The best snacks for hiking in the Baltics

Text by Valdis Čeičs and photos by Solveiga Kaļva, www.solveigakalvaphotography.com

Have you ever wondered what to take for your meal on a hike? If you are in the Baltics and you are having this question, then in this article you can find some ideas and explanations why certain products are the best.

The origins of the traditional food in the Baltics come from the medieval period. The nowadays territory of Latvia and Estonia were conquered by German Crusader Knights, and the local inhabitants, mostly peasants, were working hard under their rule. The locals ate oatmeal porridge which gave them strength for the exhausting farming work. Nowadays, a wide variety of different flake mixtures and instant porridges can be purchased in every shop. In order to prepare oatmeal porridge, you need to boil water and pour it on the oatmeal, wait for about 10 min and make it salty or sweet according to your taste unless it already has a specific flavour added by the producer. I prefer to make my porridge sweet by adding honey and raisins.

My recommendation for you is to try out the “Herkuless” instant porridges, read more here.

It is very nice to have a hot meal during a hike, but not always you have the time, energy or means for cooking. In these cases, the rye bread is “must have” in your backpack! The rye bread is a national symbol to the people in the Baltics, and it is treated with great respect. Rye bread has a thick crust which preserves the bread for a longer time. Many small bakeries sell their bread also in the supermarkets, they are a bit more expensive than the bread produced in big bakeries, but worth every single penny.

The best in Latvia is “Ķelmēni bread, which has even traveled to the Latvian solders in Afghanistan,  for more info read here in this article.

What to put on your rye bread? This is a good question, everyone has his own favourites but there are products that would make it more Baltic, like the Baltic sprats or herring. These are the most popular fishes from the Baltic Sea. Traditionally, smoked sprats in oil are sold in cans, but the herring is marinated and sold in plastic containers almost in every shop.

One of the most popular producers of the Sprats in Oil is “Brīvais Vilnis”, read more here.

The weather in the Baltics can be chilly even in the summer so it is good to have with you a warm drink in a thermos. In pagan times, when the traditions were connected with earth cycles and nature, the locals collected plants for different purposes, also for herbal teas. Nowadays, you can find herbal teas in every supermarket and bio-store, so you have a great opportunity to prepare a warm drink full of natural energy for your hike.

If you are confused by variety of herbal tea brands then I recommend you to look for the brand “Lauku Tēja”, read more here.

More about herbal traditions you can find out in our Latvian Herbal Traditions and Mandala Workshop.

Healthy snack for your hike is candied fruits. Very traditional berries in this region are cranberries, rowan berries, lingonberries and quince. These are locally grown fruits that in different mixes can be found in most of the supermarkets.

Nearby Riga is Rāmklani, which produces different sorts of canned fruits. Their production can be bought in local supermarkets and in their own store,  read more here.

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Krzysztof Narkiewicz
Krzysztof Narkiewicz
2025-06-30
Excellent Experience – Highly Recommend We were a group of 15 people traveling from Gdansk (Poland) to Lithuania for a combination of a short visit to Vilnius and a four-day canoe trip. The agency did a fantastic job from start to finish. They gathered detailed information beforehand (including a teleconference), prepared an excellent offer that took all our wishes into account, and organized transportation with a comfortable minibus from our location to Lithuania. The tour itself went exceptionally well: we had a very good bus and a professional driver, excellent lodging throughout Lithuania, an outstanding guide, and great paddling opportunities. Valdis, the company owner, stayed in touch the entire time, was responsive, and handled last-minute minor changes without any problems. Overall, it was an excellent experience, and I highly recommend this company to anyone considering a trip to Lithuania.
claire wallick moy
claire wallick moy
2025-06-19
Our small family group 2 seniors and 2 adult children all agree our 10 day “best of” Lithuania was excellent. We were very happy we went with a private tour and driver. (same person, Tomas) This way we could include all (or most) of the destinations within the country in this short time. Valdis arranged our itinerary, suggested museums, parks and researched accomodations including local guest house and vacation rentals when there were no hotels (or not available) close to our destinations. We loved visiting the national parks and UNESCO heritage sites. Our travels with Tomas was excellent. He is very knowledgeable about the history and geography of Lithuania and happy to share this with us. He was very helpful with all the arrangements the tickets for entry at various attractions and accomodations (all of which was included and arranged by Baltic Nature Travel). Tomas was also helpful in guiding us for food and drink choices. And suggesting restaurants in Vilnius, Siauliai and kaunas. He is also an excellent driver and the van was very comfortable. We feel really lucky to have had this opportunity. The 4 of us agreed that where we visited and having Tomas as our tour guide made our Lithuania holiday very special. Although most people speak some English it is not enough to have the in depth conversations that Tomas was able to translate for us. The 2 days we had to tour the Curonian Spit were lovely even though we had some rain. And though thunderstorms interfered with our planned kayaking Aukstaitija NP, we were able to do a short kayak ride in Dzukija NP. Also our pottery visit in Merkine was a highlight. If you are planning a trip to Lithuania I suggest contacting Baltic Nature Travel and let them handle arrangements for you.
Laura Lopez Vinasco
Laura Lopez Vinasco
2025-06-19
Fue un viaje que llenó nuestras expectativas por mucho, una gran sorpresa cada lugar que visitamos
Michael Neilson
Michael Neilson
2025-05-26
We toured the Curonian Spit with Kristina who provided a great mix of nature, history and personal experiences to give us a very entertaining and enjoyable day.
michelle leow
michelle leow
2025-05-20
Kuldiga: charming streets, and wides waterfall in Europe on 7th May 2025 We joined a private tour of 6 people to this exotic location. Our vacation was made an even better experience by a knowledgeable and friendly tour guide Valdis, who provides us with all the information about the place and enlightens us on the history and culture of the region. Despite the chilly weather, Celsius 5 degree. It was a few hours walking tour around the newly built tower that oversees the magnificent view, waterfalls, and the old town. Valdis waited for us patiently taking photos. Because we saw so many beautiful places of interest, our vacation was well worth the time and money we spent on it. Apart from showing us the various places of interest, Valdis also managed our transportation and meals recommendation, all of which he did very efficiently. Please accept our heartfelt thanks, Valdis.
Priya Bhatt
Priya Bhatt
2025-05-12
Loved the trip, every day was truly amazing Estonia is worthy and so I would recommend people to visit Estonia through Baltic travels, Mr Valdis did a terrific planning, every details were given and made my journey memory very happy 😃
Samuel Lister
Samuel Lister
2025-02-08
We had a fantastic tour with Tomas around Vilnius. He was informative, friendly and helpful and despite there being no snow for snowshoes it was a brilliant experience. I would highly recommend it for anyone wanting to experience Vilnius.

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