My husband and I went on a trip to the Baltic Countries in oct 2016. We started at Stockholm, to visit family. Stayed 5 days, walked everywere we could, because public transport is quite expensive. It’s a big city, with lots to do. So, we chose to visit: Arms museum(free and great), royal palace (expensive and not that interesting), old town (gamla stan), Nordiska museum. This last one was quite interesting, because I saw the fairest Virgin Mary of all! Vasa Museum is ok. Three nice surprises: boat ride around gamla stan, Stockholms city museum and the Hallwyl Museum. Beaitiful building!
Skansen Park is nice, but I’ve seen better scandinavian buildings in Norway.
We flew to Helsinki (ferry was too long and expensive), which turned out to be great! City museum was quite nice, olympic stadium and pool are of public use now (congratulations, by the way), and Island Suomenlinna was the cherry on the top! Sunny day on a historic island. Used to be a fort against russian invaders.
Left to Tallin on a estonian night ferry (great service, cheaper than the finish one).
Arrived in the morning. We spent 2 days in this fairy tale town. Walled medieval city, with great museums.
Left to Riga (Latvia) by bus. Luxexpress was cheap, on time, Wi-Fi included, coffee, and very comfortable.
When we arrived in Riga, we were received by men in arms who boarded our bus to check our passports. It looked like entering old URSS!
Riga was the most beatiful city on this journey! Must go: ascend St Peters church tower for 360 degree view. Specially if it is sunny. Russian street market, Riga food market and LZA panorama view offer a trip back in time to communist times. It is a must see and eat and do.
The only thing that realky bothered me was: it is a city for sex tourism as well. It was quite sad to see hords of rude British men treating waitresses and hostesses as sluts. We even entered what I thought to be a night club, but was a whore house. The sad look on those reaaly young women almost killed me.
After 2 days in Riga, we left to Vilnius by bus again (Lux express did not dissapoint). Vilnius is a horizontal, spread out city, comletely different from the predecessors. Cheaper, as well. Kgb museum was quite interesting. Climbing to the old palace view was good too. But the roof ate the university library was surprising. So full of life on a sad place. Years of domination, cold war and the bloody weather left me with the impression of sadness.
Great little restaurants. The bohemian neighborhood was disappointing.
Flew to Paris.
It was quite funny to be dissapointed at Paris after visiting such amazing little towns.
Paris was still beatiful, but big, noisy if compared to the three german style cities.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.