European Snow Trip to the Arctic (part 2)

After more than a week on the road, we finally arrived in the Baltic region! LITHUANIA, also known as “The Country of 6,000 Lakes”, greeted us with lots of snow and a few spectacular frozen lakes.

Our first stop was the picturesque and majestic Trakai Castle. It is the only Eastern European castle built on a little island. Its construction began in the 14th century but it was partially destroyed several times until it was rebuilt for the last time in the 20th century. 

The view of this red brick castle, the six frozen lakes surrounding it and the cute wooden bridges you need to cross to reach the island was out of this world… 

If you add to it the rainbow wooden houses and the lonely boats on the lakes, you will understand why we absolutely loved the place despite the freezing temperatures and the wet snow that kept falling… 

We were among the very few people wandering around and, coming from tropical Asia, did not have the proper shoes and jackets for this type of snow. Our bodies, and mostly our feet, got soaked to the skin and we probably looked literally like drowned rats! This is when we spotted the food truck selling delicious and warm kibinai - the Lithuanian traditional pies, stuffed with various fillings from meat to cabbage, which felt like a gift from heaven! We didn’t have time to take a picture of the pastries before we devoured them - they were way too delicious! So we took a picture of the food truck instead! 

After Trakai, we headed northwest to a place which had been on our bucket list for its particular geographical features - the Curonian Spit. This 98 kilometre-long thin piece of land separating the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea has a width varying between 400 metres and 4 kilometres. It is shared between Lithuania and, as strange as it may sound if you know your geography, Russia, or rather the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast, situated between Lithuania and Poland. The territory has Russia's only port on the Baltic Sea that remains ice-free in winter, which explains why it was annexed to the Soviet Union after the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

Besides, the Curonian Spit is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site! It is home to the highest moving (drifting) sand dunes in Europe - their average height is 35 metres, with some of them attaining 60 metres… It was such a tiny piece of land but a magical one!

In addition to the dunes, there were endless beaches which were deserted in winter but must get quite busy in summer. It was so windy and freezing cold that it felt like we were already in the Arctic. With our winter clothes, we were a pretty unusual sight on the white-sand beach!

The pine forests were so fragrant. The traditional wooden houses painted in bright colours were ubiquitous and incredibly quaint! 

Who has never dreamed of a fisherman’s pink wooden house?

It almost felt like the “Hansel and Gretel” fairy tale and its bread, cake, and sugar house in the forest had come to life! 

And it was not only the houses on the Curonian Spit that were pink… You absolutely have to taste šaltibarščiai - the famous pink cold soup made from beetroots, kefir, milk and dill. It is usually served in summer but we ordered it anyway - it was delicious and we could not get enough of it! It reminded us of the Bulgarian cold soup tarator but with beetroots! Lithuanian food is delicious! In the local restaurant we also tried the crusted fish with sesame and almonds and the potato pancakes with salmon and sour cream!

During the few days we stayed on the Curonian Spit, we followed the cute boardwalks built over the dunes to reach the Baltic Sea and admired the stunning views and the sunrise over the Curonian Lagoon!

We were even able to spot the Russian part of the spit in the distance. 

We saw many swans and a few wild boars roaming around the lagoon as well. Despite the jumping elk sign, there were no elks but this was still the beginning of our European Snow Trip!

Local artists had built some lovely sand sculptures next to the lagoon. The wind was slowly blowing away this ephemeral art, which reminded us of the mandala symbolising the impermanence of life.

We had many places in Lithuania on our bucket list but had to make choices, also taking into account that most of them would be closed in winter. Therefore, we decided to head north to the famous Hill of Crosses. It is a unique place with an estimate of 100,000 crosses in various shapes… 

According to the legend, their planting began in the 14th century. During the communist era, the Soviets bulldozed them but each night people crept past the soldiers to plant more. 

It is a strange and spiritual place which will certainly touch some strings…

The next country on our way to the Great North was LATVIA. Latvians call their country “The Land that Sings”. Besides referring to their pleasant voices, the term also reminds of the “Singing Revolution” when they literally sang for their freedom from the USSR in a series of protests. This kind of rang a bell for me as, despite being a kid back then, I still remember people singing in the streets of Bulgaria in 1990 during what felt more like celebrations than protests! You could hear George Michael’s song “Freedom” everywhere…

Our first stop in Latvia was the 18th-century baroque-style Rundale Palace, surrounded by the charming Latvian countryside. It was designed by the architect of the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg. January was probably not the best time to visit the gardens but we had them for ourselves. The contrast of the pastel pink and yellow facades of the palace and the white of the snow was stunning!

