Vilnius
In this leafy suburb, little-visited by tourists, Antakalnis Cemetery is the final resting place of Lithuanian luminaries and locals lost to war…
Must-see attractions in The Baltic States
Old Town
In Tallinn all roads lead to Raekoja plats, the city's pulsing heart since markets began setting up here in the 11th century. One side is dominated by the…
Vilnius
With its hilltop location above the junction of the Neris and Vilnia Rivers, Gediminas Castle is the last of a series of settlements and fortified…
Old Rīga
Built in 1344 as a veritable fraternity house for the Blackheads guild of unmarried German merchants, the original house was bombed in 1941 and flattened…
Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral
Old Town
The positioning of this magnificent, onion-domed Russian Orthodox cathedral (completed in 1900) at the heart of the country's main administrative hub was…
Old Rīga
Rīga’s lavishly restored 1852 stock exchange building is a worthy showcase for the city's art treasures. The elaborate facade features a coterie of…
Vilnius
The southern border of Old Town is marked by the last standing of five 16th-century portals that were once built into the city walls. A suitably grand way…
Western Estonia & the Islands
A twitcher’s paradise, Matsalu is a prime migration and breeding ground for the Baltic and Europe generally: some 282 bird species have been counted here…
Southern Latvia
Bauska Castle sits on a picturesque hillock squeezed between two rivers – the Mūsa and Mēmele – that flow parallel to each other. It is actually two…
Tartu
Built as part of Tartu University in 1810, this intriguing observatory on Toomemägi is a must for fans of astronomy and the history of scientific…
Vilnius
This striking church is the city’s oldest baroque place of worship. St Casimir’s dome and cross-shaped ground plan defined a new style for 17th-century…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Haapsalu’s crumbling heart is its bishop’s castle, which was western Estonia’s centre of command from the 13th to the 16th centuries but now stands in…
Old Town
This stout, five-storey cannon tower was one of Tallinn’s most formidable defences when built in the 15th century. Its name (amusing to English ears) is…
Old Town
From 1549 until 1625, when its 159m steeple was struck by lightning and burnt down, this (now Baptist) church was one of the tallest buildings in the…
Lahemaa National Park
Fully restored Palmse Manor is the showpiece historic building of Lahemaa National Park, housing the visitor centre in its former stables. The pretty…
Southern Estonia
Fairies, ghosts and witches abound in the 123 sq km of wooded hills, small lakes and ancient stone burial mounds that form Karula National Park, at least…
Tartu
If you've been socialising in Tartu's pubs and can't really see straight, don’t use this building to anchor your eye. Subsidence caused by the nearby…
Kaunas
Built by Camaldolese monks in the 17th century, this striking baroque monastery lies 9km east of central Kaunas, on a promontory jutting into the Kauno…
Tallinn
Boasting a broad collection of rare goat and sheep species, plus around 350 other varieties of feathered, furry and four-legged friends (including lions,…
Lahemaa National Park
Known as the 'Captains’ Village', from 1884 to 1931 tiny Käsmu was home to a marine school that churned out ship captains. At one stage it was said that…
Trakai Historical National Park
Lithuania
Lithuania's smallest national park at 82 sq km, this reserve encompasses Trakai's historic monuments, lakes and forests.
Old Town
Tours exploring the 17th-century Swedish-built tunnels connecting the bastions that ring the town walls depart from the Kiek in de Kök tower. Over the…
Old Town
Perhaps Tallinn’s oldest building, St Catherine's Monastery was founded by Dominican monks in 1246. In its glory days it had its own brewery and hospital…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Southern Kassari narrows to a promontory with some unusual vegetation and ends in the thin, 3km spit of land known as Sääre Tirp. An end-of-the-world kind…
Kadriorg
Maarjamäe Palace, a neo-Gothic 19th-century extravagance built by a wealthy Russian, anchors this excellent cultural-historical complex, run by the…
Latvia
Slītere National Park protects 265 sq km of land back from the coast on the Kolka peninsula. The park's focal point is the Slītere Lighthouse, a towering…
Estonia
Oru Park was built around a grand palace in 1899 by Grigory Yeliseyev, at the time one of Russia's richest merchants. In 1935 it became the summer palace…
Southern Estonia
Set in untouched swampland straddling the border with Latvia (just outside the boundaries of Haanja Nature Park), this 800-hectare reserve encompasses…
Šķēde Dunes Holocaust Memorial
Latvia
The beauty obscures the horror. Some 10km north of Liepāja, off a long dirt coastal road, is a memorial at a place of death. Amidst a flawless white sand…
Vilnius
Flamboyant and Gothic St Anne's Church, a vision of undulating lines and red-brick arches, was built in 1500 on the site of a wooden church that burned to…
Vilnius
The 'Green House' exhibits the unvarnished truth behind the destruction of Lithuania's once-vibrant Jewish community, the Litvaks. The displays – mostly…
City Centre
The Hotel Viru (1972) was not only Estonia’s first skyscraper, but literally the only place for tourists to stay in Tallinn at the time. Having all the…
Western Estonia & the Islands
Much of the beautiful and rarely visited western coast of the Tagamõisa Peninsula is protected as part of Vilsandi National Park, including the Harilaid…
Latvia
Veczemju klintis, halfway between Saulkrasti and Salacgrīva, is a dramatic spot for a picnic and a walk. The jagged cliffs have a deep reddish hue and are…
Jūrmala
Before the clothing of choice in Jūrmala was the bikini (with or without a parka), the peninsula was home to fishing people who eked out a living through…
Old Town
Running along the northwestern border of Old Town, the most photogenic stretch of Tallinn's remaining 1.9km of medieval walls connects nine towers,…
Southern Latvia
Stop at Koknese to admire the ruins of Kokenhausen, a medieval castle. It has a stunning location overlooking the confluence of the Daugava and Perse…
Rīga History & Navigation Museum
Old Rīga
Founded in 1773 and situated in the old Rīga Cathedral monastery, this engaging museum presents the sweep of local history, from the Bronze Age all the…
Tartu
This former KGB headquarters and prison, known as the ‘Grey House’, was donated to Tartu City Museum by the family to which they were returned after the…
Latvia
Beautiful Ungurmuiža is one of the best preserved manor houses in all of Latvia. The stately red mansion was created by Baron von Campenhousen, who served…
![Western Siberian Eagle Owl [Bubo Bubo Sibericus] in full flight](https://lp-cms-production.imgix.net/2019-06/531770715_high.jpg?auto=format&fit=crop&w=360&ar=1:1&q=75)
