Baltic routes. Traveling the Baltics by car

There are 4 official checkpoints on the Russian-Latvian border. And each of them can be overcome by personal vehicle. However, traveling to Latvia by car may have a number of peculiarities. Some of them relate to the border crossing procedure, others – to the requirements for the vehicle itself.

general characteristics

Entering the republic with your own car means convenience and independence of movement, the opportunity to save (on renting vehicles in the country and even on fuel - if you fill the tank before the border). This will require a valid visa, customs control and compliance with the requirements for transport in the Schengen countries.

Travelers should not stock up on food and medicine. Import into the state is strictly limited. But don’t let anyone be afraid of traveling to Riga lightly – everything you need is easy to buy there. At the first stage, the main thing is to cross the borders freely and legally.

Car checkpoints on the Russia-Latvia border

Since the Russian Federation is not part of the European Union, you can enter Latvia through four existing checkpoints:

For those departing from St. Petersburg, the Brunishevo-Pededze checkpoint will be the most convenient.
You can quickly go through the checkpoint Ludonka - Vientule. People come here from Nosovo, and the highway is not overloaded with traffic.
A queue is what awaits you at the Terekhovo-Burachki checkpoint at any time of the year. The M9 Baltic highway is almost always loaded with cars, including heavy vehicles.
The Ubylinka-Grebneva point is a little less busy, since it is the most convenient way to enter Latvia by car from Moscow: the Moscow highway runs nearby. And tourists from Pskov, located nearby, are quite active. In winter when there is ice and in summer when it is hot, staying here ceases to seem comfortable.

Waiting time

If you are lucky, if fuel trucks and heavy trucks do not pull up to the entry-exit points, you can bypass the checkpoint within 30-40 minutes. However, be prepared to stay there longer. It happens that the wait lasts from 12 hours to a day.

The electronic queue using the EVIS system allows you to prevent these unpleasant moments. For 1.15 € for a passenger car and 5 € for a truck, you can reserve your place in the queue online. The main thing is to accurately indicate the make, number, characteristics of the car, and not to confuse the data. You can do this here: https://www.lithuanianborder.eu/yphis/index.action?request_locale=ru Traffic has already learned to monitor and warn motorists about traffic congestion. Now the movement of the queue at the Latvia-Russia border can be monitored online thanks to the customs service: https://www.vid.gov.lv/ru/kravas_auto_rindas However, the appearance of offenders or the occurrence of an accident on the road cannot be predicted. If the waiting time is prolonged, dry toilets are available, but the situation with catering and recreational facilities is worse; such a situation must be foreseen. But do not overdo it, so that you do not have to get rid of excess cargo that is prohibited for transportation in such quantities.

Passing customs control

The main purpose of the inspection is to determine whether you are carrying dangerous or prohibited goods. This does not always fit into the formula “weapons, currency, drugs.” Crossing the border with Latvia in 2019 will pass without problems, if no perishable products are found in your luggage, and the amount of medicines, tobacco, perfumes, and alcohol allowed for transportation is not exceeded.

To speed up the border crossing process, travelers are sorted along the following corridors:

Green - for travelers without cargo that needs to be declared.
Red - if money, goods, souvenirs, or valuables that need to be registered are transported.

There are also features of passing customs by car related to the regulations of the procedure itself:

When approaching the checkpoint, prepare all the necessary documents (both personal and for the car and cargo), place them so that you can present them without delay.
2. During the customs inspection, the vehicle is stopped and inspected. To do this, stop, turn off the engine and let the service personnel work.
If successful, travelers will receive official border crossing marks and wishes for a bon voyage.

Technical requirements for the vehicle

In order to smoothly and quickly cross the border with the Republic of Latvia, you will have to prepare your car in accordance with European standards:

Window tinting of more than 20% is considered unacceptable.
Studded tires in the summer can become an obstacle - you will be asked to “change the shoes” of the car.
Be sure to have a child seat if you are traveling with a child, as well as a first aid kit, fire extinguisher and emergency stop kit (sign, vest with reflectors, tools).
Good general technical condition of the vehicle, documented.

And, of course, the car must be “clean” in terms of design.

Package of necessary documentation

A complete set of papers should be collected in advance and without haste. Here are the documents you will need to enter Latvia by car:

Regarding passengers:

correctly issued passports;
children under 14 years of age are included in their parents’ passports, and their birth certificate is presented at customs;
for a minor traveling in a group with an accompanying person, a power of attorney from guardians or parents is required; permission from the second, if one is lucky;
health insurance policies.

Regarding vehicles:

car registration certificate;
inspection certificate;
green card.

What determines the cost of a green card:

From the validity period of the document: from 15 days to 1 year.
Depending on the type of vehicle: passenger car, truck, agricultural car, motorcycle, etc.
Coverage area of the insurance agreement:

for all treaty states;
for a limited list of countries.

Don’t be alarmed if, instead of the usual “Inspection Card,” you suddenly hear “Diagnostic Card.” Essentially, it's the same thing, the main thing is that she is okay. Previously, for cars with less than three years of use, concessions were made, but now the requirements have become more stringent.

If all documents are in order, your visa to Latvia was not wasted, entry is allowed.

What can you carry?

Once again, let us draw your attention in more detail to what can be imported to Latvia from Russia and in what quantities:

Money - no more than 300 € in cash (420 € is allowed to be imported by air or by river-sea transport).
Tobacco products – up to 40 pcs. cigarettes and 50 g of tobacco (you can import more by plane - up to 200 cigarettes or 250 g of tobacco).
Alcohol – 4 liters of wine; 16 liters of beer, 4 liters of alcohol up to 22% by volume; 1 liter of strong alcohol over 22%.
Medicines - within the limits of personal needs for the period of stay (with prescriptions).

Standard for import of goods

Comprehensive information on this matter is available on the website of the Latvian Embassy:

How much does gasoline cost in Riga? This worries many, but the answer is not consoling. As of the spring of this year, the cost of grade 95 gasoline was 1,272 € per liter, and the price of diesel fuel was 1,182 € per liter. Naturally, most people stock up to save money.

So, you can bring with you for free:

Full standard capacity (tank) for the fuel of the existing vehicle;
no more than 10 liters per unit of transport in canisters or other portable containers.

Alcohol

Those arriving under 18 years of age are not granted concessions in paying taxes and duties or exemption from them when importing tobacco or alcohol products. So the import of alcoholic beverages to minors is prohibited; adults can import in the following quantities:

from 0.3 to 1 liter of strong alcohol (over 22%),
from 1 to 2 liters of sparkling wine (champagne, brut, cider); ;
4 liters of wine;
16 liters of beer.

Combinations vary, but the most popular looks like this: 0.3 liters of strong alcohol, 1.4 liters of aperitif, 4 liters of wine, 16 liters of beer.

