Latvia

Latvia is the central Baltic nation, and is the shortest from top to bottom. It is often assumed to sit in the middle of the other two in terms of stereotypes – Estonia and Lithuania form the extremes. One thing to note is the high Russian population – around 47% of the population are ethnically Russian, and indeed they form a majority in the two biggest cities: Riga and Daugavapils. Most of this is the result of the massive population displacements the nation suffered under Soviet rule (visit Riga’s moving occupation museum for a better understanding). As a result, Latvia itself is very exacting with citizenship, and language and history tests have to be passed before it is granted. This has all led to a lot of anti-Russian racism, a backlash of sorts, and a fair bit of tension: you are very unlikely to experience this (unless you are close to Latvians or Russians, or speak either language).

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Riga

Riga is my favourite of the Baltic capitals as it is just a functional big city with a very pretty centre. By that, I mean it doesn’t care if you are a tourist or not, it just gets on with being what it is, with or without you (this is hard to explain, but I like it!).

The action is pretty much centred around the old town, known as Vecriga. Full of narrow, cobbled lanes and red brick churches and buildings, Riga has maintained many links with it’s Hanseatic past. The city celebrated it’s 800th anniversary in 2001, and was European Capital of Culture to celebrate. There are many sights to see, some of which I’ve listed below, and a good way to get your bearing is to take the minibus tour of the city from in front of the Rifleman’s statue (most hotels and the tourist office in the House of the Blackheads has info on this).

The Hotel Konventa Seta is very highly recommended – I’ve stayed in all sorts of rooms there on my three visits (standard double, junior suite and suite). All are very spacious (obviously, they get bigger as you go up), and the cleaners are stunning. Radi un Dragi (Friends and Relatives) is also highly recommended – it’s right opposite Dickens Pub. For all mod-cons, use the Radisson SAS – just bear in mind that it’s a long way across the river!

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Riga: must see sights

• The Three Brothers - the oldest houses in the country, in an Old Town backstreet.
• House of the Blackheads – very colourfully decorated old Hanseatic Guild House
• Occupation Museum – right next door. Very, very moving.
• Soviet War Memorial – towering monument with 5 stars and angel holding palm upwards. This is on the far side of the river, but we saw this on the minibus tour.
• Freedom Monument – “Milda” is a large statue symbolising Latvian independence. Although the Soviets never dismantled her, they banned people from touching it. Has a guard of honour during the day.
• Laima Clock – In the same square as the Freedom Monument, this oblong clock is sponsored by the famous chocolate firm and is the de rigeur place for young Latvians to meet for a date
• Skyline Bar in Reval Hotel Latvija – a very designer bar on the top floor of this New Town skyscraper. Pricey, but well worth the views (as long as you don’t pay £4 a pint, like Chris did!)
• Konventa Seta – also a top hotel (see above), the Convent Yard is an interesting collection of old buildings clustered around a yard immediately behind St Peters Church
• The Dom Cathedral – a big brick building in the Dom Square, with a huge organ
• St Peter & St Paul Church – Take the lift to the top of the spire for a great view over the rooftops
• Big Christopher – a statue of boatman who saved a child and founded the city
• Zeppelin Hanger Markets – built to build zeppelins, now hosting the central markets. Not much touristy stuff, but still a sight to behold.

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Riga: Top pubs

As well as the Skyline Bar mentioned above (which is more of a sight anyway – not one for a session!), here are a few more you may wish to consider:

