a deluxe room at a standard price in Kėdainiai, and in Riga I managed to quickly solve the problem of changing the hotel.
The purpose of our 22-day trip was to change the situation, calmly and inexpensively rest. We lived in 4 places, alternating hotel and apartment, the average cost of a night for two turned out to be €37 (breakfasts were included in hotels).
While searching for accommodation, I came across and used the airbnb booking system. Unlike others, airbnb specializes only in private stays, the booking process allows you to communicate and negotiate terms with the host in advance. We really liked the apartment in Vilnius, the initial price was €45, we were rented for €35.
Road. We are traveling by car. In the Baltic States, you can drive on Russian rights and in winter on studded tires. Currently the only good road to Latvia and Lithuania along the M1 through Belarus. We used to stop halfway for an overnight stay, now we get there in one day, we have a rest on the other side in Daugavpils. Passing the border depends on many factors, and you never know how long it will take. On December 19, we passed the Grigorovschina-Paternieki checkpoint in 15 minutes, on January 10, Medininkai-Kamenny Log in 20 minutes. Prior to this, the border, on average, took 1-1.5 hours. More cars drive on weekends and in the summer, before the holidays the situation is such that it is better not to drive (on December 30, people stand in line for 5-11 hours).
The price of a train ticket, in my opinion, is overpriced in this direction, and besides, you can’t buy them for the New Year, although now they have begun to launch additional trains. For the price, the plane can even be cheaper than the train if you take it on a promotion or in advance. The bus is inexpensive but not comfortable.
Roads within the Baltic countries are different, the best and fastest in Lithuania. It is easy to navigate, there are signs, but it is desirable to have a printed map (you can use a tourist one) and a navigator. You should not break the rules, especially speeding, special signs warn about cameras, but there are also “ambushes”, the fines are high. Once in Riga, when leaving Mezhaparks, we were stopped and asked about drinking alcohol. Immediately fined for parking in the wrong place or non-payment. When booking accommodation, check about parking, in the old town of Riga the price of parking per day is very high. If you stop by somewhere for a few hours, then it makes no sense to look for free parking and then walk for a long time from it. In Kaunas, on the Town Hall Square, the hourly wage was only 20 rubles. It is useful to have a parking watch.
Even if you are by car, not every day you want to go somewhere. Public transport goes often and well. It is better to buy an e-ticket at a kiosk (it is 2 times more expensive from the driver), and it is important to know that one ticket with two trips is not suitable for two, you need to have 2 separate ones. Do not throw away a card with unused trips - the validity period is a year (a reason to return). Stops are highlighted with a running line, if it is not clear, you can always ask passengers for help. And be careful: buses and trolleybuses in Riga are very similar.
Weather and clothing. The Baltic states do not guarantee 100% sunshine in July or snow in December. According to my impressions, there is a lot of "partly cloudy", wind and rain.
During the three December-January weeks in Latvia-Lithuania we found frosts, snow, rain, dry asphalt and several sunny days, the temperature range was from -20°С to +3°С.
Before a trip, I always look at the forecast on local websites, and, in principle, it comes true. In winter, you need to have several options for clothing for very cold-warmer with the possibility of combining. This New Year we walked in the rain on the ice, the shoes were protected from moisture, and we ourselves - with a large umbrella (the latter is required at any time of the year). Chilling winds often blow on the coast (a hood to help).
Money and shopping. I am surprised by the fact that Russian tourists still use currency exchange offices. Accepted everywhere credit cards You can withdraw cash from an ATM local currency to pay the rest (parking, entry tickets, tips). The most advanced country is Estonia, you can buy a ticket for a bus at a kiosk with a card and pay almost everywhere for admission to the museum.
We do not go specifically for shopping, but we go to stores if we have time and desire. As elsewhere, the most profitable time is sales, in our case, January. Shoes in Vilnius, compared to Moscow, are 2 times cheaper and the choice is different, in addition, you can apply for tax free and get the amount of tax back. Hotels and info centers always have city maps with addresses of shops and shopping centers. I wrote about shopping in Vilnius.
Excursions. On New Year holidays good tour guides are in high demand, so it is worthwhile to arrange an excursion in advance. There are many offers: on foot and by car, combined, individual, for a group. Choose according to your taste:
Nutrition. You won't go hungry and don't go broke on food. IN major cities, especially in the capitals, there are many establishments for every taste, prices are lower than in Moscow, but again, if you have breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a restaurant on Domskaya Square, it will not be cheap.
