Baltic States in 15 days

A lot of driving pleasure combined with the most beautiful cities of the Baltic States

This is a tour for the more experienced motorcyclist. The daily distances are manageable, but you will ride a total of about 5000km, which is quite a lot. There is one resting day included in this tour, so there is some time to relax. Please note that this trip is not filled with many mountains and bends, this trip will show you beautiful areas and cities of the Baltic States. We can be brief about the Baltic States as a tourist area: it is one of the most popular and most visited regions in Eastern Europe. It is a compact area with a lot of culture and nature at a short distance from each other. The capitals Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn have all been European capitals of culture of the year and the countries have several nature parks and special attractions. 

The outward journey (first day) and return journey (last day) you will drive on your own initiative.

Today, you'll drive to Schwerin, Germany on your own initiative. The hotel is located in the center of the beautiful city of Schwerin. An evening walk in the monumental city is recommended. Schwerin is surrounded by a lot of lakes, the biggest one is the Schwerinermeer.

From Schwerin, you will drive through the beautiful Hanseatic region. After about 90 kilometers, you will pass a very nice terrace for a coffee nearby the water. Around 200 kilometres you cross the old border to Poland. Here you will find a nice village with some good spots for lunch. After this, you will cross the real Polish border. You will notice immediately that the landscape and town planning are very different from Germany. That evening, after dinner, you can walk through the Polish town of Walcz.

Today, you will drive all day through the inland of Poland. You will pass many villages and towns with many stops to have lunch and a drink. Do this especially, so you learn more about the Polish culture. A special stop is at the Elblaski Canal after 280km. The Elbląg-Ostróda Canal is a 48km canal in Poland between Elbląg and Ostróda. It is a technological monument, opened in 1860, when it was on German territory and called Oberländischer Kanal. It is definitely worth a visit. Gondolas are operated here from a lower to a higher water level (and vice versa, of course). Everything is driven by water power. Near the hotel, there is a promenade along a lake. There are many terraces and shops here. A cosy happening.

Today will start with a route through the beautiful lake district of Masuria. After 75km you will come to Swieta Lipka, a large basilica in the middle of the countryside. The huge organ is regularly played for the visitors. Later you will come to an old bunker of Hitler's from the Second World War. This is also worth a stop. Around kilometre 270 we set the clock one hour forward, there you enter Lithuania. After the border, you enter a completely different landscape. It is much more open here. Forests and meadows alternate. The hotel is in Grutas Parkas. A park where many statues have been collected from the Soviet era in Lithuania.

There is only a short drive on the program today. It is a 2:45h drive to beautiful Vilnius. You can choose to sleep in, or have the whole afternoon to spend in this special city. There are a lot of city tours that you can follow. This is a good start to see which parts of the city you would like to visit on your own in the afternoon. A cozy afternoon on a terrace is not a bad idea either. In the evening, enjoy a nice Lithuanian dinner.

You leave Vilnius for a smooth ride through the east of Lithuania and Latvia. You drive through mostly forested and hilly areas. On the way, you will pass many villages and towns. A nice variation! It gives a good impression of daily life in the Baltic States. After about 180km, the border between Lithuania and Latvia is crossed. This is hardly noticeable. There are no border controls for a long time. We spend the night in Sigulda, situated in the hilly area around Riga. In Sigulda, there are many places of interest such as a toboggan run, three castles, a watchtower, and a cave. Enough to visit this afternoon!

You drive through the Gauja National Park with the Gutman's Cave and Turaida Castle on either side. Then you will head towards the Estonian border for a nice drive towards Tartu, Estonia's cosy university town. Exactly halfway, you pass the Latvian-Estonian border. For the remaining 100km you will drive a beautiful route right through the forested and hilly landscapes of the southwest of Estonia. You will hardly see any people. After 140km you drive through Otepäa, Estonia's ski area. Also, the national Biathlon stadium with a ski jump behind it is located here. The nature, the landscape and the many facilities attract many tourists in summer and winter in this region. Early in the afternoon, you arrive in Tartu. A beautiful town to explore. The hotel is situated in the center. Tartu is the most student-friendly city of Estonia.

For the 8th dayroute you will drive towards the capital of Estonia, Tallinn. This is a short trip. You will have the whole afternoon to visit the centre of Tallinn. At kilometre 200 you will arrive at the north coast of Estonia, which immediately gives you very different images. The countryside makes way for a coastal area with fishermen villages, dunes and waterfalls. The Jägala waterfall is the highest natural waterfall in Estonia. After driving along the sea for a while, you approach Tallinn. It is known as the most beautiful city around the Baltic Sea.

You leave Tallinn for a day trip along Latvia's white beaches. After a stop in the seaside resort of Parnü, you head for another well-known state: Riga. The beautiful capital of Estonia.  Riga is a big city and is worth a daytrip for further exploration. You will stay here for two nights. So you will have a full day available for Riga.

Today will be a little bit different, you do not have a trip to drive. You can stay in your hotel to enjoy the facilities and relax. Can't get enough of the motorbike? You can always explore the surroundings. There is also a motorbike museum.

Riga is the capital of Latvia and with about 640.000 inhabitants, it is the largest city of the country and of the Baltic States. Riga was founded in 1201 and is a former Hanseatic city. The historic center of Riga is on the Unesco World Heritage List, thanks to the picturesque old town (also known as Vecrīga) with its winding streets, medieval churches, the spires which dominate the skyline, and guild halls. The World Heritage Site also includes Riga's 19th century wooden architecture and its late 19th and early 20th century Art Nouveau architecture. Riga is said to have the best collection of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe. In any case, worth a day's sightseeing. 

But also Jurmala on the white coast, emphasizes the glory of once. Or go see the charming wooden houses populate the streets of the left bank of the Daugava river. 

You're driving out of Riga. Today there are several sights on the programme. On the way you will first visit the Rundale Palace near Bauska. Here you can visit a castle with 140 rooms with an exceptionally beautiful garden. Once you cross the border of Lithuania you will arrive at one of the most famous sights of Lithuania, called The Hill of crosses. This is an international place of pilgrimage. It is a mountain full of old crosses and a lot of stories. After the cross mountain it is about 80 km to the hotel. You drive straight through agricultural areas.  

Today you will cross the border to Poland again. The first part is still through the agricultural areas of Lithuania. Just after the start you will pass a National Park with its swampy characteristics. Before the border, you will pass the city of Kaunas, the university town of Lithuania. At the border you have to say goodbye to the Baltic States. The clocks go back by one hour. You sleep in the village Olsztyn, where you have been on day three. 

Today you will drive through Poland all day long. The road is smooth, small and you have provincial roads. After 200km you drive through the beautiful and classy town of Torün. The whole center has been beautifully renovated. After this, you drive again through the wide Polish countryside. You spend the night in the old capital of Poland, Poznan. The old centre can remind you a bit of Cracow.

You will start the last full touristic route of this trip. You drive a varied route through the west of Poland, towards the German border. After 200km you will arrive at the border. Just before the border at 165km, you cross the Oder. On the other side of the Oder in the town of Krosno Odrzanskie is a nice terrace where you can have lunch.

After lunch, it is almost 40km to the German border. As soon as you cross the border, your first ride through a flatter area and then into the Spreewald. This provides a beautiful route with lots of forest in this wooded moorland. The last kilometres of this day tour will bring you to the hotel in Potsdam. Potsdam is a city about 30 kilometres from Berlin. Here you will find a beautiful old city, which is known for its palaces, gardens and old Dutch quarter. You will spend the night in a 4-star hotel with a beautiful view over the Templiner See.