THE BALTIC STATES
The Baltic States are comprised of
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and are gateway countries for entering or exiting Russia from its western border.
Lithuania, once the largest country of Medieval Europe, has had a profound influence on the cultural and architectural development of Eastern Europe. Despite invasions and partial destruction, it has preserved an impressive complex of historic Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings. Vilnius, the capital, boasts the biggest Old Town of the Baltics, and is increasingly referred to as "the new Prague." Kaunus, the second-largest city of the country and previous capital, is said to best reflect Lithuania's heart and soul.
Latvia, population 2.6 million, is nestled between Lithuania and Estonia, and has long served as a bridge between Western Europe and Russia. The famous "route from the Vikings to the Greeks" mentioned in ancient chronicles stretched from Scandinavia through Latvian territory along the Daugava River to the ancient Russia and the Byzantine Empire.
Riga, the capital, has been an important centre of trade, finance and culture for centuries. Riga has unique treasures due to its rather intact medieval architecture and that of later periods, the urban structure, the richness and quality of Art Noveau architecture and the 19th century wooden architecture of the city.
The most prosperous of the Baltic States,
Estonia seems to resemble Scandinavia more than the old Soviet Union to which it once belonged. Tallinn, the capital, is an important port and one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe. It is a city of grey towers topped with red tiles, of stone stairs beneath arching gateways, of narrow winding streets, cobbled pavement and towering ramparts. Outside the capital, other notable towns include Tartu, an ancient university town in the south-east, Narva with its imposing fortress on the border with Russia in the north and Parnu with its attractive beach in the south-west.
TRANSPORT (train tickets)
Vilnius - Warsaw: $86 2nd class
Vilnius - Moscow: $141 2nd class $226 1st class
Vilnius - St Petersburg: $107 2nd class $182 1st class
Vilnius - Riga: $35 2nd class
Riga - St Petersburg: $123 2nd class $198 1st class
Riga - Moscow: $145 2nd class $214 1st class
Tallinn - St Petersburg: $61 2nd class $114 1st class
