An area we have never yet explored is the entire North and Northeastern Europe. It would be nice to combine this whole area in one trip – it is easy to imagine circling the Baltic Sea (what we call ‘Oostzee’ – East Sea – in Dutch) clockwise or anti-clockwise. Piece of cake really, except that we are time-limited, we have four weeks only. Which is not enough.
So we compromise, and limit ourselves to the Baltics, for starters. Cynics may suggest that we do this whilst it is still possible, who knows what further Russian expansion plans involve, but I assure you that that has not even entered our mind!
the plan
The easiest, and most comfortable way to get to the Baltics and bring your car, is by ferry, cutting out a whole lot of driving. In fact, the ferry we selected goes from Travemunde, the port of Lubeck in Germany, to Helsinki, a 30-hour crossing, no less. So we might as well take in a bit of Finland, too, enjoying lakes and woods, and whatever else is there to see in the south of Finland. Then we take another ferry, Helsinki to Tallinn, from where we slowly start working our way back home: a few days Estonia, then on to Latvia and its capital Riga, and from there in a roundabout way to Vilnius in Lithuania. There they are, the Baltics broken down! We hope to find attractions not only in the main cities, which are the focus of most tourist guide books and websites, but also outside, to provide the necessary variation – I am sure we will, based on past experience.
And whenever we have had enough we head home, slip from Lithuania to Poland through the Suwalki corridor, that narrow strip between Russian Kaliningrad and Belarus, ie Russia for all intents and purposes. Now we still can – ah no, of course not, no doubt we will always be able to so. Make our way, perhaps, via Gdansk in Poland, and the Polish and German north coast (well, their only coast, really). Which is the south coast of what we still call ‘Oostzee’ in Dutch, but is in English appropriately called the Baltic Sea.
The Baltics, then, is going to be the main focus. Watch this space.
Next: to the ferry
Have a nice trip round the Baltic and enjoy!!