The Great Loop Along the Seacoast and Through Inland Forests

• Arrival in Rīga.
• Accommodation: in Rīga.

• Drive: Rīga - Jūrmala - Ķemeri National Park - Lake Valguma (68 km)
• Sightseeing and walking in Jūrmala resort town.
• Leave the car in Ķemeri.
• Forest Trail hike: Ķemeri - Lake Sloka - Bigauņciems (~10 km, 2 - 3h)

Road surface: Gravel roads, in Ķemeri – asphalt, pavement, park paths, forest trails with natural pavement, wooden footbridges.

Difficulty level: easy

Danger points: Be careful when walking along the side of the road!

Good to know! The Forest Trail at this section nearby Ķemeri overlaps with the pedestrian and bicycle route “Zaļā kāpa” (The Green Dune), which is marked white-yellow-white paint on the trees.

• Private transfer back to the car.

Accommodation: in Valgums.

• Drive: Valgums - Tukums - Kandava (42 km)
• Private transfer from Kandava to Sabile.

Sights en route:

• Sabile - romantic, small town of Kurzeme, which is located in the most beautiful and deepest part of the Abava valley, you can see the Wine Hill, visit the winery and cidery to taste the local made drinks.
• Kalnmuiža manor.
• Kandava - ancient architecture, cobbled streets, lanterns, mountainous terrain and beautiful nature views as well as the Abava bridge and possibility to taste the coffee made from oak acorns.
• Forest Trail hike: Sabile - Plosti - Kandava (20 km, 5 - 7h)

Road surface: Gravel roads and dirt roads, in a short section – trails, in Kandava – asphalt, pavement.

Difficulty level: easy

Danger points: Be careful when crossing the Fishermen's reinforced concrete bridge and walking along the side of the road!

Accommodation: in Kandava.

• Drive: Kandava - Kuldīga (60 km)
• Private transfer to Pelči.

Sights en route:

• “Mazsālijas” deer garden, wine cellar and tastings.
• Pelči palace and park with the ponds.
• Peony garden “Ziedoņi”.
• Sightseeing in Kuldīga. One of the most attractive towns of Kurzeme with architectural heritage of 17th and 18th century buildings.
• Hike: Pelči  - Kuldīga (11 km)

Road surface: Gravel roads, in Snēpele and Kuldīga – asphalt or pavement, promenade with gravel along the shore.

Difficulty level: easy

Danger points: Be careful when walking along the side of the road and crossing the Kuldīga bypass! There can be hogweeds on the roadsides!

Alternatives: Can add one extra day in Kuldīga to explore this nice town.

Accommodation: in Kuldīga.

• Drive: Kuldīga - Alsunga - Jūrkalne / Labrags (40 km)
• Leave the car in Jūrkalne or Labrags.

Sights en route:

• Ēdole castle.
• Alsunga village - the centre of the Suiti historical region, which is a small Catholic community in the Lutheran western part of Latvia. You can try their nice national costumes and taste their traditional carrot bun called “sklandrausis”.
• The steep shore of the Baltic Sea in Jūrkalne - they are up to 20 m high, washed by the waves and mostly made of sand and narrow bands of pebbles and stones.
• Baltic Coastal Hiking Route: Jūrkalne / Labrags - Pāvilosta (16 - 20 km, 7 - 9h)

Road surface: Sandy, pebbly beaches (with pebbles of different sizes), beaches covered in small stones. Near Pāvilosta and Jūrkalne: wide sandy beaches.

Difficulty level: difficult

Dangerous places: The bluffs collapse as the sea washes away the shore and the rain water washes out their slopes. You can come across landslides, landfalls, rockfalls, so the bluffs cannot be used for moving forward. To this end, stairs have been installed in many places. Landfalls mostly occur during storms or after them, as well as after heavy showers, but may also occur at other times.

• Public bus or private transfer from Pāvilosta back to the cars.
• Drive: Jūrkalne / Labrags - Pāvilosta (21 km)

Accommodation: in Pāvilosta.

• Drive: Pāvilosta - Liepāja (53 km)
• Morning in Pāvilosta town.
• Sightseeing in Liepāja. You can visit the Liepāja beach, Rose square, the Great Amber Concert hall and the Karosta former military town.
• Coastal hiking in Liepāja town: Liepāja - Karosta - Northern pier (6,5 km in one way)

Accommodation: in Liepāja.

