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.

get in touch to discuss how we can help you

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What travelers say about us

EXCELLENT

36 reviews on

Jane Bower

2024-09-30

My partner and I (69 and 75) are just back from a 17 day self-drive tour put together with the help of Valdis from Baltic Nature Travel. It was an absolutely delightful and fascinating experience. We asked for quirky or unusual accommodation and a mix of hotels and self-catering - great fun. We went at our own pace and chose what to see. Everything was beautifully organised - a couple of small hitches were dealt with straight away on the phone. We are well-travelled but didn't know these stunning countries at all. Our overall impression is CLEAN and GREEN. Thank you, thank you for such a unique and special holiday.

Andrew Golding

2024-09-16

First Class Personal Tour of the Baltic Republics organised by Valdis: a bespoke, friendly, intelligent, safe and varied introduction to this wonderful part of the world. Wholly recommended.

David Morris

2024-09-10

Excellent booking experience - very easy and all the information we needed. Hire car arrived at the hotel as arranged and the handover was excellent. All the hotels that were booked for us were great and the itinerary was really wide-ranging and interesting. Estonia people were almost always friendly and helpful, and the restaurant food was great. Would definitely recommend Baltic Nature Travel and Estonia as a destination

Karen Green

2024-07-23

Valdis, the owner of Baltic Nature Travel, is a terrific tour organizer. His advance communication and arrangements were unfailingly responsive, prompt and helpful. On the trip, we had different guides as well as drivers in the different cities (Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn.) In each case, they were well-informed and on time at the meeting point. We never needed to worry or contact the guide (though we were provided with their information.) Every hotel Valdis chose for us was of a very good standard, well-run, clean, exceptionally well located, and with wonderful breakfasts. The restaurants he recommended were also excellent – we learned to just go where he suggested! The tour was an exceptionally good value. In sum, we couldn’t have been more pleased. Our trip was wonderful and we left wanting to see more of the Baltics' beauty. If we do go again, we would unquestionably work with Valdis. In the meantime, we will recommend him to all of our friends.

Lucía Gómez

2024-07-17

Fantastic Self-Guided Hiking Experience! We recently completed a self-guided hike in Gauja National Park, which was wonderful. The trails were serene, and we rarely encountered other hikers. The provided materials and app were excellent and highly accurate. The hotels, luggage transfer, and overall transportation arrangements were flawless. Highly recommend this experience!

Paul Green

2024-07-12

Anna Brish was a fantastic tour guide for understanding Jewish history and culture in Vilnius. She was friendly, deeply knowledgeable, eager to answer our questions and accommodate our specific interests. Anna does other tours and we would take any of them, she’s amazing!

James Cornez

2024-07-11

Myself and my best friend came across this company whilst researching options to travel in Latvia and we are very pleased we did. Valdis was very amenable during the planning process by arranging video calls with both of us so we could better understand what was on offer for us to do. He compiled an 8 day itinerary for us that did not disappoint starting in Riga for 2 days. We paid for an optional 3hr walking tour which was very worthwhile to see the main sites of the city. Janis took us on the tour who is a great guy that gives you plenty of interesting information, ready to answer any questions regarding Latvian history/culture. We chose the self driving option to see as much of Latvia as possible which I would definitely recommend if you want to have more than just a city break. It took us to varied places ranging from the heavily forested and pretty areas of Sigulda (where we did a fun kayaking tour on the Gauja river) and Cesis to the pleasant coastal cities of Liepaja and Ventspills. Overall, definitely the company to approach if you want to authentically explore Latvia!

Esther A

2024-06-21

Valdis and his team helped us to organise a guided 16 day trip across Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Helsinki. We had a very enjoyable experience! Coming from Singapore and not knowing Valdis beforehand, we were initially worried about language and logistical challenges. All these were unfounded as Valdis and his guides were not only knowledgeable but also responsive, helpful and flexible. We had some minor hiccups during the trip but Valdis was able to resolve them very promptly. I would highly recommend engaging Valdis for your next trip!

Annette Ihrman

2024-06-16

The tour was very versatile and a good addition to our trip to Riga. We can recommend it!

K G

2024-04-06

I joined Valdis for Gauja national park tour and experience breathtaking views, beautiful cave, Plus the experience to see the inside of luge and skeleton track. It’s an unforgettable experience to see something outside the Riga! Highly recommended!!!