What is prohibited

As in other EU countries, some products cannot be imported into Latvia. Even if you are going to consume or use them yourself. The ban applies:
for all kinds of meat products, lard, fish, culinary products containing these products, baked goods, canned food;

for raw, condensed and processed milk, dairy products, desserts;
for animal feed containing meat or milk.

How to declare cash

Each guest of the country must have financial support of at least 900 € for a month. When traveling with your entire large family, avoid the other extreme: it is important not to exceed the permissible amount of imported cash and register it correctly.

Latvian rules in this regard are identical to EU requirements. So, Amount of 10,000 € or more is required to be declared.. Forms for depositing cash are available at border crossings. You can also download them from the website of the State Revenue Service. You need to fill out in Latvian, Russian and English. The declaration in 2019 is submitted along with other papers.

Procedure for crossing the Latvian border by car

We have already looked at what the rules for entering Latvia by car look like, what package of documents is needed and what requirements apply to a car.

Let us remind you what you will need:

calm, even, polite behavior at the border;
timely presentation of all passports and travel policies;
provision of a full package of documents for the car during inspection.

According to the State Road Traffic Law, the absence of the mentioned documents entails a denial of the right to cross the border and enter the republic. An attempt to circumvent the conditions and requirements of customs control may result in a fine, denial of entry into its territory, or even arrest.

Expenses

For traveling to Latvia, the average budget per month is from 1000 € per person. This amount will include the following costs:

for visas and documents,
to pay duties;
for fuel;
for food and drink;
for accommodation;
for entertainment and souvenirs.

For everything you need to provide a certain amount and soberly assess your tourist appetites.

Popular routes

The most common direction of travel when it comes to traveling to Latvia is a trip to Jurmala. This resort with a mild climate seduces many. But from April until mid-autumn you can get here only by paying for a pass. Entry to Jurmala by car in 2019 costs approximately 2 € per day. With a discount, this right is provided for 31 € per month, and the entire season will cost 107 €.

For those who decide to go to Riga on their own and get acquainted with the architecture of the capital, visit its museums, theaters, parks and cafes, we recommend extending the road trip to Jurmala. You will see old fortresses, ethnographic settlements, the Jelgava and Rundāle palaces designed by Rastrelli, and, of course, the forest and the sea.

Traffic rules in Latvia

Don't forget about the differences in local traffic regulations. Firstly, you can only drive with the low beams on. Secondly, the speed limit in the city is up to 50 km/h, and outside it – 80 km/h. A violation of up to plus 10 km/h is considered excusable - patrol officers will get by with a verbal warning.

All parking in Latvia is paid. In the country you cannot park closer than:

25 m from a public transport stop, crossing,
100 m from the intersection,
50 m from the railway crossing.

The permissible level of alcohol in the driver's blood is 0.5 ppm. If it is higher by even one hundredth, a fine of 300 lats (almost 300 €) cannot be avoided, as well as deprivation of the right to drive a car in the country for a year. Drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking, or indecent behavior in public can result in heavy penalties.

Punishment for violating customs rules

In accordance with the Latvian Code of Administrative Crimes, an attempt to smuggle something prohibited, to hide exceeding the transportation limit, or the presence of undeclared valuables and excisable goods entails administrative liability. Individuals may be subject to sanctions from 70 to 700 €, and legal entities from 700 to 7,100 € with confiscation of everything mentioned above. In special cases, the car may also be seized.

Conclusion

When going on a trip to such a calm and measured country as Latvia, you need to remember two things:

By preserving someone else's dignity, you protect your own: do not argue or argue with the employee, be patient and kind.
You don’t go to a foreign monastery with your own rules: learn to follow the rules of the country you are visiting, and only then will you feel its spirit.

Everything else depends on your responsible preparation for the holiday. If you have not lost sight of the paperwork and clearly planned your actions, then everything will work out for you.

Soon, very soon, the New Year holidays are coming. Where to go for the holidays? The A-Renta company is ready not only to provide you with truly inexpensive prices for renting a car from Moscow, but also to provide you with ideas for the holidays. For example, Why don't you arrange a romantic car trip around the Baltics?

Many people treat the Baltic states with disdain: they say, they are the countries of the former USSR, which eagerly rushed to Europe, although there is no smell of European there. There is nothing to see there, zero service, and the attitude of the Balts towards us Russians... to put it mildly, is disappointing. However, those who think so are completely wrong. Let's try to destroy the existing stereotypes by driving around the Baltics.

Trip to the Baltics by car

Taking care of documents in advance is a must:

For those traveling by car, it is necessary to obtain a so-called Green Card, which will need to be presented when crossing the border.
And don’t forget that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are part of the European Union, so passports must have valid visas.

How to get there?

You can get to the Baltic states in two ways: through Belarus and through the Leningrad region. Residents of central Russia, as a rule, travel via Belarus. Therefore, if you need to travel by car to the Baltics from Moscow, then you can at the same time take a look at some of our former ones, as they say.

Tests at customs

The first and, perhaps, only thing that overshadows traveling by car is the incredible queues at the border with Lithuania. You can stand for 6, 8, 12 hours. It depends on your luck. You need to be prepared for the fact that arrogant drivers driving cool cars with thieves' license plates will pass without waiting in line. And for some reason they are missed.

Before your trip, it’s better to “scour” auto traveler forums, where people share observations and thoughts about what time is best to cross the border.

The procedure for inspecting a car and passports takes a little time.

Traveling around the Baltics...

Lithuania

And now the treasured border crossing stamps are in your passports: you are in Lithuania.

The most famous Lithuanian city, Vilnius, is a must-see. Don't be confused by the old five-story buildings of the Khrushchev era. Yes, yes, they are the ones who will meet you at the entrance to the city. But the so-called Old Town in Vilnius is incredible:

cozy atmosphere,
small streets,
beautiful architecture of ancient buildings,
paved paths,
Hospitable cafes - that's what it's worth visiting Vilnius for!

In addition to visiting the sights in Lithuania, you should definitely take a ride along the coast. Both Klaipeda and little-known Palanga are great places to relax by the sea. Palanga, by the way, is the largest resort city on the Lithuanian coast. And the prices for housing, as well as for food, are very high there.

Latvia

To get to neighboring Latvia you do not need to cross any borders. It takes about four hours to drive from Lithuania to Latvia.

Naturally, the first city you need to see is stunning Riga. The old town in Riga is one of the most beautiful in all of Europe. At every step there are incredible ancient buildings, cathedrals, squares. An ideal place for romantic walks for two or for visiting with the whole family.

There are cozy cafes here and there on small streets. Prices are truly European. A fairly modest lunch for three will cost at least 50-60 euros.

The most important thing you need to know about Riga when traveling by car is paid parking in the Old Town itself. You can leave your car for free only in specially designated areas and only for a few hours. Usually at night.

