What is it like to visit Finland and the Baltic countries, things to do
In 2022, my husband and I spent two weeks in Helsinki, followed by a trip through the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It was one of the best trips we have ever taken.
I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of Europe, but most of my time on the continent has been spent exploring well-known destinations like France, Germany, England, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
And while I’d happily return to all of the above in a moment, in recent years I’ve found myself longing to visit parts of the world less traveled. This is how I chose my recent vacation to Finland and the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Latvia saw it that way 1.3 million visitors all of 2021 and Finland saw 8.97 millionwhile France saw 22.6 million the same year.
We chose it because we wanted a mix of urban exploration, relaxed countryside, history and culture. I’m so glad we went.
This is why I think everyone should go.
Unlike other European countries I have visited, we were able to see many cultures, different cities and different landscapes in a short time.
Although I have noticed that a large part of Europe is driveable, Finland and the Baltic countries are particularly compact, which makes it easy for us to get to know different landscapes and cities in about two weeks.
After a few days in Helsinki, we headed to the three Baltic countries, which are just over in terms of land mass 65,000 square kilometers. Together, that is smaller than the entire US state of Missouri.
I also understood that it meant we could fly from Chicago to Helsinki and then drive the rest of the way, so we didn’t need a connecting flight. Helsinki also had the most flights to and from the states, which I think made it easier to get in and out compared to the airports in the small Baltic cities of Vilnius, Tallinn and Riga.
Starting or ending a trip in Helsinki is a common way to see the Baltic countries and travel guides and websites I have consulted often include the city together with the Baltic or vice versa.
It’s only two to three hours from Helsinki on a big ferry to Tallinn, Estonia, and I think it’s cheap, about $35 per person. I also noticed that the ferry was well equipped, with restaurants, bars and shopping facilities on board.
The area as a whole was so easy to explore, I thought we might have even been able to do it all in a week and a half, but I’m glad we built in a few extra, low-key days.
Although close to each other, I thought each capital city we visited had its own distinct feel.
I thought that for the most part, all the capitals I visited on this trip felt very different from each other and from many other European regions I have visited.
Held in Helsinki, Finland the happiest country in the worldI saw futuristic, sustainable architecture mixed with layered statues and structures. I was thinking, for example, brand new Library of Ood it looked like it was straight out of a sci-fi movie with its seemingly gravity-defying architecture. I also felt that the city itself combined a fast-paced, modern feel, leaning heavily on its Nordic roots.
Then in Tallinn, Estonia, I experienced a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is one of them of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. I enjoyed exploring authentic medieval taverns such as Three dragonsand Telliskivi, known as a creative city handmade art, clothing, decor and food.
Later, when I arrived in the port city capital of Riga, Latvia, I immediately sensed a vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere alongside restored historic buildings and modern shopping. I learned that it has everything from one of the most impressive in the world collections of art nouveau buildings to the old town where I had meals with the locals.
Finally, in Vilnius, Lithuania, I admired the baroque architecture, explored the old town, wandered the cobbled streets and especially enjoyed Užupisa boho art district in Vilnius that considers itself an independent republic with its own currency.
I realized that we had so many opportunities to relax and recharge instead of feeling like we had to do as much as possible in a short amount of time.
Often when I’ve visited major cities in Europe, I’ve felt pressured to see and do as much as possible, with little rest between activities.
But in the Baltic countries I felt much more relaxed and at ease.
Although I still believe that exploring the big cities of the region is essential, one of the attractions of the Baltic countries for me was the huge parks, forests and countryside. It was a big part of this area that I wanted to experience, and it also made me feel more relaxed than in other big European cities like Paris, where I spent more time museum-hopping than going out.
I planned a few remote trips to the wilderness of the Baltic Sea, including the countryside of Lithuania. Our days were spent warming up in the sauna, sitting by the fireplaces, soaking in the wood-fired hot tub, making our own meals and reading and writing in a diary for hours at a time.
Even in big Helsinki, we got to spend the whole morning in the nearby Sipoonkorvi National Park, which we visited guided mushroom search an adventure followed by a bonfire.
I noticed that saunas are a big part of the lifestyle in these countries and I also fell in love with them.
Throughout our trip, we remembered that saunas are a central pillar in the everyday lives of people living in Finland and the Baltics.
Finland is over 3 million saunas – it’s about one sauna every other person in the country – and 99% of Finns visit the sauna at least once a week.
And these weren’t just ordinary saunas. For example, in the center of Helsinki, I noticed that there is a giant Ferris wheel in the harbor, where one of the carousels had a built-in sauna, aptly named. SkySaunaand there is even a Burger King in a city with a sauna.
Although I didn’t get to try either, I spent some time sweating it out in a more traditional option in Helsinki Steam. The sauna facilities there are located on the edge of the sea, so I was able to enjoy the traditional cold-hot experience by going back and forth between the cold waters and the pools in the saunas.
As our trip progressed, I noticed that the Baltic countries also seemed to be adopting the activity. Two of our Airbnbs in the Lithuanian countryside had built-in saunas, and one had a hot tub caused by a fire, which became very toasty.
I thought in every country we visited we ate some of the best food I’ve ever tasted and everything was cheaper than I thought it would be.
Before our trip, a friend of mine who had visited the area before told me that it was in these countries that he ate some of the best food he ever had.
He was absolutely right.
From the produce to the fish and meat, everything tasted very fresh, and in all the countries we visited, we ate high-end gourmet meals that would have cost several hundred dollars in the US but barely broke $50 in the Baltics, wine included. about us.
One of the best things I ate was a gourmet meal Burning In the Lithuanian countryside with mint-coriander ice cream and white chocolate yogurt ice cream; Pegasus in Tallinn, which offered a seasonal menu including forage mushrooms; Riga Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs where you eat by candlelight atmosphere; and The story of the restaurant in Helsinki The old market hall where I had traditional salmon soup.
I thought every country had a fascinating history that I learned about through immersive exhibits.
We had several insightful experiences in each Baltic country that gave us a deeper understanding of each country and its people.
One of our most compelling experiences was visiting Hill of crosses, a pilgrimage destination in northern Lithuania, where people come specifically to place crosses on their loved ones as a sign of strength and perseverance through winding history. It is believed that the first crosses were laid after this 1831 popular uprising, and since then it has collected thousands and thousands of crosses. I could feel the energy and respect as we walked through the maze of crosses.
Another very interesting experience was going on Cold War Museum, is located in an old missile silo in the Lithuanian countryside. The place, which once functioned during the Cold War, has been preserved and turned into a museum. It is the only one of its kind in Europe, according to the museum’s website, and includes exhibits on the development of rocket technology, samples of weapons, a restored command room and an actual shaft where visitors can see the engineering structure where combat missiles were stored underground for nearly two decades.
All are located in underground chambers, and part of it is built like a real museum with pictures and videos, and the rest of the areas are free to explore. We walked through long corridors that I learned once served as secret passages from the mission control rooms to the missiles themselves, and small, now bare bunkers that once housed agents.
These were just two cases, but during the trip, as we talked with locals and tour guides, we gained a deeper understanding of how each country is complex, resilient, and beautiful in its own right.
I am so grateful that I got to experience and learn about this part of the world first hand.