The most popular option is national cuisine enterprises Lido, there are several of them in Riga, including a large entertainment complex on the street. Krasta. You walk with a tray, choose what you like, everything is fresh, it doesn’t stale, the prices are very democratic. In Tallinn, Lido is in the Solaris shopping center.
Sample national cuisine it is necessary, but all the time there is only it quickly gets bored, especially since this is not Italy or France. For example, traditional gray peas with bacon - a hearty dish of Latvian peasants, which I would not have taken in a restaurant, once I ordered boiled pig ears - they were not appreciated. Lithuanians love potatoes very much, they even serve them with soup, zeppelins lay a “heavy load” on my stomach, I had to take one serving for two. Belgian beer is well represented in Lithuania, mostly local beer is popular in Latvia (large choice), in Estonia there are two main brands.
Drinking coffee with a bun is the most profitable for us in Kaunas, where there are cafe-pastry shops with huge selection pastries and coffee. In winter, when you just want to go to warm up, use the Internet-toilet, you should pay attention to special offers such as coffee + croissant or the morning menu. Cafe in good location service is nowhere cheap. When traveling around cities and villages, while eating “at the exit”, one must keep in mind that in many places after 16:00-18:00 everything closes and people sit at home, especially in the off season.
In the apartments we cook our own breakfasts and dinners. It is very interesting to go to different supermarkets, enjoying the range of products and their quality. I always take local dairy products - yoghurts, cheese curds, cheeses, milk. Meat is represented mainly by pork and poultry, which are skillfully butchered. Fresh vegetables, fruits. Lots of wines, including Georgian ones.
In Latvia, delicious Sido blackcurrant juice is produced, which goes well with Riga balsam; under this brand, non-alcoholic mulled wine is produced, which is drunk hot. Latvian chocolate and candies from the Laima factory are very popular, bitter chocolate is good, sweets with balm, there are beautiful boxes with views of Riga as a gift. In Latvia they sell a lot of natural marmalade of different varieties, I buy sea buckthorn and cranberry. Estonian "Kalev" makes my favorite candies with liquor and marmalade fillings, marzipan bars.
Even in large supermarkets, you can profitably buy souvenirs and little things for the home.
Finally, I got around to writing a text about our autotravel route in the Baltics.
total length way - 2975 kilometers, but taking into account trips within cities and to nearby attractions, we drove much more - 3672 kilometers. I must say right away that it’s worth setting off 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, grows up to be a tireless traveler, and perceives long trips more than favorably - after all, during this time you can listen to a whole bunch of fairy tales!
So, the route broken down by day:
In the morning we leave Moscow along the M-1 highway and drive towards Smolensk (380 km). To save time and nerves, I highly recommend using the Odintsovo paid bypass.
We have lunch in Smolensk (I highly recommend the cafe "Peter Push" @restoran_peterpush on Lenina Street, 14) and move on towards Belarus. There is no border between countries, even the most formal one.
We did not like any hotel in Minsk, so we spent the night in the agroestate "Tikhiy Dvorik" in Lagoisk (306 km from Smolensk to it)
We 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 down for the night
The third day takes place in Vilnius - we have already been here, so we did not repeat the inspection of the historical center. Instead we visited:
museum under open sky"Park of Europe" (village Yoneykiskiu, LT-15148)
Cafe with a huge game room "World of Gnomes" (Laisvės pr. 88)
Interactive "Toy Museum" (Shiltadarzho st., 2)
We start moving towards the sea. We leave Vilnius towards Trakai, but on the way we stop at a wonderful corn maze (Vilnius–Trakai 16 km)
Having got out of the labyrinth, we go to Trakai and walk around the castle there (only 11 km to go)
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 office on the coast was the town of Šventoja (250 km from Kaunas)
We come to ourselves after a busy day and explore the surroundings. We went to the beach in the morning, and then went to the entertainment complex HBH Palanga (Zibininkai, Lepu 23). You can easily hang out there for the whole day.
In the morning - the sea, and then we go to the DINO.LT dinosaur park (Radailiai, Klaipeda region). After the lizards, you can have lunch and take a walk in Klaipeda or Palanga, they are very close.
We have breakfast and go to the old port of Klaipeda, where we take a ferry to the Curonian Spit. In this part of the spit, you must definitely visit the Lithuanian maritime museum, he is beautiful.
We return by 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 of Liepaja (from Sventoji to Liepaja - 61 km)
We walk around Liepaja, swim if the weather permits, and go to Riga (drive 216 km to the capital)
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 devoted it to a walk around the huge open-air Ethnographic Museum of Latvia (Bonaventuras street 10).
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 to wander around the historical center of Riga. To appreciate the beauty of the city, we climb the tower of St. Peter's Church (19 Skarnu Street).
