PKW-Fahrten

Während dieser dreitägigen Tour werden Sie eine der ungewöhnlichsten Landschaften des Baltikums die Kurische Nehrung kennenlernen. Sie werden auch interessante Gebiete in Lettland, den Naturpark vom Pape-See und den ehemaligen Militärhafen von Liepāja besuchen. Solange der Kriegshafen noch seinen „sowjetischen Charm" hat, lohnt sich der Besuch des Hafens auf jeden Fall. Neue und unvergessliche Eindrücke hinterlassen werden zwei einzigartige Objekte, die "Absurde Stadt" und die "Stadt der Steine". Sie wurden vom Menschen geschaffen und sind nicht nur in baltischen Ländern, sondern auch in grösserem Maßstab einmalig.

The road trip from Vilnius to Rīga will take you to the most beautiful and important sightseeing places of the
Forest Trail in Lithuania and its southern part in Latvia. You will start your tour with the visit of the capital city – Vilnius, then you will go to the historic resort town of Druskininkai, meandering through the town following the route of the Forest Trail. You will then visit the Dzūkija National Park, Merkinė Mound and the resort town of Birštonas, situated in the territory of Nemunas loops regional park. Further you will reach the second largest city in Lithuania – Kaunas, walking through the city along the route of the Forest Trail to finally reach the Panemunė forest. You will then walk along the beautiful banks of the river Nemunas to Vilkija, which boasts of its unique ferry service.

Next on the route is the Dubysa Regional Park, which includes the spectacular Dubysa river valley, historic churches and mounds along its banks. Be prepared, since the terrain of this area is rather rolling. Next, you will visit the town of Šiluva, which is a Catholic pilgrimage site, and then travel to the Tytuvėnai Regional Park, where you walk the natural trail of the lake of Gilius, which is part of the Forest Trail. The tour will continue in the Kurtuvėnai Regional Park, where you will walk one section of the Forest Trail from Kurtuvėnai to Šaukėnai, leading along small forest trails, educational trails, beautiful tree alleys and through wetlands. Then you will go to the region of Samogitia, visiting Telšiai and walk one of the Forest Trail sections along Lake Plateliai.

Next, the tour takes you through the stone town of Mosėdis to Latvia, where you will stop over to have a walk on one of the oldest towns in Latvia – Aizpute, enjoying its 19th century wooden architecture and the local wine brewery. Next you will take a small walk along the Forest Trail in the eye-catching Kazdanga manor park and drive on to the most beautiful town of Kurzeme – Kuldīga. At the end of the tour, you will walk a section of the Forest Trail along the Abava River Valley Nature Park and nature trails in the Ķemeri National Park.

Since ancient times bread has been our staple food, and formed part of breakfast, lunch and our evening meal. We bake bread from rye, wheat, buckwheat and barley. Both fine-ground and wholemeal flour is used. Bread baking is one of the most honoured traditional skills in Latvia. Caunītes country house keeps Latvian traditions alive and demonstrates them to visitors. The house is designed and decorated in the traditional Latvian style and exudes an authentic ambience while having modern facilities.

Under the guidance of the hostess, visitors will bake their own loaf of sweet-and-sour bread in a wood-fired bread oven. In Latvian families it was traditionally one of the main duties of the lady of the house to bake a week’s supply of bread for the whole family every Saturday morning. Every woman was proud of her own unique recipe and passed it down to her daughters and granddaughters through the generations. There are many traditional beliefs, sayings and riddles linked with bread in Latvian folklore. Today, there is great interest in the old recipes, bread-baking methods and the use of organic ingredients as many families are opting for a healthy lifestyle.

 The tour starts at former Hanseatic port town Gdansk with its pretty Old Town, then continues to Malbork, an impressive fortified medieval castle and on to laid-back Formbrok with a magnificient Gothic cathederal. The route crosses the Mazurianlake district where hundreds of lakes are connected to rivers and canals, best expereinced from the deck of a boat.

 Continue to Wigry National Park with walking trails and interesting archaeological and cultural remains. Further into Lithuania, Dzukija National Park has several well preserved traditional farmsteads and villages which are well worthavisit. It's a good place to experience Lithuanian crafts and traditions, for instance bee keeping. Then the route goes via Kaunas to the Curonian Spit formed by shifting sand dunes between its lagoon and the sea. Pretty little villages are located along its length. Next the route goes to the sea resort Palanga with a great Amber Museum and on to Latvia.