• A La – Best bar in the Baltics? It’s not to everyone’s tastes, but if you can find it, it’s well worth a visit. Even if it’s just for the crisps served delicately in a basket.
• Zeppelin – Fitted out like a Zeppelin cabin, and brewing it’s own (slightly dodgy) beer, zeppelin is a pleasing place to sink a few.
• Runcis – A madcap place, full of characters, and bikes, and with big pictures of cats on the walls. This is in a wee courtyard next to the Konventa Seta.
• Alus Seta – An absolute must visit. A Latvian beer and food hall (Alus Seta translates to Beer Yard) near the Cathedral – here, you can try several types of beer and queue up for a Latvian carvery, all for next to nothing. Owned by the Lido group, who also own…
• Staburags – more a restaurant than a pub, but still well worth a visit. Try the knuckle of pork – it almost broke our table. Say hello to Alexander, the mad Russian biker tattooist, if you see him.
• Klondaika – A humble pool hall, but the scene of the Notts/NATA pre-match shenanigans before the 2000 match. When we went back on a Friday night in April 2003, the place was full of scantily clad Russian youngsters downing the cheap drinks ahead of hitting a club. A culture shock experience.
• Amsterdama – Probably the most refined drinking option in town, outside of the hotel bars. Has Spaten Bavarian pils on tap (if you like that sort of thing, which I don’t).
• Rigas Balsams Baras – very trendy bar at the Arsenal end of Vecriga. Well worth a visit for the superb range of Balsam cocktails – I had the ice cream one, and it was delicious – even in the middle of a freezing blizzard outside.
• FC Barcelona – Directly opposite the Skonto Stadium, and a wee bit out of the centre – this is handy for food and a wide range of beer if you’re in the area. Very modern, and Premiership football on the telly.
• Paddy Whelans – Riga’s most famous, and biggest, Irish pub. Okay, but you’re not in Dublin, you’re in Riga. Apparently has a posh bit upstairs, but never went to look for it.
• Dickens – English pub (with upstairs restaurant) directly opposite Paddy Whelans. Go, if you must, but with so many other choices I don’t know why you would.
• Tim McShanes – A decent choice for food, although it’s right next to the much cheaper, and much more authentic, Alus Seta. One to consider when you want familiarity.
• The Dublin – The smallest, yet friendliest, of Riga’s Irish pubs. Went there in 2000 and was plied with free vodka. Couldn’t find it again in 2003, but wasn’t really looking too hard – up near the Hotel de Rome.

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Just down the coast from Riga, and practically conjoined to the Riga metropolis, is the gorgeous resort of Jurmala, home to many a retired Soviet colonel. Jurmala is actually a string of several towns joined together along the beach – Majori seems to be where it’s mostly at, and has a Disney-esque main street lined with brightly coloured houses. Head down to the wide golden sandy beach, where there are plenty of facilities, including an amusement park, several bars on the sand itself and changing facilities.

Local trains leave regularly from Riga’s main station (just to the south-east of Vecriga) – these are the biggest trains you will ever see! Get off at Majori, where you too can experience the worst Gents toilet I have ever seen – if it hadn’t been for the gnarled old woman charging 15p a go I would have been back in with a camera just to prove it to you!

We went on a warm (for the Baltics) September day – you may want to give it a miss if you’re there in February!

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Lithuania is the least Westernised of the Baltic states (although there are real signs of change), and shares many bonds with neighbouring Poland– not least of which a strong Catholic faith. Sometimes called the “Italians of the Baltics”, the locals have a reputation for being passionate and hot-headed – something I would have to agree with!

The local beer available in abundance is Utenos, although there are other brands. The beer is decent enough – a pils taste, although slightly heavier to digest. If you get the chance in either Vilnius or Kaunas to try Avilys – don’t miss it! The normal stuff is top notch, the Ginseng Beer a bit too stoutish, but the Honey Beer is one of the best beers I have ever tasted.

The local spirit is mead – “midus” – and comes in a range of potencies, from a respectable 12% to a mindblowing 75% (Absinthe generally clocks in at 70%!). The first time I tried mead was in 1998 – I had just under a fiver worth of Litas left at the airport, so bought a small earthenware Grolsch-style bottle at the airport (green label = 12%, blue = 25%, red = 50% - I chose red). I have never, ever known anything to get 4 grown men drunk so quickly (i.e. just a single shot, after a few beers). The second time I tried mead was in April 2003 – a gift from a drunken, aged skinhead, it was brought to me alight on a silver platter with a bicycle bell (which the waitress was ringing). I managed half the double-shot before the straw melted, and my night came to an abrupt end shortly after.

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Vilnius is just as unique as the other Baltic capitals, and can also boast the largest medieval Old Town in Europe – this led to some early claims of it being “the New Prague” (I first heard them in 1998 on my first visit). By 2005, the tourist infrastructure was certainly improved, even from 2 years previous.

