Back to Baltics: Images of a Former Soviet Dream
Filed Under: The Baltics. Reminiscent of a bargain property on the original Monopoly board; not to be confused with the powder keg Balkans; a region whose history features intermittent eras of independence and occupation; and a place whose emotional pendulum swings between the almost white nights of its brief summers and the steel wool grayness of its long winters.
Home to over seven million people and three distinct languages and cultures, the Baltic region comprises the countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Now, a virtual show of hands: who knows where the Baltics are?
A Place of Dreams
Not so long ago, the Baltic republics were the stuff of dreams for citizens of the former Soviet Union. A quote from Zhanar, a woman who grew up in the former Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, tells it best:
Today, the Baltics are open to everyone.
Our Recent Return
Our visit to the region this autumn offered us another fresh look while unleashing memories from the deep store of ten years hence. In those salad days, Audrey lived and worked in Estonia on a 27-month stint in the Peace Corps. Dan planted his first European footstep on the airport tarmac in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, and quickly acquainted himself with tales of the Singing Revolution while traveling along the Via Baltica aboard wheezing Soviet relics.
With all this in mind, we offer our visual slice – a little bit then, a little more now – of the Baltics. Enjoy our photo collections from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Estonia
The winding, cobblestone streets of Tallinn hearken back to the medieval days of the Teutonic Knights and the Hanseatic League. Tallinn’s well-preserved city wall and towers hint at the city’s persistent need to protect itself from invaders over the centuries.
Women dressed in period costumes outside old town restaurants like Olde Hansa take this medieval charm to the edge, but draw one step back. Like any city that makes good on peddling its history, the trick is to get lost and create your own story from the cobblestones and ramparts. Along the way, you’ll discover a café or gallery worth a taste; perhaps you’ll sense that Tallinn is Scandinavian in its trajectory and uniquely Baltic in its charm.
Outside the old town, you’ll find tiny wooden churches and turn-of-the century buildings competing for space with shiny glass skyscrapers. This is modern Tallinn, the birthplace of Skype and home to free wifi internet.
Explore the Estonian Countryside
Estonia is small, making it easy to sample bits of its culture across the country, even during a short visit.
Take in the laid-back, yet spirited, university town of Tartu or experience island life on Saaremaa. Luxuriate in spa treatments and mud baths in Haapsalu or take a dip in the Baltic Sea at Pärnu. For something more green, consider a hike in Lahemaa (and a dip in the Gulf of Finland) or take a taste of typical Estonian small-town life in a village like Märjamaa (where Audrey lived for two years).
More photos from Estonia.
Latvia
The dark, depressing streets we recall from our early visits to Riga have been replaced by renovated lanes lined with refurbished churches, restored medieval buildings and hip restaurants and cafes. Although some of the restorations appear a bit heavy-handed, Riga seems to have come a long way in the last decade.
Riga’s architecture serves up hints of its former glory as an important commercial center and influential Baltic seaport. If you look closely enough, you’ll find a sea of architectural styles from medieval Gothic to Art Nouveau and note architectural cues from neighbors like Copenhagen, Stockholm, Amsterdam.
And while it’s easy to get stuck in Riga’s old town center, venture out to discover the architectural melange in the surrounding neighborhoods.
More photos from Riga, Latvia.
Lithuania
During his first visit in January 1999, Dan fell in love with Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital. Even in the dead of winter, the charming dilapidation of its old town evinced a certain warmth – at the time, a perfect match for black and white photography. These days, Vilnius’ perfectly painted churches and colorful streets are suited just as well for color photography.
Regardless of what you shoot, be sure to peek into the city’s numerous courtyards, for you may just discover Vilnius’ real character in the form of an unrenovated medieval horse stable or a bust of Tony Soprano.
Explore Lithuania
Make your own postcard at the picture-perfect castle in the village of Trakai near Vilnius. Grab a bike and pedal down the Curonian Spit, checking out the sand dunes and friendly wild boars. On the shore, soak up summer beach and jazz festivals in Klaipeda, before heading back inland to get to know the mafia and the Holocaust history of Ninth Fort in Kaunas.
See more photos from Vilnius and the rest of Lithuania.
December 9th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I do! I do! I know where the Baltics are! I have very fond memories of the Baltics. I traveled to Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in the summer of 1994. That was the year I graduated from college and I was travelling with my college choir on a European tour culminating in the Tallinn International Choir competition. I remember the countryside of Latvia and our city tour guide who tried with vim to improve our pronunciation of the language. A wonderful homestay and a recording of one of my favorite pieces we performed in the cathedral mark Vilnius. And finally Tallinn. I celebrated my birthday and the choir won first place in the Chamber Choir division, first place for performace of the required piece, and the Grand Prix in the competition between all the divisional winners. To this day, one of my fondest memories.
December 9th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Very nice article – I liked how you described my town Vilnius
Wish you to come back hear ASAP
Promise a home made cepelinai made by my mother.
Keep going!
A.
December 9th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
P.S. Sorry, made a mistake – here not hear
A.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
What a fantastic post, you guys! I could print it out, stuff it in my carry-on, and take the trip of a lifetime…and you already have!
Thanks for sharing your impressions and photos of a part of the world none of my friends or family have ever visited. I now yearn for more Art Nouveau… AND a dip in the Baltic.
December 11th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
@Chip: You were in the Baltics during the early days. You’d be surprised if you saw those cities now – a lot more has changed than just layers of paint! Kudos to your choir group for winning a singing competition against Estonians (and others) – I never met an off-tune Estonian in the 2+ years I lived there! No wonder the Singing Revolution worked
@Agne: We will definitely take you up on your offer for home made cepelinai made by your mother next time we’re in Vilnius! We’ve only had the greasy, restaurant variety known affectionately as “gut bombs.” Glad you enjoyed how we described your city
@Melanie: Oh, be careful about a dip in the Baltic Sea! Even in the height of summer, it can be a steamy 60 degrees (F)!
January 25th, 2009 at 7:22 am
It is unbelievable how much info did you get from Estonia, usually RTW travellers are visiting max 2 days Tallinn Old Town and continue the same to Riga & Vilnius.
Really nice pictures (one is taken next to our house), I really hope you have time still to come back, ecpecially for our local Singing & Dancing Party called “Laulu & Tantsupidu” that we have after every 4 yeas – 1/10 of the total population is singing then.
2 years in Märjamaa;) – I was not expecting reading this from here…
January 28th, 2009 at 12:32 am
@Reigo: What a small world – that one of the photos was taken next to your house! Estonia will always be special for me because I lived there for two years and really explored the whole country – from Paldiski in the northwest to Volga in the southeast – because there were Peace Corps volunteers (rahukorpuslased) everywhere. Our visits now are divided between friends in Tartu, Tallinn, Marjamaa, and more – we barely have time to do any touristy stuff
Yes, the Song and Dance Festivals are wonderful – so colorful and full of pride. I attended the 2000 and 2004 festivals, but missed the most recent one. Next time.
July 21st, 2009 at 8:21 am
You should be in Tallinn now, we actually have a really cool ehibition about soviet times.
Looks like the country is learning how to deal with its past.
And, I agree, you can visit the country getting lost in its beauty even before starting with the tourist crap
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:10 pm
@News Estonia: I remember seeing signs for an exhibition or lecture when we were there over the summer about life under communism vs. today. It seemed like a healthy way to come to terms with the past and present.
Some of my best memories of Estonia were far, far away from any tourist stuff. It’s the people and countryside that make the country special.