When booking a hotel, it is important to check whether there are free parking spaces, which most likely will not be included in the price of your stay. In addition to Riga, auto travelers are advised to look into Jurmala, Cesis and Liepaja.

Estonia

Last in line, but not the least beautiful, is Estonia.

According to tradition, start your acquaintance with the country from the Old Town in Tallinn. There are a lot of incredibly beautiful towers, town halls, fortresses and cathedrals here. The center of the Old Town is the famous Town Hall Square. The place is truly amazing: once you find yourself there, it’s as if you’re transported back to the Middle Ages. It seems that in just a little while a knight will gallop into the square on horseback from a neighboring street.
By the way, many cafes that are located at every turn in the Old Town are decorated in the medieval style. The prices are quite high. The closer to Town Hall Square, the more expensive it is.

Another must-see place in Estonia is Tartu. A very beautiful city, home to one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe. Take the time to get to Haapsalu - the “Venice of the North” of Estonia. Haapsalu will amaze you with its small streets and cute wooden houses.

Share your impressions

So, the general impression of the Baltic states:

Incredible, beautiful, atmospheric.
The tracks and roads are ideal, everything is very clean and comfortable.
The ancient buildings and churches are amazing.
They treat our compatriots very well, they are always ready to help with directions or any other question.
Cafes and restaurants have menus in Russian. The waiters are very welcoming and friendly. They constantly ask if everything is okay and if you liked the dishes you ordered.
Almost everyone speaks Russian perfectly. The only exception is young people. She speaks almost no Russian.
Hotels for every taste and budget, and there are almost always free places. (It is better to book the room you like for the night; if desired, you can always extend it).
Be sure to take warm clothes with you. Even in summer it can be very cold in the Baltics. Nature in Estonia is especially capricious: it often rains there, and the temperature in July-August can only reach +16-17 degrees.
Of the minuses: it takes a long time to cross the border from Russia and back. And also the prices in the cafe: they are quite high, designed for wealthy Germans and French, of whom, by the way, there are a lot there.

At five o'clock in the morning on January 3, Moscow saw us off with a little plus, rain and highway mud. If you believe the promises of roadside stands, repairs at Novorizhsky ended in November. But in fact, it turned out that it continued into January. Where once it was possible to drive 110 km/h, we trudged 60, sometimes less. There are minimal warning signs, zero lighting in places, and there are potholes and cracks in the asphalt. Thus began the trip from Moscow to the Baltic states.

Route: Moscow - Burachki checkpoint - Riga - Tallinn - Tartu - Kunichina Gora checkpoint - a shitload of kilometers along the country roads of the Pskov region - Moscow. The length in both directions is 2500 km. Travel expenses, including a green card, gasoline, paid parking in Tallinn, a couple of toll sections of the road - 10,500 rubles. The amount is based on the euro exchange rate at the beginning of January 2014, approximately 48 rubles per piece.

After Volokolamsk the road became better, the repairs were completed. It started snowing. Finally, January, winter! You just can't see a damn thing. But in the Rzhev area it was light and cheerful. The snow gave way to rain, which was where it all began, and then it cleared up completely. However, the joy of good visibility was immediately replaced by the Pskov region. I used to honestly think that we had no worse roads than in Voronezh. Only then I had not yet been to Pskov. Sorry, region sixtieth, it’s better to remove all your roads from the maps. Erase. With a limit of 90, we drove along the federal highway at 60 km/h, sometimes no more than 50. They shook us so much that the chime rattled for a long time.

Suddenly there is a good road about 50 kilometers to the border. We were delighted. They thought it all started just outside Vyborg before Finland. But suddenly - holes again, in the best traditions. We were shaking, driving and repeating “now, we’ll cross the border, we’ll enter Europe, and there we’ll take off on a wide, flat surface, just wait a little longer.” Yes, already!

The Russian guys were still on our side in no hurry to let anyone out. They really started to work only when a big guy in a uniform with big stars on his shoulder straps came out of a large building, looked at the line, turned to his people and shouted something. After that, yes, there is a lot of running around and accusations of those crossing the border being slow. That is, having created a queue and allowing everyone to relax, they suddenly jumped up as if stung and began blaming everyone except themselves for the slowness. At the same time, there are no instructions or incentives to action anywhere. Nothing. The border is set up in the worst possible way. Write somewhere at the entrance the order or at least a set of tips, I will follow them. But I don’t communicate with customs officers every day - time after time I stupidly forget what to do and where to submit which documents.

The Latvian side also did not excel in the speed of registration. Before leaving I read a bunch of reviews. Everywhere it was written “there was only one car in front of us” or “the border was empty, we cleared customs in 15 minutes.” There were about twenty cars between us and Latvia that day, and we stood in lines for a total of two hours.

But in the end they moved in. The road, to put it mildly, is not Europe. Well, that is, it’s no longer Pskov, but not yet the more severe Finland. It’s not even what begins after Vyborg, if you go to the deer and elk to snowboard and ski. We passed one roundabout, then another. We confidently followed the navigator to Riga, laughing at the signs that beckoned us to Zilupe. Suddenly the road ended. Under the wheels there was clay, trampled sand and gravel, which bounced and tapped some kind of trash on the bottom. This could have been avoided by turning to the funny Zilupa earlier, but we trusted Sygic installed on the iPhone. Therefore, we drove 30-40 kilometers off-road at a speed of 30-40 km/h. But follow the signs to Riga.

Things got better after Rezekne. It's even easier - in the Jekabpils area. Well, after Ogre, Europe has finally arrived - with the long-awaited wide road surface without potholes.

All the time before this we had been looking at the devastation reigning on the roadsides. They were seriously afraid to stop for a snack, a rest, or even to go to the toilet; they joked about the cannibal tramps who still lived in this broken-down “once splendor.” The entrance from Russia to Latvia is simply beautiful in nature. The old houses are abandoned and seem to have been looted. Broken cowsheds, rusty skeletons of equipment, frankly old foreign cars and the opportunity to refuel with relatively inexpensive gas instead of the cheapest gasoline.

Closer to Riga, the landscape improved, we even decided to stop at one of the gas stations of the ubiquitous Lukoil. Coffee for one euro, inexpensive candies, snacks, gasoline, gas, not very convenient toilet.

By the way, about gas stations. In New Riga, back in Russia, there are literally a bunch of gas stations with normally priced gasoline. Not 60-80 rubles per liter, but 2-2.5 times cheaper. We filled it full, and the next time we filled it only when leaving Tallinn. Therefore, only ten and a half thousand rubles were spent on travel expenses.

It’s also worth filling up with fuel before leaving Russia because the next gas station may be hundreds of kilometers away. Roads in Latvia are not as well developed as in Central Russia; you can drive for a very long time before you come across anything.

