Walking

Bog, lake, seaside and forest walks
Driving towards Ķemeri we will pass through the popular Latvian sea resort Jūrmala with its characteristic 19th century wooden villas. However, Ķemeri is the place where the resort's history really starts. There we'll try curative sulphur water from the spring, then visit the Forest House and walk the Black Alder trail through a wet-forest environment. Next comes the boardwalk of Big Ķemeri Heath with its suggestive landscape, rare birds, animals and plants. Then the tour heads to Valgums Lake for lunch and a walk around Lake Kaņieris with its castle hill trail and birdwatching tower. The day finishes with a relaxing walk along the beach, visiting the old fishermen's huts and tasting locally smoked fish.

This part of the Forest Trail passes through the historical centre of Valmiera. In Valmiera you can visit St. Simon’s Church, the Ruins of the Livonian Order Castle and Valmiera Museum. We also suggest walking the barefoot trail in “Sajūtu Parks” (Park of Senses). After sightseeing in Valmiera, the Forest Trail goes through Atpūtas (Recreation) park, the beautiful pine forest and Baiļi winter ski centre. Further on you will walk along the River Abuls Trail, curving along the banks of the river until reaching the Brenguļi brewery built in an old Hydroelectric power plant. You can enjoy unfiltered and unpasteurised beer here. Further down you will enter unpopulated forest areas and the Northern Gauja protected landscape area.

The forests in Northern Gauja (“Ziemeļgauja”) are very diverse. There are old or natural boreal (northern) forests and marsh forests, oak forests, alluvial forests (formed on river sediments which periodically flood) and mixed oak, wych elm and ash forests along the river. The tour will end in Strenči Town.

The Baltic Coastal Hiking Route goes through Nõva Nature reserve where you will have exceptional views of the white and grey dunes. The beaches are popular for fishing and kite-surfing. In Dirhami you can spend some time in a cafe and from its terrace you will have a beautiful view of the sea and the port. Along the way you can also see ancient Swedish hamlets with a different cultural environment and landscape, as well as shallow lakes that have been separated from the sea. 

The tour from Rīga to Tallinn combines natural and cultural heritage and includes lovely landscapes and 15 nature trails which cross marshlands, meadows and forests along the shores of the Baltic Sea, including several protected nature reserves. Many trails are equipped with viewing towers for birdwatching. Randu meadows near Ainaži contains one third of Latvia’s entire plant species. A boardwalk leads through reeds to a viewing platform with views over the meadow and the sea. Saaremaa island is interesting with very different natural attractions to the mainland - dolomite cliffs, juniper heaths, a meteorite lake and rocky sea shore. The tour passes rural farms and traditional villages typical of the coastal areas. Hiiumaa island is a laid back place and retains a very Estonian atmosphere with an important bird reserve at Käina Bay, unusual Sääre Tirp as well as several small islets off its south-eastern coast. Back on the mainland, Paldiski peninsula gives a glimpse of the recent history with its former Soviet military base

This route section takes you to the Dzūkija National Park – it is among Lithuania’s most forested and desolate nature areas –, and to the town of Druskininkai – a popular SPA and mineral water health resort on the banks of the river Nemunas. When in Druskininkai, we recommend dipping yourself in mineral water baths, enjoying the trip with the cable car over the river Nemunas, visiting the musical fountain, and walking along the river promenade. The starting point of the hiking route is the village of Didžiasalis, which is reached by bus from Druskininkai. From there, the route will take you through vast coniferous forests, rich in berries and mushrooms, and small villages. As you get to Druskininkai, the Forest Trail will meander along the small streets and parks of the historic resort of Druskininkai, crossing the river Ratnyčia and the forest park on the right bank of the Nemunas valley. Leaving the resort town behind, the Forest Trail runs on the side of the village revealing you the beautiful landscapes and the view of the Liškiava monastery on the other bank of the river Nemunas. Up to the village of Žiogeliai, the route goes along forest roads and continues along the banks of the Nemunas valley, surrounded by the vast Dzūkija forests. Towards the end of the route, climb up the Merkinė Mound and it will surprise you with breathtaking views of southern Lithuania.

