Writer Diana Ballon takes a transformational journey through Baltic history, Baltic culture, and within herself as she joins an Exodus Adventure Travels expedition cycling the Baltics from Estonia, through Latvia, and ending in Lithuania.
Soaring down a hill in what is referred to as Estonia’s Switzerland, I can feel the cool breeze lift the sweat from my skin. Here in the Baltics, the land is pretty flat, so hills are easily referred to as mountains, and both ascents and descents are relatively short. When I’m on a bike though, I’d trade steep mountains anytime for this quietly undulating landscape offered in the Baltics— with dense pine and birch forests that open up to fields of brilliant yellow rapeseed (or canola), castles that appear literally out of nowhere, and views of the Baltic Sea, along with rivers and lakes, all shimmering next to us.
Cycling the Baltics on an Exodus Adventure
This is day five of an 11-day Baltics cycling trip I am on with Exodus Adventure Travels. While the land hasn’t noticeably changed between day one and now, something inside me has. I have overcome my jet lag, left work and domestic worries behind, and am enjoying the casual banter that happens as 16 cyclists get to know each other while sharing the road together.
It’s hard to believe that only a few days have passed since our guide Andrius Mažrimas welcomed us and provided an overview of the trip. Our first directive: “whenever you see a toilet, use it.” Along with this, he shares with a deft touch of humour, the sobering details of earlier Russian occupation: “in beautiful Soviet times, just one pathetic doughnut per person.” But as well as being amazingly funny, Andrius turns out to be the perfect melange of historian, linguist, fiercely proud Lithuanian, and all around kind and patient leader.
We are a motley crew of mostly retirees ranging in age from 51 to 80, and hailing from as far away as Australia, to closer-by Wales, England and Scotland, and across the pond, the United States and Canada. While five of the 16 are on e-bikes, we quickly reject any sheepish apologies for people using a bit of electricity on the long days: we’re all on this journey together. Admittedly, some of the best cyclists are the oldest: clearly giving up sedentary office jobs is good for your health. The only real indication of age difference seems to come out far more in my fellow cyclists’ limited use of cell phones, and general disowning of social media. When I ask over one dinner who has an Instagram or Facebook account, nary a person raises their hand.
“But we do know what they are,” says one septuagenarian sardonically.
Aah… enjoying the natural world. I seem to have come to the right place.
Our Route Cycling the Baltics
Our 11-day cycling trip began in the capital city of Tallinn on the north coast of Estonia, proceeded south into Latvia and then down into Lithuania, ending in the country’s capital, Vilnius. The first and last days are arrival and departure, making for nine days of cycling.
With fairly leisurely cycling -– about 350 kilometres over our time together — with bus shuttles to take us to the best segments — we had ample time to cross all three countries, while also visiting many historical and cultural sites, and breaking for some of the countries’ gastronomic specialties like cold pink beetroot soup with kefir, big ball-shaped dumplings (or cepelinai) in Lithuania, salted herring, rhubarb wine (in Estonia) and dark rye bread or rupjmaize throughout.
As I was to discover, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are among the greenest countries in Europe, with vast swaths of forest covering more than half of the land mass in both Estonia and Latvia. Snuggled close together geographically, the three Baltic countries share a political perspective, a pride in their independence, and a history that includes medieval knights, Nazi pogroms and a survivalist mindset emerging from decades of Soviet occupation.
Photographed by Diana Ballon.
Here are some highlights from our time in each country.
Estonia
Our bike trip started in Tallinn: a well-preserved medieval town with 440,000 residents, and most major sights concentrated in its pedestrian-friendly Old Town. Spend time in the Niguliste Museum to view ecclesiastical art in a former church. Visit St. Olaf’s Church and climb the stairs to its viewing platform for a panoramic view of the city. Check out Toompea Castle, the seat of the Estonian parliament and enjoy its many restaurants and cafés.
Lahemaa National Park was a highlight in our time there: this unspoilt region on the northern coast has well-maintained cycling trails, bogs, sleepy fishing hamlets, ancient homesteads and 18th Century manor complexes never far from the path.
On gravel paths through the woods, we pass by massive erratic rocks, boulders transported here by glacier from southern Finland. We marvel at Vihula Manor, a 16th Century estate of a wealthy Baltic German. And we toured the Käsmu Sea Museum, with maritime artefacts dating back to the 18th Century. Admittedly my favourite part of the museum was the restaurant, which consisted of a long table on a glassed-in verandah, a wooden replica ship hanging above our heads, and tureens of salmon soup that we ate with the classic rye bread, and finished the meal off with cheesecake and coffee.
