Nature and culture travel

Nature and Culture

What to see and experience in the Baltic?

Worldwide, forest bathing is fast becoming a trend with companies targeting overwhelmed city dwellers and cashing in on the promise of recharging your batteries and restoring your inner balance. In the Baltics, we’ve never really lost touch with nature. In fact, “we’re heading outdoors” may well be the most common answer when inquiring about someone’s weekend plans.

White water rafting in spring, wild swimming and cycling in summer, foraging in autumn and cross-country skiing in winter aren’t just special interest activities, they’re what Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians love to do and share with their visitors. We can help plan your perfect route, combining active adventure with visits to ancient castles, artisan workshops and farms.

Naturally, some of the most popular spots to indulge in outdoor pursuits and get a feel for rural living and local history sit within the Baltics’ lusciously green and richly forested national parks.

National parks in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – protecting our nature and heritage

National parks in the Baltics are key areas for the preservation of nature, but also encompass historical towns and villages, sites and attractions. Hiking trails and cycle routes snake through the parks, and many can be discovered through their waterways by canoe or raft. In autumn, the forests become foraging grounds. If you see a local armed with a knife and basket, don’t run! They’ll be out looking for berries and mushrooms such as the prized chanterelle. What else can you expect at the parks?

Latvia

Gauja National Park

Latvia’s largest national park is easily accessible by public transport through the towns of Sigulda, Cesis and Valmiera – excellent bases from which to explore, with a wide choice of accommodation and restaurants. Major historical attractions include Turaida Museum Reserve, the medieval Cesis Castle, the Secret Soviet Bunker in Ligatne and Valmiermuiza Brewery.

Estonia

Lahemaa National Park

On the shores of the Gulf of Finland, Estonia’s largest national park is known for its stony and sandy beaches, bogs and dense forests – home to wild animals including lynx and bears. The manor estates of Palmse, Sagadi and Vihula are popular stopovers. In the town of Hara, a major draw is the former Soviet submarine base.

Lithuania

Dzukija National Park

Lithuania’s most forested area with 85% forest coverage! The park’s 30 waterways make it a top choice for boating. Here, wooden architecture dominates with quaint villages such as Zervynos and Musteika providing a glimpse of what life used to be like in the area. The 18th century Baroque churches in Liskiava and Merkine are highlights.

There are many more national parks in the Baltics. We’re happy to recommend the best option for you based on your interests!

Artisan workshops in the Baltics - keeping tradition alive

In spite of industrialisation and globalisation, Baltic peoples have not only managed to maintain their natural surroundings, but also to keep tradition alive. Heavily inspired by nature, many locals devote themselves to the ancient crafts and skills, which are typical of the region.

To help ensure a future for their craft and to pass down interest to younger generations, numerous craftsmen now welcome visitors into their homes and workshops for tours and hands-on masterclasses. You could find yourself shaping a loaf of hearty rye bread before sliding it into a wood-fired oven and later devouring a thick slice slathered in hemp spread or honey. You might prefer a guided walk through the fields and forests with a herbalist to explain the properties of local flora, which are used in herbal tea blends and traditional medicine. Or perhaps you’d rather get your hands dirty in a pottery studio?

Local wine tasting is a sophisticated option. Though some winemakers have been experimenting with grapes, most Baltic wines are fruit-based. Sparkling rhubarb is a great one to start with.

Whatever your choice of activity, Baltic Nature Travel can put together an itinerary to include a mix of outdoor and indoor time with a natural or historical angle depending on your preferences.

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What travelers say about us

EXCELLENT

36 reviews on

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

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

2025-06-19

Fue un viaje que llenó nuestras expectativas por mucho, una gran sorpresa cada lugar que visitamos

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

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

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

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.