Then we leave the capital and go to Cēsis to look at 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 criminally not enough.
We went to the Tallinn Zoo @tallinnzoo (Ehitajate tee 150 / Paldiski mnt 145), the medieval restaurant Olde Hansa @olde_hansa (Vene 1) and went to Pirita Beach 15 minutes from the city center.
In the morning we walk around Tallinn, and then move towards the border with Russia - it was more convenient for us to leave through Narva (211 km). Don't forget to sign up for the email queue!
Once at home, we go to rest and sleep in Veliky Novgorod (distance - 272 km)
We will have breakfast, walk along the Novgorod Kremlin and set off towards Moscow. I would use the paid Leningradka as much as possible, because it saves a lot of time.
We have lunch and stretch our legs in Tver (387 km from Novgorod)
Last push to Moscow (176 km)
- this time the girl shares a 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 - Masha's word.
Why Latvia?
Latvia became the first European country A trip I planned entirely 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 the fate of the trip was decided.
Now I can say that Latvia is an ideal country for those who want to go to Europe for the first time, but are afraid language barrier and doesn't want to spend a lot. But also experienced travelers here it 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 do not think that having wandered through the streets of Riga before a low-cost 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 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 is not so much world-famous monuments of architecture, impressive natural sights or places with very ancient history- so, only two places from Latvia are included in the UNESCO list. But in every more or less attractive city is equipped information Center, and twenty Latvian beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag (a sign of quality and suitability for safe swimming). Everything even a little interesting is turned into a sight here: from the ruined forts to the telescope of the radio astronomy center. Looking at such a careful attitude to their history, I would like to express respect to the Latvians and even envy them a little.
“Everything even a little interesting is turned into a sight here: from the destroyed forts to the telescope of the radio astronomy center”
How to get there?
We traveled to Riga from Moscow by bus Lux Express for € 35 per person. We took a return ticket to St. Petersburg for € 17.5. Ecolines are also transported to Latvia from both cities. If you plan your trip in advance, you can save money. So, the minimum price of a LuxExpress ticket from St. Petersburg to Riga is about € 13. Trains also run from Russia to Latvia: the branded train "Latvia-Express" from Moscow to Riga costs from € 40.5, a regular one from St. Petersburg - from € 37.5 . Travel time in both cases is a little over 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, the ticket price is from € 10, Ecolines has several flights, the price is € 23.8. Don't forget about youth and student discounts!
Ecolies travels from Kyiv to Riga, but the journey 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 on airBaltic - about 2 hours on the road and about € 100 per ticket.
Housing
In ten days in Latvia, we did not spend a single 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 host 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 less. The cities we visited usually had 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, a couple of times we spent the night in a tent.
Housing 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 is 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 transshipment point. The distances in the country are very small: if you wish, you can move out of the capital in the early morning, inspect some city and return at night.
Transport
We traveled around Latvia on a ride. According to our host from Liepaja, who 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 rating, but I confirm that hitchhiking around the country is convenient and fast. The average waiting time for our couple was about 10 minutes, the maximum was an hour. It was a pleasant surprise that many drivers are willing to spend a little time and gasoline 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 a goodbye phone number so that we would 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 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
Latvians love rye bread. So strong that it is not only eaten, but also added 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 not eaten 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 stuffed with vegetables (usually boiled potatoes and carrots mixed with egg and poured with sour cream).
As a main dish, I recommend gray peas, which are cooked with onions and smoked cracklings. And for dessert, taste the cake "Old Riga" (Vetsriga) with curd cream.
Most Latvian dishes can be tasted at 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 one speaks Russian. Of all the drivers who gave us a lift, we had to communicate in English with only one - a Dutchman.
Only once we had 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, like from a school cafeteria, hung on the wall and was only in Latvian, and 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 distribution 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 - mostly Russians, as well as Belarusians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Poles and a number of other peoples living in 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, and there are economic and other restrictions for them. To obtain the status of a citizen, it is required to go through the “naturalization” procedure: take an oath of allegiance to the country, pay a fee, pass an exam in knowledge of the Latvian language, constitution, anthem and history. At the same time, back in the 1990s, Russian ceased to be the state language.
On this moment a little more than 10% of people who have not received citizenship still live in the country: someone considers the procedure itself unfair, someone is not ready to pay a fee, someone does not know the language sufficiently to pass the exam. However, not all Latvians like the fact that people in their country do not want to master 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. 68% of Russian-speakers, on the contrary, believed that their rights were infringed. To this day, relations between the two nations within the country are slightly electrified.
