In case it's helpful to others planning a trip to the Baltics, I'm going to share my notes on highlights of our trip to Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, and Helsinki in May 2025. I'm going to have to break this up into parts to meet the Travel Forum character limit. We loved the Baltics and believe it's truly a hidden gem of Europe! Here goes ...
FROM VILNIUS TO RIGA
We took the bus to the Vilnius airport where we rented a car and drove to Riga (returned the car at the Riga airport and took the train to our hotel).
It was easy driving through Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. There were stretches where we had zero cell coverage so make sure you download your maps if you are driving and relying on Google or some other online navigation service.
If we had more time, I would have liked to have visited the Museum of Lithuanian Ethnography. It looks worthwhile.
We did stop at Rundale Palace in Latvia and this was one of our top highlights from our entire trip around the Baltic States! I’d consider it a must do for anyone!! It is this magnificent palace that is in the middle of nowhere and is not at all crowded. It is wonderfully restored and the entire palace and gardens blew our minds – the opulence, the art, the history. Also, the docents were excellent. Honestly, it was kind of a magical experience and 100% worth devoting an afternoon to a stop here. https://rundale.net/en/
We also stopped at the Hill of Crosses. It was interesting, but I think it would have meant more if we were Catholic. If it came down to choosing this or Rundale Palace, there would be no contest. And, in retrospect, I probably would choose the Museum of Lithuanian Ethnography over this, as well.