The journey takes you through the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Apart from a few mostly gentle hills, the route is flat. In Estonia, conditions for cyclists are very good: you follow signposted cycle paths and asphalted side roads with little car traffic. In Latvia, you have to rely on the main roads for long stretches. Tip: If you want to decide on the route spontaneously, you should enquire about the condition of the roads locally. You can communicate very well in English almost everywhere.
Away from the urban centres, you are usually alone on the main roads. Tip: Take the train to Riga from Sigulda (bike transport without problems), and leave Riga again by train. Many Latvians love full throttle and behave recklessly towards cyclists. This is particularly true of the section around Liepaja and the stretch to the Lithuanian border. From there, the situation is more relaxed again: the E10 coastal cycle path from Sventoje is virtually car-free as far as Klaipeda, from where a cycle path leads along the Curonian Spit to Nida.
Journey
By train via Lübeck to Travemünde-Skandinavienkai. Continue by ship to Helsinki (approx. 30 hours). Then onto the ferry to Tallinn (crossing approx. 2 hours). From Klaipeda by ship back to Kiel.
Best time to travel
May to September. If you are looking for solitude, travel outside of the holidays.
Ferries
Travemünde - Helsinki, inside cabin from 154 euros, bicycle 16 euros, www.finnlines.com
Klaipeda - Kiel, inside cabin from 150 euros, bicycle 15 euros, www.dfdsseaways.de
Accommodation
There is accommodation for every budget along the route.
Gastronomy
You can eat very well in all the larger towns. Restaurants are particularly good value in the countryside. Almost every village along the route offers fruit and vegetables from its own garden and often also small dishes. The markets, such as the Peter Market in Liepaja, are an experience: you can find almost everything you need to live. The tables bend under the weight of wild berries, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, etc.
Bike specific
The workshop of the Erenpreiss company in Riga, where ancient bicycles are restored with historical accuracy.
www.erenpreiss.com
The bicycle museum in Saulkrasti, north of Riga. www.velomuseum.lv
Travel guide
Instructions for use Baltic States, Piper14.90 euros
Light as a feather as an e-book on your smartphone: Baltic travel guide, Dumont, 20,99 Euro
Picture Atlas Baltic States, Dumont, 8,50 Euro
Maps
The maps for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from the Reise-Know-How series. Despite the scale, the maps are fully adequate, as you can easily distinguish the unpaved roads from the paved road network. 8.90 Euro or 9.95 Euro
Organiser
We were supported by the Hamburg tour operator Schnieder-Reisen, a specialist for trips to the Baltic States. www.schnieder-reisen.de
However, you can also organise the trip yourself without any problems.
Info
Cycling-specific information about travelling in the Baltic States on the Internet:
http://velovilnius.lt/balticcycle/de/
www.visitestonia.com
www.latvia.travel/de
www.litauen-info.de
The complete article was published in Trekkingbike issue 2/2016. You can read the entire issue in the Trekkingbike app (iTunes and Google Play) or order the issue in the DK shop.
You can download the individual articles as PDF files here.
