A Guide to the Baltic Capitals: Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius
Trakai Island Castle, Trakai, Lithuania (ISO 200, 4.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/30 s)
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The Baltic States consist of the countries Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This term is geopolitical as they all lie on the Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea and all the countries are often bound by intergovernmental and parliamentary cooperation. Lastly, all three have a very high Human Development Index and are classified as high-income countries.
This region was part of the USSR until the late 1980s, when anti-Soviet sentiment began to ruminate. This culminated in the dissolution of the USSR and the Soviet government recognizing the independence of all three countries on September 6, 1991.
Flash forward to present day and you’ll find that these countries are up and coming destinations for those wanting to see more of Europe. The capital cities of Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius are wonderful to see for weekend breaks; think smaller-sized capitals with lots to do. Also, their close distance from one another allows you to see all of them in one go (a weekend to a weekend, about 9 days total is enough) as there are buses that operate between the capitals.
Check out my drone video below on Trakai Island Castle in Lithuania!
Because of their proximity to water, the cities of Tallinn and Riga can also be reached by ferry (in addition to air, obviously), departing from countries like Finland (Helsinki) and Sweden (Stockholm).
I was able to get away to each of these capitals while living here in Europe and I have talked about my experiences in separate blog posts which I have highlighted in this article. See each post for more information about each place!
Kadriorg Palace, Tallinn, Estonia (ISO 1600, 45 mm, f/8, 1/500 s)
Tallinn, Estonia (See Blog Post - Why Tallinn, Estonia is a hidden gem in the Baltics).
I have been to Tallinn three times now and continue to love it every time I visit. There are always new parts of the city that I have yet to see. Seeing the city in both seasons is something I really recommend (if you can handle the Baltic winter!). Here are some of the sights to see in Tallinn:
Old Town
Kohtuotsa viewing platform
Patkuli viewing platform
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Kiek in de Kök
Danish King’s Garden
Freedom Square and Victory Column
Kalamaja
Noblessner
Kadriorg Palace
View from St. Peter’s Church, Riga, Latvia (ISO 2000, 16 mm, f/9, 1/800 s)
Riga, Latvia (See Blog Post - Riga, Latvia: a look at the largest city in the Baltics)
I have also been to Riga a handful of times, twice by plane, and once by boat from Stockholm. The city is much more compact so you can easily explore it all in a long day, but to really appreciate it, I would suggest spending a solid weekend here. Here are some of the sights to see in Riga:
Fram Museum, Oslo, Norway (ISO 100, 10 mm, f/8, 1/50 s)
Vilnius, Lithuania (See Blog Post - A tour through Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania)
This was my last Baltic capital to visit and I guess you could say I saved the best for last. I really loved this city, it was a nice size with plenty of small, trendy neighborhoods and a great amount of cultural and historical landmarks. I would say this is my favorite capital in this part of the world. I hope to come back someday! Here are some of the sights to see in Vilnius:
Three Crosses
Church of St. Theresa
Pilies Street
Bastion Hill
Kitas Kampas
Church of St. Peter and St. Paul
Gediminas Avenue
Vilnius Cathedral
Uzupis
St. Anne's Church
Orthodox Cathedral of the Theotokos
Gediminas Castle Tower
Town Hall Square
Church of St. Johns, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Apostle and Evangelist
St. Francis of Assisi (Bernardine) Roman Catholic Church
Trakai Island Castle, Trakai, Lithuania (ISO 200, 4.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/50 s)
BONUS - Trakai, Lithuania (See Blog Post - A day trip to Trakai to see the gorgeous Trakai Island Castle in Lithuania)
So Trakai is an hour bus ride from Vilnius and I figure I would include it here since it is a great day trip to see the Trakai Island Castle. The town of Trakai has small gems hidden throughout which you will pass on your way from the bus station to the castle. It’s so close to Vilnius that I would say it is something you must see.
And there you have it, some highlights from the Baltic states. This part of the world I feel is always looked over, which is a mistake. If you can spend a week here, you could catch the main highlights of each capital in one go. I highly encourage that actually since you can directly compare the different cultures that make up these states and see also how similar they could be. Let me know which capital is your favorite in the comments!
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