Route
IN visa application center In Latvia, we were provided with a couple of guidebooks, I also found a lot 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, exploring the country to the east of it, then to the west, and finally returning to the Latvian capital again, from where the bus went home.
Riga and Jurmala
Riga was the first European capital I visited. Everything fascinated me: organ music from churches, paving stones and tiled roofs, prices in euros ... Although no, these were rather upsetting. I went through a bunch of guidebooks and didn't want to miss a single point recommended there. I enthusiastically wandered around the Town Hall Square, trying to fit in the frame the houses pressed close to each other, which received the name of the Three Brothers, and looked out for black cats on the roof of the house, the owner of which, in revenge for not accepting him into the merchant guild, turned the sculptures with the fifth point to 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 (Brīvdabas iela 21), where more than a hundred old wooden buildings were brought from all over the country. During the warm season (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 artisans demonstrate their skills on the territory of the museum. We spent almost half a day on a walk and had an inexpensive lunch in a tavern in the park.
“Everything delighted me: organ music from churches, paving stones and tiled roofs, prices in euros ... Although no, these were more likely to upset”
I also recommend you go inside. Latvian National Library(Mūkusalas iela 3). Although many locals consider her ugly, she looks quite pretty inside. You can see the building along with a 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 website says that on Sunday, the 11th and 12th floors are also available for visitors.
We visited Jurmala on the eve of our 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. However, it is well suited for resort holiday: a third of the Blue Flag beaches in Latvia are concentrated here, and the total length of the landscaped 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, this Gutman 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 in caves, such dimensions are hardly impressive, but this is the largest cave in the Baltic countries. Secondly, Krimulda Castle can be reached from the opposite side of the river by the only one in the country cable car. The views are magnificent, but the price for a 7-minute journey is unreasonably high - € 8 one way. You can bungee jump directly from the tram booth, but the pleasure is even more expensive - € 60.
For fans of extreme sports, there are other entertainments in Sigulda: 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
Cēsis is one of the oldest cities in Latvia, over 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 who lived in these places.
For the entrance to the 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 extra € 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 prisoner's 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 earlier a third of the city was occupied by a military port - in Latvian "Karosta".
The construction of the largest naval military base in the Russian Empire began here at the end of the 19th century. It was from here that in 1905 the Russian fleet set off for Pacific Ocean to participate in the Russo-Japanese War. But the place for the base was initially chosen unsuccessfully - only 40 kilometers from the border with a potential enemy, Germany. Soon the first World War, and all the defensive structures were destroyed by order of the commander of the Baltic Fleet - fearing that they would go to the enemy, they were never used. The blown-up forts have survived to this day and are popular with tourists.
In 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 wandered here to visit museum-prison "Karosta" (Invalidu 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 cunning publicity stunt. 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 Soviet Union, and after it was abandoned, local enthusiasts decided to turn the building into a museum. The admiration for how efficiently and creatively Latvians use the opportunities they have to attract tourists came to me for the first time here. For € 5 you can visit a regular tour, where they will take you through the cells and tell you about the history of the place, and for € 15 you can even spend the night. Large groups by appointment can experience all the delights of prison life by participating in the 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 musical capital of Latvia, where the festival takes place every summer summer sound. Thanks to this, the city also has new sights - a glass concert hall"Big Amber" and the Alley 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, it can be walked from edge to edge in an hour, and historical Center cities included in national list UNESCO. But we came here primarily for the sake of two waterfalls.
First - Alekshupit waterfall (56.969851, 21.975383) on the Alekshupite River - it looks very nice, but it is not very impressive, although with a height of 4.5 meters it has become the highest 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 in high water made it the widest in Europe. But don't imagine the Latvian Niagara: its maximum height- a little more than two meters, so it looks more like a river rapid than a waterfall. It is best to come here in spring or autumn to watch migrating salmon “in flight” overcome Ventas Rumba.
Ventspils
The first impression I had of Ventspils was on the way to it. The woman who gave us a lift told us about the local amusement park and its key object - the Lembergs Hat ski mountain. The mountain is notable for the fact that it was created on the site of a landfill: the waste landfill was mothballed, processed, covered with construction waste, covered with turf, planted with grass and equipped with springboards and lifts. Garbage pile turned into popular place recreation, was named in honor of the long-term mayor of the city of Lembergs.
One of the mottos of Ventspils is “a city with a future”. Indeed, there is no sense of depressiveness and devastation familiar to the province. 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 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 graced the city during the action, only six were not sold. But the parade inspired the residents and authorities of the city, 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 cheerleading cow watching football on TV with its owner. These works of art are not only uplifting local residents but also attract tourists.
