The Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Travelling from north to south, my brother and I began our two week trip this August in Tallinn. From there, we planned to visit the island of Saaremaa before returning to the mainland and travelling through Latvia to a town called Cesis in the Gauja valley.
So three stops were planned and eight nights of the 14 accounted for. From there we decided we'd ad lib and book accommodation as we travelled, so as to have the freedom to move where and when we wished.
Stop 1: Tallinn, Estonia
After a 6am flight, we arrived in Tallinn at 11:30 local time and made the easy journey to our hostel by tram (only missing our stop by one)! The hostel we stayed in was called Fat Margaret's and I can highly recommend it - friendly staff, comfy beds and great facilities plus a location just over the road from the Old Town.
We dropped our bags and set off in search of food, making our way through the cobbled streets to the market square. We then fuelled up on 'Siberian dumplings' (not pictured) and sizzling wild mushrooms with potatoes - the first of many this trip...
Restaurant - Troika
We then hit the Old Town with a few specific places on our list like the Estonian History Museum and KGB prison cells but mainly just taking in the sights by winding our way though the beautiful streets.
At the top of the town there are various view points, which overlook the city as far as the port with its Helsinki-bound ferries (see below).
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is hard to miss and as stunning inside as it is out.
Day 2 took us to the television tower just outside the city - the best view and the highest cup of tea I've yet to experience!
(below) a rather disconcerting sight..!!
We then walked back through the forest, stopping at the windswept Pirita beach on the way.
