Baltic Countries Travel Recommendation

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Baltic countries refers to three countries (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) in Northern Europe on the eastern coast of Baltic sea. These three countries were independent, then occupied by Soviet Union, among the first to break away in 1990s. Today they are members of European Union and NATO. All three countries uses the EURO as their currency. Visitors usually visit all three countries together as it is easy to travel from one Baltic country to another and there are many interesting sites to see along the way. You can choose to either travel from south to north (Lithuania to Estonia) or from north to south (Estonia to Lithuania).



I chose to arrive in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania as my first stop in the Baltic countries. The entire Old Town is a UNESCO Heritage Site.

My travel itinerary is as below (you can click on links below to read in more details of my tour):
Day 1: Arriving in Vilnius
Day 2: Trakai half day tour –> Vilnius city tour
Day 3: Vilnius –> Hill of Crosses –> Rundale Palace –> overnight in Riga
Day 4: Riga Old Town & Art Nouveau
Day 5: Riga –> Sigulda –> Parnu –> overnight in Tallinn
Day 6: Tallinn


Map of Vilnius.


Main attractions of Vilnius:

1) Gate of Dawn and the painting of Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy which was housed inside a purpose-built chapel above the gate. The chapel is open to the public and is accessed via a small door on the left.



2) Basilian Gate and Holy Trinity Church on the left and St. Theresa’s Church on the right ahead. Actually, there are lots of churches in the Old Town. It may take some time to visit them all.



3) Vilnius Town Hall. You can join the free walking tour everyday at 10am and 12pm in front of the Town Hall. Of course, remember to pay tips at the end of the tour and it’s up to you how much you want to pay for the tour.



Once you see the Vilnius University, you can either turn left and find Presidential Palace or turn right and find St. Anne’s Church.



4) Presidential Palace. The presidential flag can be seen flying over the building when the president is in residence or in the city. Changing of the Guard takes place on Sunday at 12.00pm.



5) St. Anne’s Church is considered to be the main landmark of Old Town Vilnius. Visited in 1812, Napoleon famously noted that he wanted to take the building back to Paris on the palm of his hand!



6) Uzupis, a declared republic within the city of Vilnius. It even has its own Constitution!



7) Literatu Street, a permanent outdoor gallery which is dedicated to writers past and present who’ve left mark on the city.



8) Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania and Monument to Gedimas in front of it.



9) Gedimas Upper Castle. Be prepared to hike up the steep hill as the funicular is no longer functioning. To enter the museum and the observation platform, the entrance fee is EUR 5 per adult. School children, students and senior citizens is charged EUR 2 per person. It opens from 10am – 9pm (April – September) and from 10am – 6pm (October – March).



10) Vilnius Cathedral and its bell tower, the most important Catholic building in Lithuania.


Accommodation in Vilnius:

I stayed at Hotel Tilto for 2 nights. The rate is around 73 euros per night including buffet breakfast for a double bed room. I booked it through Agoda. Visit the hotel’s website http://www.hoteltilto.com/?home for more details.



Baby cot is provided for free. The room is spacious.




If you stay at the top floor, you get to see Vilnius Cathedral from the window. It’s really near from the hotel.



Toilet is quite spacious too, with a bath tub.




The hotel’s bar and restaurant is in basement.



The breakfast is quite good but seats are limited. You have to get there early in the morning or else you have to wait for empty seats.



There are many restaurants which serves local Lithuanian cuisine in Vilnius old town especially along Pilies Street which is one of Vilnius main street.



For dinner, I tried a local version of borsch (left in the picture) and potato pancake with a crispy exterior and stuffed with meat (zemaiciu blynai).



Another famous Lithuanian dish is cepelinai – potato dumplings stuffed with minced meat, mushrooms or cottage cheese. The dinner was really filling.



Trakai is about half an hour drive from Vilnius. These houses in Trakai have the iconic Karaim three façade windows. Karaimes are a Turkish community which have lived in Trakai since the 14^th century.



I joined a half day tour with Vitalijus Rumbutis, contact number: +37068240247 and email visosgalimybes@gmail.com The tour price is 25 euros per person. He charged us 60 euros for our family of four with special discount for my kids. But be sure to contact the driver an hour earlier before departure so that he would arrive on time.


Main attractions of Trakai:

1) Trakai Castle is the main attraction in Trakai. The opening hours of Trakai Castle: From May till September 10am - 7pm, from November till February 9am - 5pm and for March, April, October 10am – 6pm. The entrance fee is 7 euros per adult and 3.5 euros for students, children and seniors.



2) Hill of Angels. Created in 2009, the Hill of Angels was created to celebrate the Millennium of Lithuania and also the 600 years of Trakai Church of the Visitation of the Holy Virgin Mary.



3) Built by the Tyszkiewicz family in 1897, the building of Užutrakis Manor is closed but the garden is open. It has a wonderful view of the Galve and Skaistis lakes. 



A must try local dish in Trakai is kibinai – pastries filled with meat or mushrooms. I tried one with meat and another with mushroom, both are delicious.



There are a few restaurants serving kibinai in Trakai. The restaurant I tried was Old Kybyn Inn which is about 10 minutes walk from Trakai Castle.



