Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia 2011
September 7-16, 2011
We decided to venture off the typical European tourist path after Michael read an article a few years ago about the “hidden gems” of the capital cities of the Baltic countries.
They seem to have become much more popular with tourists since they all joined the European Union in 2004, but still we saw almost no American tourists.
The cities of Vilnius (Lithuania), Riga (Latvia), and Tallinn (Estonia) are indeed delightful gems!
Each city has its Old Town with fairy-tale pretty main squares, mazes of cobblestone streets, medieval buildings, castles, and churches....vantage points that you can climb up and get a fantastic view over the red rooftops and spires....just my cup of tea!
And the history of the Russian occupation was compelling and disturbing.
It is amazing to see the independent spirit alive and well in these 3 former Russian states.
We really enjoyed these three cities and think more travelers should venture out to see how special they are.
We arrived in Vilnius and spent 3 nights there then boarded a luxurious coach bus (complete with wi-fi) for the 3-1/2 hour ride to Riga. We spent 2 nights in the tiny town of Riga then took a 4 hour bus ride to Tallinn where we spent our last 3 nights.
One of my favorite things about traveling is to see unique and beautiful architecture. These 3 cities were filled with it:
---Vilnius, with its Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture
---Riga, one of the Art Nouveau capitals of the world
---Tallinn, one of the most completely preserved medieval cities in Europe.
It was such a joy to try to capture all this beauty with my camera. Hope you enjoy some of my favorite photos!
Read MoreWe decided to venture off the typical European tourist path after Michael read an article a few years ago about the “hidden gems” of the capital cities of the Baltic countries.
They seem to have become much more popular with tourists since they all joined the European Union in 2004, but still we saw almost no American tourists.
The cities of Vilnius (Lithuania), Riga (Latvia), and Tallinn (Estonia) are indeed delightful gems!
Each city has its Old Town with fairy-tale pretty main squares, mazes of cobblestone streets, medieval buildings, castles, and churches....vantage points that you can climb up and get a fantastic view over the red rooftops and spires....just my cup of tea!
And the history of the Russian occupation was compelling and disturbing.
It is amazing to see the independent spirit alive and well in these 3 former Russian states.
We really enjoyed these three cities and think more travelers should venture out to see how special they are.
We arrived in Vilnius and spent 3 nights there then boarded a luxurious coach bus (complete with wi-fi) for the 3-1/2 hour ride to Riga. We spent 2 nights in the tiny town of Riga then took a 4 hour bus ride to Tallinn where we spent our last 3 nights.
One of my favorite things about traveling is to see unique and beautiful architecture. These 3 cities were filled with it:
---Vilnius, with its Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture
---Riga, one of the Art Nouveau capitals of the world
---Tallinn, one of the most completely preserved medieval cities in Europe.
It was such a joy to try to capture all this beauty with my camera. Hope you enjoy some of my favorite photos!