If you want coffee, stock up in Russia too. Go to the toilet immediately after customs. On the road from Moscow to Riga on the Latvian side, things are somehow especially unimportant. A cafe, a gas station, or just a stall with a parking lot for truckers can be found here once every 50-100 kilometers. And then in most cases you will have to make an inconvenient exit from the highway to the left. And if you turn right, you will still have to drive far from the main road. They don't build cafes right on the road here. Often you need to turn and move away a kilometer and a half. The locals seem too lazy to go to work in the morning and return in the evening, so they open cafes on the ground floors of their houses on the outskirts of still “living” villages.

Riga

The capital of Latvia greeted us with a cold wind, evening lights and the huge Daugava, which we also call the Western Dvina. I probably haven't seen anything so impressive since childhood. Well, that is, I saw the sea, many seas. But these are huge salt lakes. You look into them, where the water merges with the sky, and you understand that this is how it should be. But the river is a completely different matter. For example, the Moscow River is small and unimpressive. Voronezh reservoir? More, but also not the same, especially since it’s too artificial. The last time I was so impressed by the Don was in the Rostov region. Even earlier, perhaps, Cherepovets Sheksna. The Daugava is so wide and deep that ferries docking right in Riga can easily fit in it. Huge multi-deck ships carrying hundreds of cars, buses and thousands of people in one voyage.

At the hotel parking lot we were met by a truly Russian security guard. Instead of telling us where to park, he didn't even tell us where we couldn't park. Chewie simply asked, in our own way, “Have you seen a cone here?” “No, sorry, brother, we didn’t notice, especially since we didn’t even hit him. We’ve covered 1,100 kilometers today, and we can’t see much of it anymore.” That is, I wouldn’t mind if he pointed out that it’s forbidden to park here. But this bastard asked a clarifying question in the tone of a Russian granny.

Well, for example, in Moscow you can often hear “Young man, would you like to give me your seat?” instead of “Make room for me, please.” Or an irritated “Would you like to move?” instead of the normal “Move over, please, I’m cramped.” I hate clarification questions with tricky tricks. They're annoying, bitch. Well, say normally what needs to be done instead of stressing others and making them think. Leave less freedom to act when you want to achieve something for sure.

But the guys at the reception made me happy. Two bright Balts, similar as brothers, but, apparently, just colleagues and friends for a long time. They tamed our linguistic rage and gave us dozens of smiles in just five minutes of communication.

In Riga we stayed at the Islande Hotel. A good hotel with an endless array of advantages. Who needs a good number, this is there. It's close to the old town, just cross the bridge. If you feel like taking a walk around residential Riga, then that’s no problem - you should go in a different direction from the historical center. Only there is almost nothing interesting there. Ordinary gray streets of any provincial Russian city. That’s why we walked across the bridge every day, like going to work.

We don't really like museums; they are usually about ancient or recent history. Often boring. Sometimes interesting. In Riga in January there is basically no indoor space. There are no exhibitions, no artists coming. The poster, which we opened literally for five minutes before leaving Moscow, only listed a semi-church performance with an organ, and a museum of occupation open 365 days a year. In the second, kind guides talk about how Latvians were squeezed by the iron fist of the evil empire of the USSR. Therefore, we preferred the narrow streets of the old city and therefore ended up at the annual Sherlock Holmes parade, which happened on January 4th.

It was amazing. We walked among the crowd of people of that era. Tramps, policemen, detectives, a couple of Lestrades, just a few hipsters dressed up in tweed, ladies in fluffy dresses, children in funny visors, warm coats, striped knee socks and patent leather shoes. Everyone mixed up.

All this to the rhythm of drums, along the central streets, with warning traffic closures. And no one complained, everyone, literally all the people around looked out of the windows and greeted the fans of the famous, albeit fictional, detective. They watched us from houses, from cars, someone got out and joined us to walk together to the square where the participants of the procession gave a concert. We decided not to stay there and moved on.

Small, cozy Riga is beautiful. The center is good for walking. There is no favorite Starbucks, but it doesn’t matter, because there are plenty of good coffee shops that replace it in Latvia. Everywhere there is coffee to take away, to take with you, even at any kiosk like our Soyuzpechat. Or Rospechat, whichever is more convenient.

As we understand, there are no particular national dishes in Latvia. Well, that is, they exist, but they rather resemble something between the richer Estonian and Lithuanian cuisines. A little from there, a little from here. It’s easy to understand, just go to Piejura. The menu of the restaurant with Baltic kuna is full of Estonian and Lithuanian dishes, but there are almost no Latvian ones.

And then the wild coast of Jurmala happened, which is only 12 kilometers from the center of Riga. The calm winter sea is beautiful. The Baltic Sea with the clouds hanging over it evokes only admiration and a desire to sit with your butt in the sand and look at the horizon. Local residents or tourists who have come to breathe the barely salty air, people with dogs, with children, just children, will be running behind and in front. The light surf will slowly drive the waves back and forth, and you will sit, peering into the thin strip connecting the shallow sea and the heavy sky.

The central walking street of Jurmala did not evoke even close emotions. An ordinary Russian village with wooden one- and two-story buildings and a huge hotel with a casino built in the middle of it. Pugacheva was not there. Kirkorov in those days, they say, was on fire in Abu Dhabi. The promenade in the rainy winter was not very good. Back to Riga!

Yes, the Baltic water is not salty at all. I tried.

Well, as soon as I got there, three attractions happened at once. First, we came to a couple of houses that together played the role of 221B Baker Street in the famous Russian TV series. It is interesting that the front door was the door of one house; it is located a little further in, in an alley next to another house, which was used as the home of Holmes and Watson.

The third house and, concurrently, the second Riga architectural celebrity is the same one on Flower Street from “17 Moments of Spring”. The windows are just like windows, without flowers or even funny irons.

Well, for dessert - a monument to the Bremen musicians:

On our last evening in Riga, another wonderful thing happened to us - we managed to sign up at the Wood Religion Barber Shop. It’s like the Moscow “Goldfinch” and “ChopChop”, only more soulful and interesting. Well, look for yourself what they do, on their facebook page. I got my hair cut by Diana Payton, she sometimes comes to Moscow and comes on tour. Before meeting her, I honestly had no idea that hairdressers go to other cities to give haircuts to order. I heard that tattoo artists do this, but I didn’t think that the phenomenon applies to people in other professions.

By the way, about people. All the Latvians we met on the trip turned out to be pleasant and friendly. There was no such thing as someone not showing me the way, not smiling, or even telling me to go fuck myself. Everyone speaks Russian. Yes, at the very beginning the parking guard at our hotel tried to spoil the impression, but that was just one case. Exception.

