The Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania aren’t among the most visited destinations. That’s exactly what makes them attractive for a road trip. Except in the cities of Riga and Tallinn, you don’t have to wade through crowds of tourists. The countries offer small, charming campsites and lots of nature suitable for both hiking and cycling. And there are plenty of sights to see.
We’ve grown old and sedate and have traded in our faithful Land Cruiser 78, the “Panzer Queen,” for a Hymer MLT-570, the “Plastic King.” A little luxury is well deserved in old age. We’re especially pleased that it has a toilet, referred to as the “Million-Loo.” These vehicles aren’t exactly cheap, but if you’re over 70, you have nightly needs. Just in case we visit the backcountry, the vehicle has four-wheel drive and good ground clearance.
To warm up, our first trip with the vehicle goes through civilized areas—a round trip around the Baltic Sea. Ferry from Trelleborg in southern Sweden to Rostock in Germany. Then through Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and a ferry from Tallinn to Stockholm.
Rügen
We quickly skipped over Rostock. It’s an old Hanseatic city but not particularly interesting. The nearby town of Weimar is much nicer, but we’ve already been there. So our first stop was instead Rügen, Germany’s largest island, known for its miles of beaches. It’s flat and pleasant, has large national parks, and is great for cycling. With a big motor home, it’s easy to toss the bikes on the back.
The Nazis were concerned with public health, and as part of their “Kraft durch Freude” program, they built a massive holiday complex in Prora—actually the world’s longest building complex at 4.5 km along an equally long beach. It was meant to host 20,000 people enjoying the seaside. But the war intervened and the buildings were never completed. After the war, the Soviets and East German authorities used parts of it for military purposes. The Russians even blew up sections of it. But most of it remains intact and has been renovated into holiday apartments by private companies. A museum in the unrestored section tells the story and is worth a visit. The beach is also nice, for those who enjoy sunbathing or a frigid dip.
After Prora, we went to the tip of Rügen, where there’s a large forested national park with inviting trails for both cyclists and hikers.
Stralsund
Just inland from Rügen lies Stralsund, which, like Wismar, has a beautiful old town listed by UNESCO. The city was bombed during the war and neglected during the DDR era, but was beautifully restored after reunification. Spend a few hours here.
Peenemünde
Near the Polish border, history buffs might want to swing by Peenemünde. It was the testing ground for German rocket research before and during WWII. There’s a large military history museum. Many installations were destroyed by the Soviets after the war, but with a good map, you can still find some fairly intact testing areas in the surrounding forest. I found a V-2 rocket test station after some biking through fields and meadows. It had some dilapidated barracks and a high, circular earthen rampart with bunkers. Not terribly exciting. I did pick up a couple of ticks though.
Gdansk
On the Baltic Sea lies Gdańsk, a city full of history and another well-preserved old town. If you’ve read The Tin Drum or seen the movie, you’ll know that one of the first clashes between Germans and Poles during WWII happened here. Gdańsk/Danzig was divided between Germany and Poland, and German irregulars attacked the Polish post office in the city. The post office still stands and is now a museum.
Mikołajki
We needed a stopover on the way to Lithuania and by chance ended up at a campsite in the small town of Mikołajki, beautifully situated among lakes and canals in eastern Poland. By another stroke of luck, we discovered that Wolf’s Lair, Hitler’s eastern front bunker, was nearby. It wasn’t far out of the way, so we decided to visit. We followed Google Maps along narrow country roads, but unfortunately, the road ended in a construction barrier where a new rail line was being built. We tried another route, but it also ended at train tracks. The next suggestion meant driving an hour in the wrong direction, so we skipped it.
Litauen
Jurbarkas
Lithuania is characterized by flat farmland, large forests, and worn asphalt roads. Even the highways are patched and deeply rutted, making driving tiring and wobbly. We had a tip that the area along the Nemunas River was scenic and full of sights. So we set our course for Jurbarkai in the west to follow the river toward Kaunas and Trakai.
In Jurbarkai, we found a lovely campsite, Kempingas Medaus Slėnis, where the host surprisingly spoke Norwegian. She worked as an architect for a company that built cabins for Norway. It was a large, sheltered site with scattered trees, and we found a cozy corner for ourselves. We later found this was quite typical for campsites in the Baltics—spacious, affordable, well-maintained, and often with a small café.
Along the river were many brown signs pointing to various attractions. We settled for a couple of castles and an old manor house. The latter was perhaps the most interesting—not exactly restored, it stood open and deserted. Inside, it was eerily dim, with animal heads, dusty furniture, and masks on the walls.
Kaunas
In Kaunas, we stopped to see Fort 9, an 1800s fort and one of several encircling the city. During the war, it was the site of the murder of 40,000 Jews. A large Soviet-style monument stands here. After the war, the Soviets used it as a prison for Lithuanians to be deported. In total, as many as 300,000 Lithuanians may have been deported.
