The Baltics is a region of Northern Europe which is made up of 3 former-Soviet countries: Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. These oblong-shaped nations are stacked on 1 top of the other and separated from Finland and Sweden by the Baltic Sea. Even though often lumped together, these three nations are proud individuals with their own senses of culture and identity, and each offers some thing unique to the visitor.
If you are thinking of making a trip to Latvia, Lithuania and/or Estonia, here are six ideas on how to travel in the Baltics.
1) Don’t ever call them Russians! While many Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians are able to speak Russian (mostly because of their former inclusion in the Soviet Union), each nation carries its own proud identity that is unique from the rest. Many Baltic people do come from Russian heritage, but still consider themselves culturally from their own country.
2) Don’t go during the winter. Unless you are the adventurous type, you probably should never visit this area during the winter. The Baltics are very far north and see long, harsh winters with very few hours of daylight and plenty of snow and ice. Meanwhile, summertime in the Baltics is warm, green and sunny.
3) Explore the villages. The three capital cities: Riga (Latvia), Vilnius (Lithuania) and Talinn (Estonia) are not the only things to see in their respective countries, so get out into the countryside and learn something about the villages. While the capital cities are quite cosmopolitan, you are going to enjoy another more down-to-earth element of these Baltic cultures by getting away from the cities.
4) See the sea. The Baltic Sea coast is one of the most gorgeous and underrated coastal areas in Europe. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia all boast wonderful seaside towns along their coasts, and while swimming in the Baltic Sea might not be too pleasant as it never fully warms up, many of the beaches have soft sand and are good for tanning and relaxing.
5) Exchange your euros. Despite being members of the European Union since 2004, each Baltic country has kept its own local currency, so you may need to exchange your money as soon as you arrive to each one. In Latvia, the lat is the local currency, while Lithuania uses the lita and Estonia uses the kroon. Typically, these currencies are valued at a high rate (meaning you get fewer of them for each euro that you exchange), but fear not – the cost of visiting and living in these countries is still quite low, so your money goes a whole lot farther.
6) Don’t call the Baltics “Eastern Europe”. This phrase has fallen really much out of favor, and the Baltic nations are most decidedly northern, so when referring to the area, don’t use “Eastern.”
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