Estonia is an absolutely amazing country, and it’s natural beauty is one of the many reasons why tourists are drawn here.  From deserted beaches, forests, over 1,000 lakes, manor houses and castles to the medieval capital city of Tallin, Estonia positively surprises each and every traveler who makes the trip.

Most travelers enter Estonia through Tallin.  A city of contrasts, the Medieval Old Town (one of the most well-preserved Hanseatic town centres in the world) with it’s fortresses and baroque cathedrals, is only a stones throw away from the city business district with it’s modern skyscrapers, luxurious restaurants, high tech hotels and western shopping malls.

On the outskirts of Tallin to the east lies Kadriorg Palace, which was constructed by Peter the Great for his wife Catherine, and to the northwest lies the beach resort of Pirita, most famous as the venue for the Tallin Sound Stage, a prestigious music festival held annually.  West Estonia is in fact well known for it’s many beach resorts, and other popular destinations include Haapsalu and Parnu, which is known as the “summer capital” of Estonia.

The Estonian Islands off the west coast are cultural treasures, having managed to maintain their traditional culture as well as their lush and pristine landscape due to their isolated location.  Saaremaa Island is the largest, and villages remain made of stone fences and thatched roofs.  A meteorite crater is also accessible from Kaali.

Bordering the Baltic Sea, Lahemaa National Park is one of the most beautiful regions in the country, providing a natural habitat for bears, elk, lynx and wolves as well as a variety of other rare and unique wildlife.  Former barons lived in this area, and their manor homes are still standing today, however for impressive medieval castles you should head to Narva (Hermann Castle) and Kuressaare (episocopal castle).

Getting to Estonia has never been easier – the country is easy to reach by car, bus, plane and boat, however train travel is only useful if you are coming from Russia or Latvia.

Tallin during winter. Photo Source: Go Overseas

While small and flat, Latvia is a country whose picturesque towns and ancient cities are set within a landscape of three thousand lakes and evergreen forests which cover half the country.  Gauja National Park is a particularly stunning area – where cliffs, caves, medieval castles, palaces and ruins are dotted across the landscape – however the city which draws tourists to Latvia is Riga.

A beautiful and historic city situated on the Daugava River, Riga boasts the best concentration of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe.  Building facades are decorated with flowers, plants, escucheons and masks making them distinctly Latvian (head to Alberta Street), and it is due to the diversity of architectural styles that Riga has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Buildings such as the Town Hall and the Blackheads Guild Hall which were devastated during World War II have been completely reconstructed, however luckily the majority of other landmarks around Riga, such as the Great Guild Hall, Cat’s House, St Mary Magdalene’s and St Peter’s Churches, were not damaged.

It seems like the population of Riga migrates to nearby Jurmala during the summer months to take advantage of 6 miles of white sandy beaches, healing waters and mud baths.

Tourists rarely venture out from Riga, however impressive sights await those  who do. To the south, Rundale Palace in Zemgale is an impressive palace which was designed by the same architect of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, Russia.  To the east tourists will find themselves in the Land of Blue Lakes which is the Latgale region, and to the west is Kurzeme, where the medieval coastal towns of Liepaja and Ventspils remain well preserved, and where deserted beaches stretch for miles.

Rundale Palace, Latvia. Photo Source Lonely Planet

Lithuania is the largest of the Blatic States, however with the shortest coastline.  Regardless of size, the Baltic coastline along Lithuania is still spectacular; beauty which is enhanced by large dunes which have given the Neringa Peninsular the name “Lithuanian Sahara”.  Quite like the other two of the Baltic States, Lithuania too is as flat as a pancake, however is the most picturesque of the three countries thanks to it’s 4,000 odd lakes, rivers and forests which span across 5 national parks as well as the Neman River Basin.

Vilnius, with it’s medieval castles, traditional wooden houses, baroque churches, cathedrals and a number of museums, is the tourist hot spot in Lithuania.  The oldest buildings throughout the city are well preserved, and due to the diversity of architecture, a blend of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classicism, the old town has been listed as a World Heritage site.

Day trips out of Vilnius could include a controversial visit to Grutas Park and Museum – a collection of monuments from the 1917 Revolution as well as the Soviet Era, which includes dismantled statues of Lenin; as well as Europas Parkas – a sculpture park representing the geographical center of the European Continent.

Kaunas is nearby, and is the second major city in Lithuania, worth visiting for it’s cultural traditions and 13th century buildings and monuments.  A 14th century castle as well as several museums sits in the town of Trakai.

The Old Town: Vilnius. Photo Source: Crown Cup