Travels through Latvia and Estonia

Jill and I said our early morning goodbyes, and I headed off to meet a small tour van (Traveller Tours) that would take me from Riga to Tallinn, stopping at tourist points along the way. Since I didn't have much time to explore beyond the major cities, this was a great way to see more of Latvia and Estonia.

Instead of a 4-hour bus ride, I took a 12-hour drive with a few interesting stops. My fellow passengers were two middle-aged German couples (very nice and kind enough to take photos of me). As the odd one out, I got to know our tour guide, Kert, a Tallinn native and teacher (brave soul, teaching middle schoolers!). Through our chats, we discovered we had quite a bit in common despite living across the globe.

Our first stop was the Sigulda Bobsled, Luge, and

Skeleton track, a Soviet-era track Latvia gained upon independence. The Ukrainian luge team was practicing on summer luges, which was a treat. I was reminded of a family trip to Calgary when I was a young teen and Jaclyn and I rode down the luge track (from the Calgary Olympics).

Athletes training on Summer Luge

Luckily, the rain cleared up in time for us to explore Cēsis, a charming town with a medieval castle. I decided to explore the castle, whipping through impressive state rooms and a crumbling medieval castle. 45 minutes wasn't enough time, but at least I got a taste of a medieval castle on this trip!

Cēsis Castle

Next up was my favorite part: a mini-hike along sandstone cliffs in Gauja National Park (specifically Sietiņiezis). It was gorgeous and reminded me of Canada. We saw holes in the sandstone where bees have their hives (not honeybees but pollinators nonetheless).

A view of the Gauja River

We stopped for lunch at a local brewery (Valmiermuižas alus darītava), which perfectly catered to my veggie lifestyle (both in hops and vegetables beyond potatoes). We then reached Valga, the town bordering Latvia and Estonia. There was minimal border control (an empty booth for photo ops), but a fun swing allowed us to "swing between both countries."

"Border Crossing"

Our last stop was Viljandi, an Estonian town with a walking tour passing through the ruins of another medieval castle of the Teutonic Order. We saw cute strawberry statues hidden around town (an Estonian painter Paul Kondas painted a famous strawberry-themed painting) and cat statues with adoptable cat signs (QR codes with more information). I'm not a cat person (allergic and holding out for a dog), but this made me want one! 

Sights of Viljandi

We arrived in Tallinn late in the evening, concluding a fantastic little jaunt through these countries and a unique way to see something I wouldn't have without a car. Now, let's see what you have to offer me, Tallinn – the last of my Baltic stops!

Estonian Rainbows.... no pot of gold found