True, Diana said that this attitude towards Russian tourists is now due to radicals who left to work in England and Ireland. Or whatever they call them, rednecks in our opinion. They defended their right to live and work in any EU country, after which they spat on their country and flew off to scrub the toilets of Western Europe. In Latvia now there are only adequate people who understand that in order to get something, you need to work somehow. To get more, you need to work with your head. You can earn decent money and live well anywhere. “We opened a business,” Diana said, referring to her salon.

Tallinn baby!

Tallinn began with the road to Tallinn. Almost immediately after Riga there is a wonderful place called Saulkrasti. It’s fucking beautiful there, Riga residents go there on vacation in the summer. Not to Jurmala, oiled by the director of KVN and vulgarized by the baggy outfits of the prima donna of all Rus', but to quiet Saulkrasti, where I even wanted to stay for two or three months.

The border between Latvia and Estonia in the Ainaži region cannot be called a border. It seems to be there, even the houses of the border guards are somewhere off the road. Only they are all neglected and overgrown with thick, tall windbreaks. Not a single person, not an extra sign. Drive without slowing down. Just remember that beyond this imaginary line begins another state with slightly different people, but the same currency, the same price tag for gasoline and all sorts of liberties for which you can be punished.

Afterwards, already in Estonia, there was a coastline, a forest, a forest and a coastline behind sparse trees, fields, huge pieces of furniture standing right in the middle of these fields. That is, you drive and are surprised to see a chair about five meters high installed by someone in a field. We drove around the city of Pärnu, again there was a forest, darkness on the road, only the polite low beam of cars driving south.

Tallinn. A city with rain, poor roads, deep puddles on the roadsides and insufficient street lighting. This is how the second capital planned on the way met us.

The hotel is the same four-star, the room is more modest. The underground parking is paid, it contains only St. Petersburg numbers. Upon entry, they demanded 15 euros per night for the car, to which they received the answer “10 euros are written in our reservation.” We paid as we booked, but there was an unpleasant aftertaste. Moreover, right in front of the hotel there was an open parking lot for 2 euros per day, and a little further, across the road, a multi-tiered closed one for only 5 euros. In Tallinn, you have to pay for everything, always and everywhere. The city is noticeably more expensive than Riga.

Euroopa is located between the port and the old town, but still closer to the piers. The room's windows may look out onto the sea and moored ferries, or onto an unpaved cheap parking lot or a one-story shopping center.

Estonian breakfast is much more modest compared to Riga. But there were more fish, which made me very happy. We love to refuel in the morning and go for a walk for the day. This way you get to know the city better. Not wandering around museums, not staying in restaurants, pretending to be a gourmet, but simply looking at the streets and discussing the people walking towards you.

It doesn't matter with the latter in Estonia. No open disrespect was noticed, but some hostility was often felt. We even saw the contempt of native Estonians for the Russians, who decided to stay in the country after the collapse of the USSR and never learned Estonian to a decent level.

Imagine the situation - a Russian aunt is standing there dispensing pizza by the pound. A couple of Estonians, a mother and her over-aged son, approach her. They say something to her, vaguely twirling their fingers around first one piece and then another. Unhurried locals watch as the store employee carefully puts the pieces into bags, weighs them, and makes price tags. Then they raise their tone and start telling her that she didn’t give them what they asked for. Moreover, all the time while she was putting their order into bags, while she was weighing, packing and gluing stickers, all this time the mother and her adult son, who was long overdue to go shopping on his own, were clearly discussing the actions of the saleswoman. They saw what she was doing and didn’t even think to stop her. Probably the locals still have too much free time.

There doesn’t seem to be anything like this in relation to tourists, or we didn’t really notice it. But you still feel something. Some kind of coldness. I saw Estonians as unfriendly. Such serious, focused and often even impetuous guys who still seem to be trying to overcome the Soviet stereotype of “talleko li to Tallinna?” Estonians are like Russians. Only they are so Russian, you know, like the Moscow Limita, who cares. No time for a smile and kindness. Sad principles operated even in our hotel.

In the old center, which is logically designed for tourists, the atmosphere turned out to be a little more cheerful. There is a lot of Russian speech. It seems that residents of the Pskov and Leningrad regions, in principle, do not care where to go for a couple of days - out of town for a barbecue or to Tallinn for some other need. Go shopping or just wander around the city.

The Old Town, it must be admitted, is more interesting than Riga. But, at the same time, it is more incomprehensible, more confusing and smaller. If you wish, you can see it all in a few minutes by climbing one of the towers or walking along the numerous observation platforms. By the way, there are sites that will give a head start to some towers that are always paid and not open at all times of the year. In winter, it seems like only two are open, in old churches. Access to the sites is 24/7 and free.

There are a couple of places in the center that all guests of the Estonian capital should definitely check out.

Firstly, this is the old Town Hall Pharmacy, the first mention of which dates back to 1422, when it was already owned by its third owner. That is, the pharmacy was open before him.

Afterwards, it’s worth having a snack at III Draakon, which is very close to the first attraction. Either a restaurant or a tavern has only candlelight, poor lighting. We were offered a simple menu - stew, pies, coffee. The walls are masonry, the tables and benches are rough, made of massive boards. Even though all this is in the city center, Three Dragons is cheap. And who needs more comfort, around the corner, in the same building of the city hall, there is a more cultural restaurant. The same owners, only more lordly conditions.

Residential, real Tallinn, which we were lucky enough to see, begins behind the old town, just if you draw a line from the port to the southwest. The low-rise city is much lower than the center, which is traditionally located on a hill.

You can hardly hear the Russian language here. In general, there is a problem with any language other than Estonian. The Northern Balts are less concerned than Latvians about understanding someone and having someone understand them. If you want to ask an Estonian for directions, do it in Estonian. If you can’t, take a navigator with a detailed map of Estonia or at least a specific city on your trip.

We haven’t been to Tallinn’s Vykhino or Strogino, and we haven’t even visited Severnoe Butovo. The area that starts from the old town is similar to all Russian cities. It’s like low-rise Voronezh, some blocks of which were once rebuilt by poor landowners. Therefore, the house is only two levels, plus a damp, cold basement with modest windows looking out onto the sidewalk.

But in Tallinn these houses are not being prepared for demolition. They are not brought to a state in which they are first covered with green netting for a year or two, and then razed to the ground. Each one has antique-style plastic double-glazed windows, each one is patched up and painted. People live in these houses. Walking in such an environment is much more pleasant than in dilapidated Russian cities. There are square Soviet monstrosities evenly stained with gray plaster, but this is rare.

They break a lot in Tallinn. However, this refers rather to an industrial zone that is no longer needed. For example, the owner of one between the port and the old city found the money for the complete demolition of unwanted workshops and warehouses and the construction in their place of a beautiful modern quarter with shops on the ground floor, offices on the middle floors and apartments on the top. It looks like this:

The next morning it was time to go home. It was not difficult to leave Tallinn. Quite annoying paving stones, a minimum of takeaway coffee outlets, incessant rain, gloomy people in Russian and unreasonably high prices for everything in Moscow took their toll. Leaving Riga, heading not to Estonia, but back to Russia, would be much more difficult. I would like to stay there. But not in the Estonian capital.