We also cycled through what is referred to as Estonia’s Switzerland – up and down undulating hills, through meadows and into forest forming a green archway through the trees. We stopped on the side of road to gaze up at a massive stork’s nest sitting on wooden platform in the trees, the mother and baby peering over top.
Latvia
Our time in Latvia was short – just a couple of days that began in Riga, Latvia’s capital, with its Medieval old town and rich art nouveau architecture, avantgarde cafes, rooftop bars and Gothic spires. We visited the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, a sobering testament to 51 years of occupation by both the Soviet Union, some of which was briefly handed over to Nazi Germany. A weighty history lesson, it felt like a relief when we could watch the video clip at the end documenting the “Baltic Way.” This was the famous demonstration in 1989, when, in 1989, two million people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined hands in a peaceful human chain extending over 600 kilometres.
There were many other lighter activities to be enjoyed here too. We had lunch at the massive Riga Central Market (the largest indoor market in Europe), where we sampled everything from pickled garlic, to gotina (a traditional milk candy), dumplings and soup from a vessel you can eat. In the evening, we went to Concerto Piccolo, a moving organ and saxophone concert at the 13th Century Riga Cathedral.
We also pedalled 20 kms along a cycling and pedestrian trail to Jurmala, a large resort town on the Baltic Sea. There we rode along its wide beach, followed by the road through the town, with pretty villas and wooden homes from the art nouveau era.
Lithuania
The last Baltic country on our tour, Lithuania was my favourite, with its rolling hills, thousands of lakes, coastal sand dunes and beaches. Our first two nights, we stayed at the pretty Old Mill Hotel in Klaipéda: a former rice mill, the hotel sits at the mouth of the Dané River, where I had a view of the water from my window.
Another standout day, we transferred by a short ferry and bus to resort town of Nida and then cycled to Curonian Spit National Park. These long, deserted sand dunes, referred to by locals as the Lithuanian Sahara, are on a peninsula with wide open views of Russia only a few kilometres away. On the designated cycling trail through this UNESCO park, we saw green Lithuania in all its glory, from the moss underfoot to many shades of emerald and olive throughout the forest. We stopped for lunch at a fisherman’s homestead, where Andrius had preordered smoked mackerel, perch and sander, smoked on site, and served to us from a food truck, accompanied by fresh vegetables and bread that Andrius had picked up for us. Hungry from the ride, and the time outdoors, the taste of tender flaky fish with a crispy golden skin, felt like a feast.
Later in the day, we dismounted our bikes to explore a sampling of wood carvings, representing different aspects of Lithuanian folklore, built along a windy path in a forest at the Hill of Witches: it was like stepping back into an ancient folk tale, surrounded by forest spirits and devils and witches.
Another day, we visited the famous Hill of Crosses, a site of a pilgrimage on a knoll where both pagans and devout Catholics from all over the world have placed literally hundreds of thousands of wooden crosses and religious sculptures, many with rosaries and crucifixes looped over top. Although many have been bulldozed or hacked down by previous Soviet dictators since first placed there in 1831, this did not stop people from continuing to visit, the crosses representing their hopes and prayers for the future.
That same day, we also toured Plokstine, a former Soviet missile base and now Cold War Museum. Here we saw where rockets had been lowered into 30-metre deep underground silos, with the potential to be launched in 22 minutes of a directive. From the outside, it looks like a barren landscape with four concrete domes covering the base. But once underground, you can peer down into the deep and eerie silos, wander through the bunkers, read artefacts and historical documents and watch videos bearing witness to this dark period of Soviet occupation.
Our final day, we rode in a party boat around the famous Trakai Island Castle, sipping chilled Prosecco provided by Andrius, as we admired the castle, appearing as a fairy tale fortress floating on an island in the lake. It was a perfect way to enjoy the collegial relationships we had formed on our Baltics journey.
The trip ended in Vilnius, a city renowned for its Baroque architecture; rich in the classical arts; and charming for being able to wander through its medieval Old Town, one of the last remaining in Northern and Eastern Europe.
Our final dinner was at a cozy Lithuanian restaurant, Senoji Trobelè, where we celebrated our own little creation of history together, with speeches and songs to our leader, and a night that ended with dancing a jig to the accompaniment of accordion, hand clapping and fiddle. It was the perfect ending to a charming and companionable trip.
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