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Credit: Artis Veigurs/Visit Latvia
Baltic States
Independent States by the Baltic Sea
Baltic States is a 'geo-political term' given to a grouping of three independent countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania that are located on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. The region gets its name from the sea, and the sea’s name (in Latin) first appeared in writing in the 11th century books of German medieval chronicler Adam of Bremen. He referred to it as 'mare Balticum', explaining that the inhabitants called it 'Balticus' “because it stretched like a belt (in modum baltei) as far as the Scythian regions and Greece”. At the time, the Baltic Sea was also called the Scythian Sea.
These countries have shared a tumultuous history. They have been ruled by Danes, Swedes, Germans and Russians. After centuries of conquest and serfdom imposed by various competing empires, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania gained political and economic independence in 1920. Ravaged by war and economic hardships, all three states faced difficult political restructuring and experienced unstable governments. The uneasy independence did not last; in 1940, the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania, followed just days later by Latvia and Estonia. Soviet control, broken only briefly by German occupation in the last few years of World War II, would last until 1991.
The Baltic Way was the largest and most important campaign of the Baltic states aimed towards regaining their freedom during Soviet control. The Baltic Way was a peaceful political demonstration which took place on 23 August 1989 when approximately two million people joined their hands forming a 600 km long human chain through the Baltic countries, thus demonstrating their unity in their efforts towards freedom.
Languages
Latvian and Lithuanian languages belong to the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family.
Estonian language on the other hand belongs to the Baltic-Finnic branch of the Finno-Ugric language group, being most closely related to Finnish. Another member of the Finno-Ugric language group is Hungarian.
Estonia
Estonia's UNESCO world heritage capital Tallinn was granted city rights in the 13th century by the King of Denmark. Since then, the streets of Tallinn have seen many world powers, from the Danes and Swedes to Germans, and tsarist and Soviet Russia. Tallinn's Old Town is filled with medieval houses and alleyways and is still protected by the remnants of the city wall. The wealth of architecture in Tallinn means that there are many legends and stories to explore.
It's fair to say that Estonians have a certain tree-hugging spirit. More than half of the country is covered by forested land and almost a quarter is protected nature. As a result, Estonia has the 4th best air quality in the world. Naturally, with so much greenery, Estonians have a special connection to the outdoors. Estonians love their nature. That means forests, bogs, and all the creatures that live there. The country's wildlife includes lynxes, brown bears, wolves, foxes, rabbits, and deer. In the spring and autumn time, birdwatching is an extremely popular pastime attracting people from all over the world.
Estonia is the only Baltic country with a deep-rooted and extensive island culture. Although most are uninhabited, Estonian islands tend to be rural, with some holding traces of their local Viking and medieval legacy. Estonia's islands used to be populated by Estonian Swedes, many of whom left the region during WWII, leaving behind a wealth of culture that's visible to this day.
Today, many Estonian islands have their own unique coastal cultures, with traditional singing, dancing, food, and dress. Of course, no matter which island you're on, you'll be sure to enjoy plenty of fish and seafood dishes.
Estonian Song and Dance Celebration is the local signature event and a reason why Estonia is often referred to as the "singing nation". This mesmerising event is unique to Estonia has even earned the song and dance celebration a place at UNESCO's prestigious list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Alongside traditional choral music, Estonian hosts loads of music festivals from nearly every genre. It's safe to say that Estonian music plays a huge role in the country's culture. In fact, music and singing actually started Estonia's movement to regain independence.
Source: Visit Estonia
Latvia
Latvia may be small, but its pristine Baltic sea coastline and traditions tend to surpass even more iconic destinations of Europe. it is a great destination for travellers who want to explore away from the Europe's larger and busier regions in search of lesser-known beauty and historical charm.
When asked what they love about their country the most, Latvians will proudly and loudly say: "Nature, of course!” Nature is what binds Latvian people to their land and culture, with its deep roots in ancient celebratory traditions. One of the last corners of Europe to join Christendom, Latvians are still very much pagans at heart. They worship nature by jumping over bonfires at Midsummer Eve, and many surnames are about birds, animals or trees.
You don’t need to go to a health food store in Latvia to find organic food, because locals find fantastic ingredients on their own. From birch sap juice in spring to berries in summer and mushrooms in autumn, Latvians are a nation of foragers.
Singing is another local tradition that tends to unite the typically introverted Latvian people both at home and abroad. The Latvian Song and Dance Festival takes place every five years and is an official part of the UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It gathers around 50 000 choral singers, folk dancers and tens of thousands of viewers in the audience.
Though the Latvian countryside provides a wealth of sandy beaches, lush forests and open-air activities like foraging, or skiing during the wintertime, there’s plenty to talk about in town, too. Latvian cities, especially Riga, offer plenty of options for those who enjoy slow walks through the city streets, lively cultural scenes, fantastic cuisine, iconic art-nouveau architecture and Medieval buildings in Old Riga.
Source: Visit Latvia
Lithuania
A mere 200 kilometres of the Baltic Sea separate Lithuania and Sweden, a distance that can be covered by ferries, yachts or even windsurfers. And it doesn’t matter that it’s cold more often than it’s warm; we can’t imagine Lithuania without the Baltic Sea.
The sea is beautiful but rough, with the coastline often suffering from western and northern winds, and the waves of the sea huge and sometimes dangerous. But when the sea is calm, it has a breathtaking beauty, and the purple sunsets there resemble picture postcards inscribed with wishes for peace and quiet.
History has it that the ancient Romans would come as far as the Baltic Sea coasts to purchase amber during the early years of the era of the Roman Empire – a time when the sea wasn’t referred to by its current name, which only became common in the 16th century. There are many beautiful locations to visit by the Baltic Sea including the 'travelling sand dunes' said to be among the largest in Europe and the UNESCO-protected Curonian Spit National Park.
Vilnius, the capital city has always been at the crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures. The city’s historical buildings are charming for their differing styles, featuring elements of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classicism. Narrow streets in the Old Town and spacious, open squares provide evidence that Vilnius was never inclined to shake off the influence of alien cultures. Indeed, quite the opposite – it always showed them respect and readily used them for the city’s embellishment. Today, as well as other Baltic capitals, Vilnius is a modern, homely and welcoming city full of culture and creation. It is a place where you can see talking statues, hear music being played, smell good food and have adventures.
Lithuania is a great destination for nature lovers and birdwatchers! There are crystal clear lakes, mysterious swamps, and centuries-old forests to explore. Situated along the Eastern Baltic Flyway, Lithuania receives flocks of migratory birds in spring and autumn. Blessed with a mild climate and a compact size that lets one traverse the country in its entirety, Lithuania attracts birdwatching enthusiasts from around the world during both major migratory seasons.
Lithuania has several UNESCO listed cultural and natural heritage sites. You can explore wild grasslands and forests and the wind-blown dunes of the Curonian Spit. Experience Lithuania’s pagan roots in Kernavė or visit the Struvė Geodesic Arc, the most accurately measured and longest meridian arc. Visit the towns of Vilnius and Kaunas and experience Lithuania's living traditions by listening to Lithuanian polyphonic songs – sutartinės - or attending the Song and Dance Celebration.
Source: Visit Lithuania