The interior was striking as well with its blue-tiled fireplaces in each room, the lavish stucco decorations and paintings and even an impressive collection of rare vases from China and Japan. It looked a little bit like the quaint Latvian version of the French Versailles Palace!

The story of the place was fascinating as well. In 1795, Catherine the Great presented the palace to Count Valerian Zubov, the youngest brother of one of her lovers, Prince Platon Zubov! During the centuries, it served as a hospital (several soldiers who died there were buried in the park), a commandant's office, a school, flats for Latvian military veterans and even a grain storehouse!

After this wonderful immersion in one of the most famous palaces of Latvia, we decided to visit the country’s capital - Riga. 

I still remember when my mom went there on a business trip in the 1980s. She praised the city’s beauty so much when she returned that I had always wanted to visit it since then. And she was right - the old town of Riga was charming during the day and mysteriously stunning by night. 

We felt like we were part of a Brothers Grimm’s winter fairy tale… The gorgeous spires of the churches, the mystical street lamps and the stunning houses made us travel back in time…

The House of the Blackheads, erected for a guild of unmarried merchants, shipowners and foreigners, was exquisite and was also the site of the first decorated Christmas Tree. We went to see it in the evening and decided that it was worth returning in the morning - the details were even more stunning at sunrise! 

Another house coming straight out of a fairy tale was the early 20th-century Cat House, styled as mediaeval architecture with some Art Nouveau elements. The name came from the two sculptures of angry-looking cats with arched backs and raised tails on its roof. 

Finally, you cannot miss the charming Three Brothers houses built respectively in the 15th, early and late 17th century, which together form the oldest complex of dwelling houses in Riga. Their architectural styles and pastel colours were captivating.

If you have not fallen in love with Riga by now, just stop at one of the local restaurants. The cuisine is delicious, in particular the desserts and the mulled wine!

If you want to discover some countryside architecture in addition to Riga’s jewels, you should head to the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, located just outside the capital. 

This is the only place in Latvia displaying the similarities and differences of how people used to live in the various historical regions of the country. 

Quaint churches and houses, picturesque windmills and cute dwarfs were scattered in the beautiful forest which was so quiet and serene…

During our visit, we came across a bunch of lovely cats and less than ten humans, one of whom was the lady who sold us our tickets.

We continued driving north and crossed the border to ESTONIA. Our last Baltic country gave us a first taste of what the Nordic countries might look like in winter - cute wooden houses nestled in snowy forests, the gorgeous Baltic Sea (sometimes frozen in winter due to its shallowness and few currents) and, last but not least, the fireplace and the private sauna in our B&B - a real blessing after a cold day outdoors. 

Since we love remote places, we jumped on the first ferry to Saaremaa on the west coast of Estonia. 

The short trip at sunrise through the Baltic Sea covered by sea ice was stunning and the wild moose which welcomed us at our arrival on the island made our day! 

The name of Estonia's largest island - roughly the size of Luxembourg - literally means "Island Land" and sounds like an ancient Viking spell. You cannot miss the abundance of double vowels on the road signs. The Estonian language is actually similar to its Finnish neighbour and sounds completely different from Lithuanian and Latvian, which are closer to Polish and Russian. 

During the Soviet era, Saaremaa Island was off-limits for mainland Estonians and foreigners and hence has kept its wilderness and idyllic countryside. 

You will bump into hundreds of swans, charming lonely boats, picturesque wooden windmills, colourful orthodox churches and enchanting lighthouses. 

The island is the perfect tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of modern life. 

If you are a culture fan, a visit to the impressive 14th-century Gothic-style Kuressaare Castle is a must. It stands on an artificial island, ringed by protective walls, bastions and a moat, and is considered one of the best preserved mediaeval fortifications in the Baltics. 

While crossing the bridges to exit the castle, you will come across some cute Estonian cats who definitely have the right gear for the cold weather! 

Some quaint wooden buildings and a serene shady park surrounded the castle as well.

Crossing back to the mainland, we headed to Tallinn. 

Estonia’s capital is situated on the shore of the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea, only 80 kilometres south of our next destination - Helsinki.

The Tallinn Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

It is also one of the best-preserved mediaeval cities in Europe with its still-standing mediaeval defensive walls, gates and towers.

It was pleasant to wander around the cute, cobblestone streets and marvel at the ubiquitous pastel-coloured houses and doors which looked magical against the falling snowflakes.

You cannot miss the unmistakable onion domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the impressive Tallinn Town Hall - the oldest surviving town hall in Northern Europe - with its dragon gargoyles.

The day had finally arrived for us to hop again on a ferry and cross the Gulf of Finland from Tallinn to Helsinki…