On the way to Moscow we passed through Tartu and really regretted spending three whole days in Tallitsa. It would be nice for a couple to just see the city. There would still be time left not just to look, but to see the beautiful city on the Emajõgi River (or Omovzha in Russian).

A short return border crossing, slightly delayed by the Estonian side, who refused to speak Russian and barely spoke English. Paid entry into Russia, half a kilometer of good road and... hello, Pskov country roads. We were shaken again, thrown from side to side, we covered the road out loud and to ourselves. But you know what? In almost every village where people still live, almost everywhere we met someone, they waved and smiled at us. And we smiled back. They say Russia is a gloomy country. But it turns out she's not all like that. And when you understand this, when you see a boy of about twelve standing on the side of the road, and behind him are a couple of other friendly older guys, and they are all happy to see you, a stranger, it becomes more pleasant to return home.

To get to know the Baltics, you need to visit all three countries: Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Some of you will say that the Baltic states are not only the countries listed above, but we will only touch on them. First of all, we will visit three capitals: Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn. It is advisable to visit them in the same weather and with the same mood, so that nothing interferes with comparing these three cities. Don't listen to anyone who says that this or that is more beautiful or interesting. They are all interesting, beautiful and in general everyone has their own opinion. I’ve been to the Baltics several times and liked some things better, so I tried to include this in the itinerary. The route program is designed so that you can complete it in a week. So: St. Petersburg - Tallinn - Cesis - Sigulda - Riga - Bauska - Siauliai - Kaunas - Vilnius - Daugavpils - Rezekne - St. Petersburg. These are the key points, now in more detail:

St. Petersburg – Tallinn

I will not dwell in detail on preparing the car, documents, etc. You can't predict everything. However, recently, I take at least two navigators on the road. I trust booking.com more and more and, if possible, return to cash. Don’t forget that it is difficult to cross the Estonian border back and you have to buy a queue, so we return through Latvia.

The distance from St. Petersburg to Tallinn is 362 kilometers and the estimated travel time is about 5 hours, not counting the time spent at customs. It’s best to move around while everyone is asleep, so we leave at about 4 am. We'll be at the border around 6, and then depending on our luck. To sufficiently familiarize yourself with the Old Town of Tallinn, 4 hours are needed. For those who like it slower, this time is not enough.

Car parks near the Old Town cost 3-4 euros per hour, there are cheaper ones nearby, but it is not a fact that there will be free spaces. If we compare hotel prices in all three capitals, then Tallinn and Riga are approximately the same, but Vilnius is cheaper, but no worse.

For me, Tallinn is always different in its impact. Sometimes I admire him, and sometimes I find him boring, apparently it depends on my mood, mood and company. In the “Old Town”, in addition to the main attractions, such as:

City Hall

The Dome Cathedral

Oleviste Church

Niguliste Church

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Fortress towers and walls

St. John's Church

... there are many beautiful and back streets, corners, courtyards. There are several observation platforms that offer beautiful views of the city. Lots of shops and interesting cafes. The architecture here is very different, from different eras, styles and “nationalities”.

I will never forget the impressions of my first visit to Tallinn. It was on the New Year 2007, when they started trying to take tourists from Helsinki to Stockholm to Tallinn. The first sign was the passenger ship Vana-Tallin, that is, “Old Tallinn,” not to be confused with the drink of the same name. And, by the way, it justified its name - it was built in 1974. That year there was no winter and no ice either. In Helsinki on January 1 it was +6, and in Stockholm +8. When we were walking from Helsinki to Stockholm we encountered a terrible storm and people, remembering this night, already leaving Stockholm for Tallinn, “pulled up” tightly so that they could fall asleep and not hang around the decks, clinging to everything they could and to each other. We all arrived in Tallinn a little rumpled, but in anticipation of new impressions. We were given buses, guides and some time to explore the city. We gathered for a whole hour and waited for those who were late, then we drove around Tallinn and listened to the guide, who did not really hide her hatred of everything Russian. Having dropped us off at the walls of the “Old City” and handed us over to another guide, she left with the bus. The first words of the “new” guide were: “Forget everything she said,” “now let’s run, we don’t have much time.” We seemed to be keeping up, but at the next turn the guide disappeared. 15 minutes have passed since the start of his excursion. There were half of us, we spat and went our separate ways. It was dank, damp, cold and windy outside. Only in the evening, when the garlands were lit and the wind died down, it became better, warmer and much more beautiful. This is what they were like – first impressions.

If you are not going to visit a pub in the evening or just look at the city at night, then you can stop for the night on the way towards Riga. I stayed at Ruunawere Hotel, near Tallinn, and really liked it. There is a small sketch about the hotel in the “Video” section. In general, there are many interesting places to spend the night: estates; guest houses; cottages, etc. If you plan your trip 21 days in advance or less, you may be able to get exclusive deals on hotel bookings, but you probably already know that. If you plan to stay in the city, I recommend Kalev Spa Hotel & Waterpark. Convenient, cozy, close to the “Old Town”, a good restaurant and after long walks you can lie in the jacuzzi, relax your muscles or swim.

Cesis-Sigulda

From Tallinn to Cesis (Sigulda) is about 300 kilometers. The time is about 4 hours. You can go in three ways, but the easiest way is through Pärnu. After Pärnu the road goes along the coast and if it’s summer outside, you can turn to the sea and swim and sunbathe. Relax in one word. The main attractions of Sigulda and Cesis cannot be seen in one day, even briefly, so plan to spend the night somewhere. Both of these cities are approximately the same distance from Riga, Sigulda is a little closer, where you stay does not play a special role.

The area around these two cities is a real hub of medieval castles, various attractions, and there is a lot to see and do. Residents of Riga think the same thing, which is why it can get crowded on weekends. Draw conclusions.

Let's start with Cesis. Here is the largest and best preserved…

Cessian (Wenden) Castle

A beautiful park at the foot of the castle is conducive to a leisurely walk and relaxation. The castle itself is nothing special, it’s just interesting to touch the history, take the likeness of an old lantern and walk along the dark staircases and alleys. Near the old castle there is

New Cession Castle

There are now ticket offices here, as well as history and art museums. Located almost close to these castles

St. John's Church

This majestic structure is the largest church in Latvia built outside of Riga (13th century). She belonged to the Livonian Order.

In addition to the main attractions, it is very pleasant to stroll through the wooden residential area. Pleasant houses that have seen many interesting stories provide an opportunity to take a break from the “concrete jungle” of big cities.