Hill of Crosses is a must see on the way travelling from Vilnius to Riga or vice versa. Hill of Crosses is located about 12km away from Siauliai. You can either take a train or bus to Siauliai. Then from Siauliai, you have to take a bus to Domantai stop. From the bus stop, you still need to walk another 2km to reach the site. Therefore, I didn’t take public transport as it is time consuming and inconvenient for me. I chose to travel with a hired coach from Vilnius to Riga and from Riga to Tallinn instead.



You can contact Uldis at +37129482714 or jans@rigatours.lv
Vilnius - Riga - 200 EUR (Price include - transportation costs with comfortable minibus, driver + child seats, excluding entrance tickets, meals) with stops at Hill of Crosses and Rundale Palace.
Riga - Tallinn - 200 EUR (Price include - transportation costs with comfortable minibus, driver + child seats, excluding entrance tickets, meals) with stops at Sigulda and Parnu.



After visiting Hill of Crosses, I also visited Rundale Palace on my way to Riga. Rundale Palace is a summer residence for the Dukes of Courland and it's one of the two must visit place in Latvia. Rundale Palace and Parks are open everyday from 10am till 5pm and during summer till 6pm. The entrance fee varies depending whether you choose short route, long route, garden etc. For more information, visit website http://rundale.net/en/



Riga, capital of Latvia, was also included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also known for its Art Nouveau architectural style.


Main attractions of Riga:

1) St. Peter’s Church and Bremen Town Musician statue. A lift inside the spire takes visitors to two panorama platforms offering view over the red roofs of the Old Town and across the River Daugava.



2) The House of Blackheads - The tourist information office is now located inside it.



3) Dome Cathedral at Dome Square. The entrance fee is 3 euros. Children under age 10 and use of camera is free. This cathedral is famous for its organ which is used in many concerts and recitals.



4) Three Brothers - a charming group of residential houses each from a different century, the oldest dating back to the 15th century.



5) Riga Castle – now the primary workplace of the President of Latvia. It is not opened to the public.



6) Powder Tower - Since 1919, it houses the Latvian War Museum. Also part of the fortification is the Swedish Gate. In fact, it is last remaining gate from the old city walls.



7) Cat House – nothing special except for the cat sculptures, with arched back and raised tail on its roof. Interesting legend behind it though.



8) Freedom Monument – Riga’s major landmark and symbol of Latvian independence.



9) Central Market – one of the largest and oldest markets in Europe with five food pavilion.



10) Last but not least, Riga’s Art Nouveau buildings at Alberta and Elizabetes streets.


Where to stay in Riga?

I opted for Air bnb apartment right in the heart of Old Town, only 50 euros per night. A big supermarket is just steps away. https://www.airbnb.ae/rooms/17008984



Keys are picked up from the souvenir store across the street but check in is until 8pm when the shop is closed. If you need to check in really early or late, be sure to communicate with the host, Armand.



Spacious living room, one bedroom with a double bed and a sofa bed.



Complete with washing machine and everything we need for a comfortable stay. Definitely recommended.


What to eat in Riga:

For affordable option to try Latvian food, head to Lido chain restaurant.



It is a self service restaurant. The food is relatively cheap and good. These two dishes only cost around 11 euros.



If you want a more fancy restaurant, head to Petergailis Restaurant which offers a beautiful view of St Peter’s Church and good food.



On the way from Riga to Tallinn, most people will stop at Sigulda, which is famous for its medieval castle and National Park.



Gutman’s Cave is the widest and highest cave in the Baltic Countries.



The most popular souvenir to get in Sigulda is the walking stick.



Tallinn, capital of Estonia, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.


Main attractions in Tallinn:

1) Viru Gate



2) Town Hall - the only surviving Gothic town hall in Northern Europe.



3) Catherine’s Passage – where you can also see the St. Catherine’s Church and tombstones.



4) Church of the Holy Spirit is located opposite the Great Guild and Maiasmokk, Tallinn’s oldest cafe. Most noteworthy of the exterior of the church is a clock made by Christian Ackermann.



5) Great Guild Hall – now houses the Estonian History Museum .



6) Long Leg Gate - originally built to allow a direct connection between Toompea Hill and the harbour.



7) Kiek in de Kok canon tower and Maiden Tower.



8) Alexander Nevsky Cathedral – main landmark of Tallinn



9) St. Mary’s Cathedral also known as Dome Church.



10) Short Leg Gate - a quick shortcut between the lower town and Toompea for pedestrians.



I stayed at Hotel Metropol in Tallinn. It is within walking distance to both the Old Town and the harbour. Check latest room rates at Agoda, Booking.com or Expedia. Official website www.metropol.ee





Standard Room is approximately 70 euros per night including breakfast and baby cot.



Café Amore along Harju Street, maybe 100m away from town hall Square is a better option of having a meal. It’s much cheaper and the café offers a view of St Nicholas Church.



I engaged a local tour guide for a walking tour in the Old Town. His name is Roman Artamonov and can be contacted at +37258059202 or email: romanarty@gmail.com His service for a 3 hour walking tour is 70 euros. From Tallinn, I took a ferry to Helsinki.