A trip to the Baltics and Poland in summer 2018

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Guest writers: Minna and Kaj Avrin

Here we tell you about our trip to the Baltics and Poland. During the trip we experienced history, traditions, big cities and lovely sandy beaches.

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Haapsalu

We took Tallink from Stockholm to Tallinn 22/6. The weather could have been better 🤣.

Since we had previously been in Tallinn, we only drank 11 coffee there and went on to Haapsalu. The road was lined with one Art Nouveau house after another as we drove out of Tallinn.

We have unfortunately been bad at noting which campsites and pitches we have stayed at. I think we were at Pikseke camping in Haapsalu. The standard was not the highest but quite ok.

We cycled to town. It turned out that on 23 June, Estonia's Victory Day was celebrated to commemorate the Battle of Võnnu (Cecis) on 23 June 1919. In the battle, the Estonians defeated the German forces trying to regain Baltic-German control of the region. The day coincides with Midsummer's Eve. The celebrations included carrying a fire from town to town. Visitors lit their own lanterns from this fire. There were speeches, choral singing and standard bearers. The railway station where the celebrations took place is an attraction in itself.

There were a lot of interesting things to see in Haapsalu. For example, a museum about how the Estonian Swedes lived before they fled to Sweden during World War II. We saw where Ilon Wikland had lived. A beautiful summer restaurant and castle ruin.

Kuressaare

From Haapsalu we drove to Kuressaare. There we stood at the Meri spa hotel. We walked in town and around and at the castle ruins. The next day was a nice day at the spa and ended it with dinner at Gospa, a good restaurant. The next day we played golf before travelling on to Pärnu.

Pärnu

In Pärnu we stayed at Konse Motel and Caravan Camping. From what we remember the standard was good. It is nicely located. We cycled to the beach where we relaxed in the sun and swam, then we cycled along the beach to the centre.

Jurmala and Riga

From Pärnu we first drove to Jurmala where there is a 32 km long sandy beach. We had planned to spend the night there but one campsite was closed and another was very expensive so we chose to just have lunch on the beach and sunbathe and swim for a while. The road until we turned towards Jurmala was good, then in worse condition. But the beach was worth driving to slowly!

In Riga we stayed two nights at City Camping, just enough to cycle to the city centre. Riga is an absolutely fantastic city, beautiful Art Nouveau houses and full of outdoor cafes. We took a tour with a sightseeing bus and cycled around the city centre. The market halls are a must visit.

One evening we ended up at a beach party, great music, good people, mojito and sunset 👍🏼

Vilnius

From Riga we drove to Vilnius. The city is built over a long period of time so there is a great variety of architecture. The city is called a baroque city but there are also examples of Gothic architecture, Renaissance and other styles.

One of us had overheard a conversation about pig ears being a delicacy not to be missed. Unfortunately, after a few bites, we were not of the same opinion. Fortunately, we found a French bistro that offered fine mussels.

Also in Vilnius we took a sightseeing bus, a great way to see the city and to learn more about it. Among other things, we went past the TV house that was occupied by the Soviet Union during Lithuania's struggle for independence in the early 90s.

Against Poland

From Vilnius we drove to Marijampole. We almost took a wrong turn and ended up in Kaliningrad. When we planned the trip, we chose not to go there. In order to get a visa, we would have had to indicate our arrival and departure dates and where we would be staying. A big point during our travels is precisely the freedom, to have an idea of where we are going and decide continuously how long we stay in different places and where we steer the car accordingly. So we didn't want to lock ourselves in.

In Marijampole we stayed only one night. The campsite was brand new with interesting decorations.

From Marijampole we drove towards Poland. It was pouring with rain! We have never seen so many lorries in one trip. It was just a matter of keeping your place in line. From Poland, there was a queue of lorries several kilometres long that would refuel as soon as they crossed the border.

We had written Gdansk as our destination in Google Maps and followed it. Not a great decision. The road was narrow and crooked and lots of roadworks, which meant that we absolutely could not keep the permitted speed. Saw later in our physical map that a little further west there was a slightly larger road. Good to use multiple tools for navigation.

Gdansk

We spent three nights in Gdansk. There were both nice moments on the beach and a canoe day in the city centre. We started the city visit by riding the Ferris wheel. Gdansk has really managed to preserve and enhance the city's genuine architecture. Newly built and old houses have similar architecture and colours.

We also chose to take a guided tour for two in a "fine car", a converted golf cart 🤣. We got to see the Solidarity Square and a memorial to dockworkers who died during the 1970 strike. We also walked among houses hidden under grass. If we remember correctly 🙈 these and the paths under them were used as hiding places during World War II.

There was a festive atmosphere on the pedestrian street with lots of happy supporters dressed in blue and yellow. Sweden beat Switzerland and reached the quarter finals. ⚽️

Sopot

We ended our stay in Poland with two nights in Sopot. Sun, swimming, sights. The cycle path between the campsite and the centre of Sopot was nice.

7/7 we took the ferry from Gdynia to Karlskrona. Very happy with the trip.

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Minna and Kaj Avrin

Minna and Kaj Avrin live for long periods in their motorhome. They are both interested in cooking and use the grill as a multi-tool. Trips to family and friends, southern Europe, the northernmost Nordic countries and everything in between are interspersed with the base at Mista camping. The variety of travelling combined with always "living at home" is the best part of motorhome life.

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