Not far from Cesis there is another attraction of the local region, the so-called

Araiši Lake Castle

Here, in the 19th-11th centuries, the Latgalians lived. A fairly large area for a walk, where you can get acquainted with ancient life and buildings, the ruins of the Araish Order Castle and the lake settlement.

Here are the must-sees in the area:

Turaida Castle

Old Sigulda Castle

New Sigulda Castle

Of course, there is plenty more to do here besides the castles. Huge park, zoos, cable cars, caves, etc. In winter the ski slopes are open. This is one of the best bobsleigh tracks.

In these parts I stayed only in one hotel - Hotel Atputa, it is located in Cesis. Quiet, cozy hotel, good restaurant, friendly service.

Riga

It takes less than an hour to travel from Sigulda to Riga. As soon as I enter Riga, I can’t get rid of the feeling that I’m driving through the outskirts of St. Petersburg. The building of the Latvian Academy completes the image of a large, Soviet city. Only in the “Old Town” do you come to your senses and return to the tourist skin. It is better to park the car on the embankment side. Before I forget, the police in Latvia are the same as in Russia. They like to test for alcohol, set up an ambush, and “pay off on the spot.” If there is something written in Latvian on the parking signs, it is better not to stop there, you will be fined. Alcohol: Estonia (0.2 volume), Latvia (0.5 volume), Lithuania (0.4 volume). I don't want to get caught.

Riga is different! Different than Tallinn. Firstly, there is no difference in heights, and therefore everything is located, as it were, on the same plane, along the Daugava embankment. By the way, be sure to visit the other side of the river, from there a beautiful panorama of the “Old City” opens up. All the attractions are quite tightly packed. In order to explore absolutely the entire “Old City”, you will more than once go to places that you have already seen. This is not “running in circles,” but somewhere close. The architecture of Tallinn is diverse and multinational, and in Riga a certain style is maintained.

I have long noticed that tourists equally like both large, huge churches or castles, and very small, even tiny “cartoons”, such as the St. Petersburg “Chizhik-Pyzhik”. And everywhere, in any city in the world, the reaction to them is the same. You should definitely pet them or throw a coin, and, of course, take a photo. One of these Riga “muleks” is the monument to the “Bremen Town Musicians”, almost a copy of the same one located in their hometown. Here, the attraction program also includes bouncing. Everyone tries to pet the animal that is higher up. Walking around Old Riga, you will often see unusual figures and installations.

The Bremen Town Musicians

Now, let's go over the main attractions of the "Old City"

House of the Blackheads

The Dome Cathedral

Church of St. Peter and panoramas from the observation deck.

Town Hall and Town Hall Square

Riga Castle

Church of Our Lady of Sorrows

In Soviet times, as soon as it was necessary to show “abroad”, all film studios went to Riga, here every house, every crossroads was used as scenery. “Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson” lived here, the spy passions “Seventeen Moments of Spring” were played out, and the songs “D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers” were sung.

When it comes to having a bite to eat in Riga, the choice is huge and the price tags are already quite affordable. If you have heard about LIDO, then I would not recommend visiting it in the “Old Town”, you can spoil the impression, it is better to go to the LIDO Recreation Center on Krasta Street 76. The food there is excellent, tasty and not expensive.

LIDO

For tourists with children, I advise you to see the Riga Zoo and its guests. In general, Riga is a wonderful city and I think you will want to come here more than once, to see not only it, but also the surrounding area, such as Jurmala, Jaunmokas Castle, and the Daugava Museum. Or spend a summer night on the streets and in the pubs of the “Old Town”, which never sleeps.

Bauska Rundāle Palace

If you have already seen everything in Riga and are not going to stay overnight, you can head towards the town of Bauska. More precisely, our goal is Rundāle Palace. The drive is about an hour, and I can recommend the hotel Hotel Rundale. It is very advantageously located just 250 meters from the palace itself.

The town of Bauska is not big at all, but there are many interesting places here. There are churches, old quarters, Bauska Castle. Delicious Latvian beer is brewed here. On the Town Hall Square you can have a nice and tasty meal in a cafe. But due to the fact that we visited this city only for the Rundāle Palace, that’s where we will go.

The palace belonged to Duke Ernst Johann Biron. It was built in 1740. In the same year, Biron, after a coup d'etat, was arrested and exiled, returning only in 1763. At the same time, by 1768, Rastrelli completed the interior decoration of the premises.

The palace amazes with its exquisite interiors and rich decoration. Unfortunately, I was there in the winter, and I was not able to see the splendor of the flowering French park, spread over an area of 10 hectares, closed on all sides by a canal, behind which, in turn, lies a hunting park.

I am constantly doing something in the palace, restoring, decorating, caring for, restoring, even clothes. Everything is sparkling clean and you can feel the love with which the local workers treat the exhibits. The palace and its decoration left an indelible impression in the memory. I will definitely come in the summer to take a walk in the garden and park.

Cross Mountain. Siauliai

Frenkel Palace

Now we are heading towards Lithuania, more precisely, towards the city of Siauliai. A little before reaching the city, we make an obligatory stop at Krestovaya Gora or the Mountain of Crosses. This is one of the most unexpected sights of the entire route. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect, but I had heard a lot and was ready to be surprised, but not that much. Crosses from all over the world are actually brought here and this is truly a Mountain of Crosses.

The place is shrouded in legends. Under Soviet rule, it was destroyed 4 times, but the Mountain has not gone away, and there are more and more crosses. Even the Pope “marked himself” here with a rather impressive cross. Our crosses, like droplets of water, melted into a sea of huge waves of crosses.

Even if this place initially did not carry any energy load, the millions of prayers and aspirations that came here imbued this place with faith. There are no restrictions, orders, regulations that are so loved in churches of various denominations; here a person is alone - face to face with his feelings, with God.

The next destination of our journey will be the city of Siauliai. We were passing through there, stopped to have a snack, stroll along the pedestrian street, and go to the Cathedral. The weather was disgusting, and we were in a hurry towards Kaunas, so I can’t say anything special about this town. There was an attempt to visit the cat museum, but after sticking our nose in there, we decided not to waste time.

Now we are going to one of the most beautiful cities in the Baltics - Kaunas, it is called “Beautiful”. And there is no doubt that you should stop there for the night.

Kaunas

It often happens that people go to capitals, but nearby cities, which have no less interesting things, pass by. Kaunas does not complain about the lack of tourists, but undeservedly fewer people go there than to Vilnius and Trakai. Kaunas is great. IMHO, of course, but even the weather didn’t stop me from just falling in love with this city.

