Europe’s alternative to the Med, with sandy beaches

Europe’s alternative to the Med, with sandy beaches

The coast in the Lahemaa National Park, Estonia (Photo: Olivia Crawley)

Käsmu is peaceful. Mazrimas explains how Estonians prefer the sandy shores of Pärnu, a two-hour drive south, to the pebbles in the north. We head south ourselves later that day, not to Pärnu, but over the border into Latvia, where the seaside resort of Jurmala – which became a health retreat in the 18th century – await on the Gulf of Riga.

Jurmala’s 33km of sandy shores are lined with Brutalist resorts, modern hotels and wooden Art Nouveau homes. Walking along a glorious peninsula separated from the mainland by a lagoon, I bask in 25°C warmth (as hot as it gets in the Baltics) on the seafront.

Cyclists weave along beachside trails and beach bars serve a steady stream of customers.

“Jurmala caters to a local, Baltic market. I bring my family here on weekends,” says Marius Mauragas, a Lithuanian tour operator who accompanies us on the trip.

Trakai Island Castle in Galve Lake (Photo Franz Marc Frei/Getty)

It’s only a 30-minute train ride from Jurmala to Riga, the Latvian Art Nouveau capital, where we spend an afternoon eating and drinking our way around one of Europe’s largest indoor markets to escape rain.

Sheltered beneath the monstrous covers of old Zeppelin hangars, Mazrimas introduces me to pickled herring and dill cucumbers. Prices are more than reasonable, with a plate of Pelmeni (Russian-style dumplings) costing just €5 (£4.25) and a litre of “craft” beer around €1-2 (85p-£1.70).

The next day we are back on the road to Gauja National Park, a 90-minute drive inland. Protecting 900 sq km of pine forests, caves and valleys along the Gauja River, the area is known as the Little Switzerland of Latvia. The highest hill in Latvia stands at just 312m, but, with long, winding river walks through untouched scenery, the park is a worthy outdoor destination.

The Hill of Crosses is a place of worship in northern Lithuania (Photo: Domin_domin/Getty)

Later, we cross the border into Lithuania, where a whistle-stop tour takes us to the extraordinary Hill of Crosses, Trakai Castle, and the Iron Age hill forts of the Kernave Unesco World Heritage Site before my Baltic journey ends in the capital of Vilnius.

Mazrimas assures me there are also excellent beaches in Lithuania (his home country), including sand dunes on the Curonian Spit. But are the Baltics really a serious alternative to the Mediterranean?

As Baltic prices shoot up, Mazrimas tells me, many locals opt for guaranteed sunshine and package holidays in Spain (although doubles at the five-star Baltic Beach Hotel and Spa in Jurmala start from a reasonable £179 per night, for example). But, if you prefer cooler temperatures, quieter beaches and Soviet relics, the Baltics are the place to be this summer.

How to get there and around

Exodus’s 11-day Discover the Baltics trip starts at £1,979pp, including flights, accommodation with breakfast, transport, activities and a tour leader, exodus.co.uk

More information

visitestonia.com

lithuania.travel

latvia.travel

Source link : https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/europe-alternative-med-baltics-sandy-beaches-tourist-crowds-3109578

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Publish date : 2024-06-14 05:00:00

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