The Forest Trail leads through smaller paths, arching around Vangaži Lutheran Church and the Werewolf Pine. On its way to the Hunting Palace, it passes the garden created by opera singer Anna Ludiņa and then follows the Hunting trail. The first side ravines with the pronounced relief of the ancient valley of the River Gauja can be seen here. One of them is located by Inčukalns Velnala (Devil’s Cave), surrounded by small river channels of the old Gauja. From there, the Forest Trail continues through meadows and crosses the Murjāņi–Valmiera motorway, where the recreation park “Rāmkalni” is located. In this park, there is a café, shop and active leisure centre with a sledge track.

On this route you will mainly see pine forests of various ages, as well as the botanical plantation with 80 tree and 120 shrub species. By the end of the section, the landscape features sandstone outcrops – Devonian sedimentary rocks and habitats protected in Latvia.

This section of the Forest Trail leads through the entire Gauja National Park and gives an opportunity to see all the most beautiful places and sights of this national park of more than 100 km. Gauja National Park is the oldest and largest national park in Latvia. The ancient valley of the River Gauja is the deepest river valley in the Baltic states. The banks of the River Gauja reveal colourful sandstone outcrops, which are reflected in the water. The sights are most wonderful in springtime, when bird cherry trees are in full bloom, and in autumn, as the trees turn red and yellow. The ancient valley of the River Gauja has a distinctive terrain relief that can fluctuate by up to 80 m. The largest part of the road leads through forest paths, along the river, and exits the woods in Līgatne and Sigulda.

Almost half of the park is covered by forest. Gauja National Park is known for the great diversity of specially protected forests, featuring herbaceous spruce forests, slope and ravine forests, as well as mixed broadleaf forests.

Kihnu Island is the largest island in the Gulf of Rīga and the seventh largest island in Estonia. Its total area is 16.9 km², the island is 7 km long and up to 3.3 km wide. The former seal hunter and fishermen’s island, with around 600 inhabitants, is currently eager to maintain its identity in spite of everything. The unique characteristics of the Kihnu cultural space, like the lifestyle of the community, the diverse cultural traditions, the Kihnu language, music, national costumes and nature, are included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list.

A coastal route that goes through four villages – Sääre, Linaküla, Rootsiküla and Lemsi - will help you to discover the cultural and natural values of Kihnu Island. You can visit Kihnu Museum all year round and get insight into the history of the island, including the life of the famous local captain, Kihnu Jõnn. It is also worth seeing Kihnu Church and the cemetery located across from the museum. In the summer, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the island, the surrounding sandbanks and the sea from the lighthouse. The commemorative stone by the former house of Kihnu Jõnn introduces you to the island’s legendary “wild captain”.
 

Route meanders between a rocky seacoast richly overgrown with reeds and other grasses on one side and wooded seaside dunes on the other side. In some places, the beach is paved with small round stones, in other places you can see grey dunes with a rich variety of plants. Near Bērzciems village, there are large coastal meadows with shoals appearing far away in the sea that are suited for birdwatching. During this route, it is possible to visit the fishermen’s homestead “Dieniņas”, where you can buy local smoked fish. Also it is worth to see Engure port and Engure Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The tour from Riga to Tallinn combines natural and cultural heritage and includes lovely landscapes and 15 nature trails which cross marshlands, meadows and forests along the shores of the Baltic Sea, including several protected nature reserves. Many trails are equipped with viewing towers for birdwatching. Randu meadows near Ainazi contains one third of Latvia's entire plant species. A boardwalk leads through reeds to a viewing platform with views over the meadow and the sea. Saaremaa island is interesting with very different natural attractions to the mainland - dolomite cliffs, juniper heaths, a meteorite lake and rocky sea shore. The tour passes rural farms and traditional villages typical of the coastal areas. Hiiumaa island is a laid back place and retains a very Estonian atmosphere with an important bird reserve at Kaina Bay, unusual Saare Tirp as well as several small islets off its south-eastern coast. Back on the mainland, Paldiski peninsula gives a glimpse of the recent history with its former Soviet military base.