The "Old Town" of Vilnius is large, spacious, mostly pedestrian, under UNESCO protection. I really enjoyed walking leisurely along the main streets and squares, but there are a lot of people there, but if you turn somewhere to the side, after a couple of minutes it becomes simply deserted and you can get lost. I parked my car in one of the parking lots in the southern part of the “Old City”, put a mark in the navigator, relied on the technology, and went on a reckless exploration, instead of taking chalk and leaving marks on houses and sidewalks. Got lost. And parking is paid and by the hour, the fines are large, it’s unpleasant. The conclusion is that you need to park the car in the northern part, where the Castle Hill and Gedeminas Tower are. If this landmark falls out of your sight, people will help. And I couldn’t even really explain to passers-by where my car was parked “next to the church or church.” Yes, there are them here... . Now, with the advent of new gadgets and applications, it has become much easier.

What interesting things can you see in the “Old Town”?

Church of St. Casemir

Presidential palace

Cathedral of St. Nicholas

Church of St. Paraskeva (Pyatnitskaya Church)

Cathedral

Sharp gate

Bernardine Church and St. Anne's Church

In addition, there is also: Gedemin's Tower, the Church of St. Teresa, Church of the Holy Spirit, Church of the Holy Trinity, bastion of the Vilnius defensive wall, Church of St. John, Church of St. Michael, Church of St. Anne, Church of St. Ignatius and the Jesuit monastery, Alumnat, the Church of St. Catherine, Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Church of St. Nicholas, etc., etc. This is not all, and this is only in the “Old Town” itself. Now can you imagine how difficult it was to find the right church, church or temple?

One of the most pleasant impressions is the prices. In cafes, restaurants, hotels, etc. Whether in the business center or in the “Old Town,” there are many places where you can pleasantly spend the evening, night, and the rest of the day. We ate, rested, ate some more and hit the road. Now in the opposite direction, home. The intermediate point will be Daugavpils and you can spend the night there or see the city and drive to the small town of Rezekne and stay there.

Daugavpils-Rezekne

Daugavpils is the same city in which I was once again convinced of how much the weather influences perception, first impressions, and, finally, photographs. The first time I was there in terrible, disgusting, dirty weather, I was passing through, and the second time - excellent weather, warm, no rush, wonderful hotel, leisurely promenade. Earth and sky. Great town, beautiful, interesting. The most important attraction, or rather “mountain of attractions” is the “church hill”. Here, literally meters from each other, there are four churches of different faiths.

Martin Luther Cathedral

Roman Catholic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Daugavpils Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Princes Boris and Gleb

Novosretensky Church of the Resurrection, Nativity of the Virgin Mary and St. Nicholas (Old Believers)

In the city itself there is a small pedestrian street where you can just walk and look around. There is a fortress here, it is a certain symbol of the city. In terms of accommodation, I can recommend the Park Hotel Latgola, it is located in the center, modern, not expensive, there are often special offers (double standard - 2000 rubles), the upper floors offer a panoramic view of the city. If you are unlucky with the weather, then it is better to leave exploring this city for another time, and go towards the town of Rezekne and stop to rest there.

To view information about Rezekne or Daugavpils (any other object), click on the name. We stopped in Rezekne only to rest before the final rush to the house. We walked around, had a good time in the restaurant of our hotel Kolonna Hotel Rezekne, and got up early (at 4 am), took “breakfast to go”, pre-ordered at the hotel, and headed towards the border.

From Daugavpils to the border it takes 2 hours, from Rezekne 40 minutes. Arriving at the border at about 5 am, we found the customs office really sleeping, we had to wake up to let them through. It’s a nightmare, they could “infiltrate” unnoticed and take out the entire Baltic states. That's basically it. The route, as you understand, can easily change; for example, you can organize everything with a mirror opposite. And from Tallinn go to Helsinki. 2-3 hours by ferry and you are in the capital of Finland. And there is already all of Scandinavia in front of us.

On my website in the section for tourists there is a “Planner”, where you can view the route and description, calculate mileage, fuel and estimate time. I wish you a good time in the Baltics. Gain new impressions and just have a good rest.

In order not to spoil the impression of a trip to the Baltics from Moscow by car, here you need to follow several mandatory rules. When traveling to Latvia and Lithuania, remember that you need to turn on low beam headlights, buckle up yourself and all passengers in the car, the speed in the city is no more than 50 km/h - here it is customary not to rush anywhere.

There are no motorways in Latvia. The entire 300 km from the Russian border to the Riga seaside must be crawled at a speed of 90 km/h. Exceeding up to 20 km/h – fine 5 lats. To accelerate to 110 km/h costs 20 lats. To go faster, you need to find some kind of sponsor - a car driving in front of you at a speed of 120 km/h. But the trick may not work: in patrol cars, the radar shows two speeds at once - the first car and the fastest one in the stream.

The famous Latvian racing driver Arnis Punka only drives fast in a sports car. Adrenaline is for rallying, and in Riga there is nowhere to rush.

Do not try to go to the historical center - old Riga. There are barriers at the entrance, and payment cards are sold only in two institutions, but it takes longer to find them. And there is no point in going there - the entire distance can be covered on foot in 10 minutes.

If you exceed the paid parking time, you will find a pink blocking shoe on the wheel. It will be removed only if you pay the required amount. And if you stand under the sign, you will soon see a mustard plaster on the glass - a fine of 10 lats in the name of the owner of the car. If the fine for violating traffic rules is not paid, then they will simply not let you through at the border until you pay the fine.

Old Riga breathes the Middle Ages: the Dome Cathedral has been rising on Dome Square for 800 years, a little further - the Dominican monastery with the cellars of the Holy Inquisition, crooked narrow streets covered with paving stones, which you saw in the movies in the films “17 Moments of Spring”, “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson."

And from here to the sea is 15 minutes by car. Getting to Jurmala is very simple: from anywhere in the city we find a cable-stayed bridge, it is also called a balalaika, we drive onto it and continue straight on. You will not have time to leave Riga and you will already be in Jurmala. Entry costs money, and payment is made at a special site. You need to pay one lat and you can drive all day.

Municipal police officers monitor stowaway cars. The locals have a pass on their glass. In Jurmala itself, police officers ride scooters and control parking lots, handing out mustard plasters. Entry to the shore is prohibited. Look for parking and walk through the dunes. When leaving, do not leave things in the car.

In the Baltics, beware of pedestrians. It is customary here to let people pass at the zebra crossing, otherwise there is a huge fine of 40 lats. Citizens can go out onto the road without looking back. There are not only high fines, but also a point system: 16 points – deprivation of rights for a year. And one more thing: it’s legal to drink and drive here. After drinking a glass of wine or a mug of beer, you can still get behind the wheel.

In front of the city of Siauliai, do not miss the sign “Mountain of Crosses to the left 2 km.” Some are delighted with this place, others are horrified. There are no graves here, only crosses. They cover a small hill and its surroundings. The most original cross was placed at the foot of the hill by Moscow motorists. It is made from road signs.

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