Trakai Castle Island
Lithuania has many castles, and this is the most famous and visited. It stands proudly on an island reached by a footbridge. The castle is heavily restored and perhaps most beautiful when viewed from a distance.
Klaipėda
We wanted to see the sea again and headed for Klaipėda, Lithuania’s only port city. We camped a bit north of town and cycled the 4 km into the center along well-paved bike paths through forest by the sea. Lithuania is excellent for cycling—flat, with good paths and lots of forest sheltering you from the often-strong wind.
A short ferry ride from the center takes you to the Curonian Spit, a 100 km long narrow sandbar extending down to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
It’s essentially one long sandy beach with a forested ridge down the middle. Again, great bike paths let you ride all the way to the border. Lots of people on the beach, but few in the chilly water.
Hill of Crosses
An interesting stop on the way to Latvia was the Hill of Crosses near the city of Šiauliai. Since the 1200s, this has been a pilgrimage site for Lithuanian Catholics to mark national identity and Christian faith peacefully. People from all over the world come to place crosses here, with inscriptions in many languages. The Soviets tried three times to bulldoze the site. But people restored it, and now there are hundreds of thousands of crosses. There was a special atmosphere as a busload of pilgrims processed and sang hymns before placing their crosses
Latvia
Just outside Jelgava, we stumbled upon the smallest campsite of the trip—Kempings “Cīzeri.” In fact, we were the only guests at the little site on the banks of the Lielupe River. We found it on Google Maps but still spent half an hour searching before meeting the owner, who led us across a field with faint tire tracks to a clearing in the woods. The site was park-like with short grass and scattered trees, no water, and an outhouse. It felt like wild camping and is recommended—but call ahead for directions.
Gauja National Park
Thankfully, the road quality improved significantly after crossing into Latvia. Good roads led us to Gauja, Latvia’s largest national park, named after the river winding through the hilly terrain. Camping Žagarkalns lies by the river, has a small bar, and is the starting point for many hikes and bike rides along the river and into the forest. The area has interesting geology with many caves and springs. Marked trails along the river and up the hills bring you close to nature. There’s even a ski slope here—a change from the otherwise flat landscape we’ve traveled through since Rostock. This is also where we met the mosquitoes, who thrived in the many ponds fed by mountain springs. They would follow us up north.
Estland
Estonia greeted us with endless forests and thankfully still good roads. It was time for some culture, so we planned a stop in Tartu to visit the Estonian National Museum.
Tartu – National Museum
Tartu is Estonia’s second-largest city and home to its largest university, so it’s no surprise the museum is located here. And what a museum! The building is long and narrow and welcomes visitors with the longest overhang I’ve ever seen. You walk beneath a high roof like under a giant stone slab before entering the ultramodern building. Polished concrete and fine wood greet you—everything is tastefully designed. We’ve been to many museums, and I would rank this high in terms of architectural design—above even the Guggenheim in Bilbao. The exhibitions are also excellent, much focused on the Soviet occupation, but also on Estonia’s many ethnic groups. One large exhibit covers the Estonian Swedes.
Lake Peipus
Lake Peipus is Europe’s fifth-largest, shared between Estonia and Russia. On the shore, we found a small campsite nestled among slender pine trees. It felt cozy and like wild camping. A bit north of the lake, you’ll find Estonia’s only Russian Orthodox convent. Kuremäe Convent has been run by nuns since 1891 and is still active. Orthodox churches have a unique atmosphere, filled with incense, icons, and gilding. This one was no exception.
Narva
The city of Narva and its namesake river lie in the far northeast of Estonia. The Russian border runs down the middle of the river, connected by a bridge, with 17th-century fortresses on both sides. From the fortress, we could look across at Russians strolling along the riverbank, just 100 meters away. The fortress museum tells the dramatic history of the city. 98% of Narva was destroyed in WWII, and the city is now dominated by ugly Soviet architecture—so we didn’t linger.
Rummu
Our last stop before the ferry from the small town of Paldiski just south of Tallinn was Rummu. Another nice little campsite. I took a walk along the lake near the site and noticed high stone walls and remnants of barbed wire. It turned out I had wandered into an abandoned Soviet prison—now a museum, Murru Vangla. The lake was a former quarry where prisoners worked. The narrow concrete cells were not inviting.
Wild Camping
Estonia is extremely well-suited for wild camping. You constantly pass signs pointing into forests of tall pines. Drive in and you’ll find nicely developed sites with covered tables, trash bins, and outhouses—all free to use. Sometimes you’ll even find pre-cut firewood.
The Cities
On this trip, we avoided the big cities. Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn all have magnificent, restored old towns. Riga and Tallinn are cruise ports and full of tourists, while Vilnius is less visited. We’ve been to all of them before, as there are cheap flights from home. You can read about Riga here: Riga in Winter
