We'd long considered popping over to Riga on weekend trip due to its ease of getting to flight wise and low cost. However we had never really been
fussed enough to get around to it. When we were looking up more quick trips we could undertake in 2022 to visit new countries and get fully back in the swing of things
following COVID 19 we decided on a Baltic road trip to see all three of the Baltic countries. Latvia would be our starting point although in the middle it made the most sense
flight wise for us.
We actually completed Latvia in two parts, the first following our landing was to immediately head towards Estonia stopping off at what Latvia had to offer in the country
side. The second was Riga and we did this part on our route back from Estonia before moving onto Lithuania. This back and forth was mainly dictated by limited flight options
into / out of Estonia & Tallin.
Our first stop was Sigulda castle. It was a beautiful sunny day and we made the most of our morning flight out by enjoying lunch here. What surprised us most was how quiet in
general the sight was. It was a key sight in the country and on a nice day but there wasn't more than a handful of people with whom to share the site with. Set in a nice area
of nature the air felt pure and refreshing. Our next stop was the etched cave of Gutmanis where we were able to marvel at the plagues engraved into the walls. From here we moved
on to the nearby Turaida museum reserve. This was a much larger site with old granary style buildings and we had a pleasant but quick walk around here. Our final stop of the day
would be the beachside town of Parnu in Estonia. We had a long drive ahead of us for the afternoon but thankfully this being Europe no need to worry about complicated border
crossings with the car.
We realised upon landing in Latvia that our day would consist of breakfast in England, lunch in Latvia and dinner in Estonia. Pretty crazy feat but one we enjoyed and never found
too tiring.
Upon arriving in Riga it had a calm and friendly feel to it. We had heard it was a haunt for stag dos however We
certainly didn't get the feel of say Prague. Maybe COVID had impacted it, but it was quiet and peaceful and while there were plenty of
restaurants and bars around and the odd discarded party beer bike it didn't have the everyone being loud and drunk vibe. Much more Paris
than Prague.
Our time here mainly consisted of a few hours self guided walking tour of the main sights, some souvenir shopping, followed by sampling
the local beer and food as we passed the evening away. Would I visit again, yes, but only for a night / afternoon. It's much more a pass through
destination.
Next stop on our Baltic road trip was to be Estonia. We were intrigued what differences we'd find between the three Baltic states.
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