The Forest Trail follows small roads and trails through the woods. Along the route you will see the Ērģeļu Cliffs, where the observation terrace provides a great view of the impressive 700 m wide sandstone cliff and the beautiful natural landscape in the ancient River Gauja valley. One of the most beautiful places on the banks of the River Gauja is at “Caunītes” tourist lodging, where you will end the first day of the route. Further on the trail leads through pine forests and wetlands, across and around hills and slopes. One of the most beautiful views of the River Gauja opens from Sietiņiezis Rock, a 15 m high sandstone cliff where a circular 1.5 km trail has been constructed. Coming to Valmiera, you will reach the so-called “Dzelzītis” bridge (a narrow-gauge railway bridge) and continue walking along the River Gauja to Valmiera Centre. Sites of interest in Valmiera: St. Simon’s Church, ruins of the Livonian Castle and Valmiera Museum. There is also an adventure park “Sajūtu Parks” (“Park of Senses”), where you can walk on the barefoot trail, the tree-top trail and enjoy other activities.

This is the longest of the Forest Trail tours, where you will hike on many beautiful forest nature trails in Latvia and Estonia. These nature trails are part of the Forest Trail and this tour is suitable for self-drive tourists, who wish to hike different sizes of trails and get an impression of the forest diversity in both countries. You have the possibility to see the northern coniferous forests with spruces and pines, broadleaf forests, wet floodplain forests and picturesque forests growing on slopes and ravines. You will also see the most interesting tourist sights in Latvia and Estonia, which are close to the Forest Trail. In Latvia you will visit Sigulda, the historic Ligatne papermill village, medieval Cesis, the River Amata valley, which is located in Gauja National Park. Then you will drive to the less populated eastern part of Latvia – the Northern Gauja protected landscape area, Aluksne Town and hike in the Korneti-Peļļi subglacial depression, one of the most impressive ravines in Latvia. You can climb to Drusku castle mound – the highest and steepest of all the castle mounds in Latvia, When entering Estonia, you will see the highest point of the Baltics – Suur Munamagi Hill, where the observation tower is built. Further on the tour will lead you to the River Piusa valley, Obinitsa, with the culture of Seto people. You will hike in the historic Varska resort town, which is very close to the Russian border. Then you will reach Tartu and Lake Peipsi, which is the 5th biggest lake in Europe. You will hike in the Kurtna landscape reserve, see the Ontika limestone cliff, Valaste waterfall – the highest in Estonia. Finally you will hike in one of the beautiful wooded areas in Estonia – Lahemaa National Park. The tour ends in Tallinn, where you can enjoy the medieval Old Town and many other attractions.

This section of the Baltic Coastal Hiking Route is a comparatively short hike across a beautiful sandy beach, the coastal side of which is bounded by brightly colored pine forests with spectacular dunes and dams of dunes. To get from the beach to Carnikava, the Baltic Coastal Hiking Route will take you through a forest via a promenade. Then it takes a stroll around the Old Gauja River via a levee and reaches the pedestrian bridge over the Gauja River. Both as you start and end the hike, it is nice to sit in one of the pubs and summer cafés located on Vecāķi beach and in Carnikava.

This grand hiking tour is provided for experienced hikers wishing to walk along a large part of the coasts of Latvia and Estonia, gain a detailed impression about the diverse coastal landscape, nature, birds and animals of the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Coastal Hiking Route sometimes runs through sandy beaches, sometimes along sections of beach covered in stones and pebbles. Sometimes the trail goes through coastal forests or stops at a fishermen’s village. There are many floodplain meadows, lagoons and shallow bays on the Estonian side, so sometimes the path goes along coastal trails and roads. In the end section of the route you will feel Estonia’s Nordic nature more. Part of the route runs along a sparsely populated seashore where you can be alone with yourself, but you will also be able to visit the most prominent cities. You will visit both capitals: Rīga and Tallinn. Enjoy the hospitality of the resort towns of Jūrmala, Pärnu and Haapsalu. During the hike, you will also get acquainted with the regions of small ethnic cultures: the Livonians in Latvia and the inhabitants of Kihnu in Estonia.