Hotels, Apartments, Hostels & Accommodation in the Baltic
Nations of Northern Europe
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Baltic
States Hotels, Apartments & Hostels
including Tallinn,
Parnu, Estonia, Riga, Latvia, Liepaja, Vilnius & Kaunas in
Lithuania.
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The
Baltic States in recent times have become a major new destination
for European and British holidaymakers. Sometimes referred
to as Baltic Nations or Baltic Countries, they are three countries
in Northern Europe, all members of the European Union: Estonia,
Latvia and Lithuania.
The peoples comprising these Baltic States have together inhabited
the eastern Baltic coast for millennia and their populations
have remained stable within the approximate territorial boundaries
of the current Baltic states. While separate peoples with
their own customs and traditions, historical factors have
introduced cultural commonalities across and differences within
them. Once also referred to as "Baltic Republics"
during their dependence upon and occupation by the former
Soviet Union, but after the collapse of the USSR their struggle
for independence came to a conclusion. Their sovereignties
were restored in 1991 and the last Russian troops withdrew
from the Baltic States in August 1994. Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania have been members of the European Union and NATO
since 2004. Today the three countries are liberal democracies
and their market economies have in recent years undergone
rapid expansion, and they are fast becoming tourist destinations
for British holidaymakers, especially the cities of Tallinn,
Riga and Vilnius.
Map of
Baltic States Copyright © 2008 John Moss, Papillon Graphics.
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Tallinn
Tallinn
is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies
an area of 61½ square miles with a population of
just over 412,000. It is located on the northern coast of
the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, 50 miles
south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg.
Tallinn's Old Town is in the list of UNESCO World Heritage
Sites and it is ranked as a global city, listed among the
top 10 digital cities in the world. Tallinn is a European
Capital of Culture for 2011, along with Turku in Finland.
Tallinn's historic Old Town is market by of cobblestone
lanes, gothic spires and medieval markets. Dating from the
13th century it has colourful, gabled houses, half-hidden
courtyards and grandiose churches, all located within a
virtually original city wall.
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Parnu
Pärnu
is a city in south-western Estonia on the coast of Pärnu
Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It
is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants,
and large beaches. The city is served by Parnu Airport.
Parnu is a health resort of international stature and a
member of the European Spas Association since 2000. Many
tourists in Parnu come from nearby Finland . Most hotel
and restaurant staff speak English, Russian and some Finnish.
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Riga
Riga
is the capital and largest city of Latvia, a major industrial,
commercial, cultural and financial centre of the Baltic
region, and an important seaport, situated on the mouth
of the River Daugava. With around three-quarters of a million
inhabitants it is also the largest city of the Baltic States.
The city's historical centre has been declared a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, and it is particularly notable for
its extensive German-style Art Nouveau architecture, which
is widely considered to be unparalleled anywhere in the
world. 1991 saw the restoration of an independent Latvia
and it formally joined the United Nations as an independent
country in September of that year. In 2004 Latvia joined
both NATO and the European Union. Following this, the arrival
of low-cost airlines resulted in cheaper flights from other
European cities to Latvia and consequently it has seen a
substantial increase in tourism, such that Riga is now a
vibrant, fast-evolving modern city that has a lot to offer,:
from music festivals, concerts, folk music to busy and thriving
nightlife.
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Liepaja
Liepaja
(sometimes: "Libau"), is a city in western
Latvia on the Baltic sea, the third largest city in Latvia
after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port.
Liepaja is known throughout Latvia as "the city where
the wind is born", possibly because of the constant
sea breeze, which has resulted in the biggest wind power
plant in Latvia being constructed nearby. The city is rich
in architecture styles: wooden houses, Art Nouveau building,
Soviet-era apartments as well as possessing many lush green
parks. Major city centre tourist attractions are the many
churches, a seaside park with white sandy beaches and Karosta,
a former secret military encampment, now a major tourist
attraction.
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Kaunas
Kaunas
is the second largest city in Lithuania, and has historically
been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic,
and cultural life. It became the temporary capital of Lithuania
from 1919 to 1940. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese. The city is located at the confluence of the
two largest Lithuanian rivers, the Nemunas and the Neris,
and near the Kaunas Reservoir, the largest body of water
entirely in Lithuania. Despite its northern location, the
climate in Kaunas is relatively mild compared to other locations
in similar latitudes, mainly because of the Baltic Sea.
Because of its latitude, daylight in Kaunas extends 17 hours
in midsummer. Most visitors to Kaunas go for its sightseeing,
for, although much of Old Town remains a little shabby,
there are many renovated medieval masterpieces worth visiting.
It also has several fine examples of 1920s and 1930s functionalist
architecture, some quite unique museums, a few galleries
and other historical treats.
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Vilnius
Vilnius
is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with
a population of over half a million inhabitants. Its climate
of Vilnius is humid continental with average summertime
temperatures of 17°C (63°F). Vilnius is a cosmopolitan
city with diverse architecture, with some 65 churches. Sights
worth seeing include the
icon of The Virgin Mary, which is venerated in a chapel
at the medieval gate in the old city centret .Like most
medieval towns, Vilnius was developed around its Town Hall.
The main artery, Pilies Street, links the Royal Palace with
Town Hall. Other streets meander through the palaces of
feudal lords and landlords, churches, shops and craftsmen's
workrooms. Vilnius Old Town, the historical centre of the
city, is one of the largest in Europe and the most valuable
historic and cultural sites are concentrated here. The almost
1500 buildings in the old town have been built over several
centuries, creating a blend of many different architectural
styles and, lthough Vilnius is known as a Baroque city,
there are examples of Gothic,, Renaissance and other styles.
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