 Stop at Pape Nature Park, a diverse mosaic of nature’s ecosystems, where wild horses and oxen breed. Slītere National Park shows the historical development of the Baltic Sea. Cape Kolka is a prime spot for bird migrations, Slītere lighthouse provides a great view of the surrounding forests and traditonal Liv villages, one of the smallest ethnic groups in the world. The Ķemeri National Park includes different types of wetlands and vast bogs. It is famous for its sulphur springs. Walk a Great Heath trail there and try the curative spring water.

 Further on Gauja National Park is formed around the ancient valley of the Gauja river with picturesque sandstone cliffs from the Devonian period. Here are many historic monuments – medieval castles, churches and ancient settlements which you can see crossing the valley on a cable car. Ligatne Nature trails offer a chance to observe local wild animals.

 Saaremaa's landscape is characterised by large juniper growths, dolomite cliffs, windmills, medieval churches and the famous Kaali meteorite lake. It also retains a very Estonian soul. Sooma National Park has contrasting swamps. Walk a beaver trail there and try 'bog-shoeing'. Lahemaa National Park has a rugged coastal andscape with big boulders, traditional fishing villages, forest trails and romantic manor houses. From Tallin take a ferry to Helsinki, from where it is an easy trip to Nuuksio National Park, home to an endangered flying squirrel. The landscape here is dominated by valleys and gorges, rocky hills covered by lichen and sparse pine forest that is very different to the previous parks. Well-equipped walking trails have several scenic views.

This tour offers visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites – Helsinki, Stockholm, Riga, Tallinn, travelling by ferries and cruise ships and adding value to the trip by exploring the Baltic countries beyond the capitals. The sites outside cities present traditional folk cultures of Finland, Sweden, Estonia and Latvia and a variety of farms showing today’s life in the countryside. The roundtrip includes two overnights on cruise ships.

The tour introduces a variety of attractions and values outside big cities revealing the true character of the countries. Visitors will experience the beauty of nature in national parks, charming ambience of rural manors, visit traditional rural farms and skilful traditional artisans and craftsmen.

A panoramic tour of Lithuania and Latvia with highlights of nature experiences in the National parks and nature reserves. A variety of landscapes, nature attraction sites, birds and wild animals, forests and seashore. The tour also offers some cultural and historical insights.

Baltic States are lucky to have plenty of untouched natural territories. During the Cambrian, Silurian and Devonian eras, the territory of the current Baltic States was often covered by seawater, which is why there are places where lots of geological evidence can be found about these periods in history.  These are manifested not just in fossils and various geological objects, but also in the unique landscape. For example, The Gauja River basin is an outstanding locations for Devonian cliffs and caves. Other interesting elements of the terrain relate to the development of the Baltic Sea in the past – the Baltic Ice Sea and the Littorine Sea. That is well presented at he landscape of hillocks and valleys in the Slītere National Park. Many forests  and bogs have remained virtually untouched as biotopes here.  The Ķemeri, Slītere national parks were all established to protect wetlands. Rivers in the Baltic States have not been straightened and dense areas of buildings are not common.  There are two “lands of lakes” in the Baltic States – Latgale and Augštaitija. The Baltic States are at the crossroads of the living areas of many different plants and animals, and that is why “northern,” “southern,” “western” and “eastern” species can all be found here. Some national parks have been established to protect distinctive local cultural heritage.

The tour introduces modern day life in rural Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania and includes visits to small farms raising livestock and producing delicious foods, and to ethnographic villages preserving the traditional lifestyle in a contemporary environment. The tour also involves sites of historical and cultural interest.

The tour gives a look beyond the usual tourism sites to get to know the three Baltic states more deeply. It starts in the historic Latvian capital, Riga, followed by the Gauja National Park with its castles, manors and walking trails. Climb the tower of medieval Turaida Castle for amazing views over the valley and visit the ancient jewellery master in the castle of the charming town of Cesis. 

Across the border in Estonia, walk streets with elegant villas at Parnu sea resort before catching a ferry to Saaremma island. Ethnographic Koguva village, ancient churches and windmills are typical of the island, as is an embroidering tradition. Then it's off to Tallinn with its medieval Old Town and to the rocky landscapes of Lahemaa National Park with fishing villages and manors. Try Estonian national dishes at the pub in Altja. Driving back, stop at the university town of Tartu. In Latvia again, visit goat farms and a traditional black bread bakery. Then the tour heads towards the west coast with the cities of Liepaja and, across the border in Lithunaia, Klaipeda. Next is the incredible Curonian Spit. Before Vilnius, take a detour to Grutas Park with its bizarre Soviet statuary. Finish the journey at picturesque Trakai Castle in Lithuania and Rundale Palace in Latvia.