• Drive: Liepāja - Pape - Palanga - Klaipėda (120 km)

Sights en route:

• Pape Nature Park - possible to see the Pape lighthouse, the Ķoņi historical fishermen village, museum also the wild horses.
• Coastal hiking: Pape lighthouse - Pape Ķoņi village - Pape lighthouse (5,5 - 6 km)
• Palanga sightseeing, it is worth walking along the pedestrian J. Basanavičiaus Street and see the symbol of Palanga - the pedestrian bridge.
• Klaipėda - an important port city in Lithuania.

Accommodation: in Klaipėda.

• Ferry: Klaipėda - Smiltynė
• Drive: Smiltynė - Nida (~50 km)

Sights en route:

• Nida, the most popular resort town in the Curonian Spit, where you can walk along the promenade and see the typical architecture of the Curonian Spit region — one-storey wooden buildings with tile or reed roofs and window shutters painted blue and white.

Accommodation: in Nida.

• Drive: Nida - Juodkrantė (30 km)
• Bus: Juodkrantė - Pervalka
• Hiking: Pervalka - Juodkrantė (18 km, 5 - 6h)

Road surface: Sandy beaches, single-track forest trails, paved pedestrian/cyclist lanes. Pavement and cobblestones in populated areas.

Difficulty level: easy

Good to know: Visitors must stay exclusively on the established trails in the Nagliai Nature Reserve.

• Drive: Juodkrantė - Klaipėda (20 km)

Accommodation: in Klaipėda.

• Drive: Klaipėda - Plateliai (~70 km)
• Bus or private transfer Plateliai - Paplatelė.
• Forest Trail hike: Paplatelė - Plateliai in Žemaitija National Park (20 km, 5 - 7h)

Road surface: Forest roads and trails, asphalt pedestrian / bicycle paths and sidewalks, gravel roads.

Difficulty level: easy

Good to know: During the summer season, there are many holidaymakers around Lake Plateliai.

Sights en route:

• Plokštinė cognitive trail.
• Cold War exposition - located in the former Soviet Union underground ballistic missile launch complex.
• Siberija Observation Tower - 15 m high with a panorama view to the surroundings of Plateliai.
• Plateliai - one of the most beautiful and famous towns in Žemaitija, can see the Plateliai.

Accommodation: in Plateliai.

• Drive: Plateliai - Telšiai (35 km)
• Leave the car in Telšiai, at the accommodation place.
• Forest Trail hike: Telšiai - Buožėnai (18 km, 5 - 7h)

Road surface: Mostly gravel roads, asphalt, forest paths, in a swampy place - wooden paths, in Telšiai and surroundings - asphalted pedestrian and bicycle paths.

Difficulty level: easy

Danger points: Be careful when walking on the side of the road and crossing the A 11 highway!

Sights en route:

• Germantas and Ilgio lake cognitive trails which are part of the Forest Trail. The Ilgio lake trail is ~ 1,2 km long around the lake, but the total length of the trails are ~12,4 km.
• Telšiai - the capital of Žemaitija region, the town is located in the Žemaitija Upland, on seven hills by the beautiful Lake Mastis and the Durbinis stream. It is worth seeing Zakso hill, Lake Mastis and the Amphitheater of Telšiai.

Bus back to Telšiai.

Accommodation: in Telšiai.

• Fahrt: Telšiai - Kurtuvėnai (57 km)
• Wald-Wanderweg: Kurtuvėnai - Šaukėnai (16 km, 4–6 h)

Belag der Strecke: Kleine Waldwege und kleine Forststraßen, Holzpfade zum Überqueren von nassen Stellen, Asphaltstraßen in Šaukėnai.

Schwierigkeitsgrad: leicht

Gut zu wissen! In diesem Abschnitt durchkreuzt der Wald-Wanderweg andere Wanderwege. Die Wegmarkierungen sollten sorgfältig befolgt werden und es ist ratsam, GPX-Dateien zu verwenden.

Sehenswürdigkeiten auf der Strecke:

• Die Scheune des Landguts Kurtuvėnai und das Besucherzentrum des Regionalparks Kurtuvėnai.
• Pferdemuseum Kurtuvėnai.
• Naturerkundungspfad von See Juodlė.

Bus zurück zu den Autos in Kurtuvėnai.

Fahrt: Kurtuvėnai – Šiauliai (27 km)

Unterkunft: in Šiauliai.

• Drive: Šiauliai - Rīga (132 km)
• Alternative: can also drive to Vilnius and end the tour there.