The Old Town is very spread out, and is bestowed with wide streets and low buildings – all of this allows a lot of sunlight to hit the brightly painted buildings, making this a much more colourful city than most. The Old Town centres on two elongated Squares (yes, I know they make rectangles) – Didzioji and Vokieciu, joined together to form an “L”, however the most magnificent of the sights is the Cathedral. Standing at the eastern end of Gedimino Prosp, the massive white building stands in it’s own square, and has an unusual stand-alone bell tower around 50 metres away. Legend has it that there is a lucky slab somewhere between the tower and the cathedral’s front door.

Immediately behind the Cathedral is Gedaminas Hill, topped by a small fort – climb up here and pay the admission fee for a great view over the old city and of Three Crosses hill.in the other direction. Just down from here is Uzupio, an area with a bohemian reputation but I’ve never been myself. The back-streets between the old town and Uzupio are very atmospheric and well worth exploring.

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Vilnius: must see sights

As well as Gediminas Hill and the Cathedral (above), other sights include

• Gates of Dawn – beautiful gate and church on a slight hill at the southern end of Ausros Vartu, off Didzolji.
• Cathedral Square and Cathedral – stunning, stark white architecture.
• KGB Museum – not as great as everyone made it out to be (I prefer Riga’s Occupation Museum), but still well worth a visit – it’s along Gedimino Prosp opposite Lukiskes.
• Frank Zappa statue – the only one in the world, apparently. But its still just a statue. You’ll find it just off Pylimo on K. Kalinausko.
• Zalgiris Stadium – North of the Neris from the Old Town (take the Zaliasis Bridge and see the remaining Communist statues), the stadium is a small communist bowl with limited cover. There’s not much to get out there for, and certainly no club shop or such – if you do make the trek, be sure to try the Antalia Bar (below).

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Vilnius: Top pubs

• The PUB – the quintessential Vilnius boozer, loved by most of the visiting Tartan Army, yet hated by me for some of the worst beer in the country! Features: a cosy bar up front, an even cosier bit downstairs that I didn’t get to visit, a barn-sized beer-hall out back and a criminal shortage of toilets. On the plus side, the pizza was lovely, and the steaks were recommended by the Milngavie Boys, but not the cheapest food you could get in Vilnius! An institution, so probably deserves a visit on the strength of that alone.
• Naktinis Vilkas – More of a club than a pub. From the Lithuania Diary: “The DJ was spinning heavy house tunes from the cockpit of a MIG jet that had crashed into the dance floor, but the quieter bar area had big velvet seats with lots of soviet imagery, and there were mannequins of Lenin and “Uncle Joe” behind the bar (and the staff were more than happy to let us climb over for photos).”
• Brodvejus (aka “Broadway”) – A complete meat-market! Down a side-street just along from the Radisson SAS, Broadway boasts a small-ish downstairs bar, a bigger and more comfortable bar, and a dance floor (with mezzanine level) that could comfortably house a small aircraft. Open until very late, but expect a small fee to get in (£1-£3).
• Avilys – this is a brew-pub with top-notch grub and far and away the best beer in town, and posh enough for the Lithuanian FA to wine and dine David Taylor here! Make sure you try the Honey Beer, or, if you’re feeling adventurous, one of the beer cocktails. This is just down from the Cathedral Square, on the right hand side as you walk away from the Cathedral. GO HERE!
• Antalia Bar, Zalgiris Stadium – a far out choice, but essential if you’re ground-hopping. The Antalia Bar is one of a couple of bars actually built into the stadium’s outside wall (at the north-west corner). Unlikely to be open for full international, but looked lived in enough to be open the rest of the time.
• Po Grin Dis, opposite Zalgiris Stadium – a functional but very friendly local, north of the river, and just over the road from the ground.
• Bix – a down-to-earth rockers bar, behind the Radisson SAS hotel in the main square. Cheap, cheerful (as rockers will allow) and best seen through a haze of alcohol. Scene of the mead and bicycle bell incident.
• Busi Trecias – a two storey pub down a dark side-street (Totoriu) off Gedimino. Downstairs was very busy, but we went upstairs to sit amongst the office parties. Another brew-pub, although think hard before ordering the cherry beer!
• The Globe Bar (Shakespeare Hotel) – a touch of class! Wooden and velvet furniture, bookcases and a genteel atmosphere – the Globe Bar is in the Shakespeare Hotel, sort of behind Cathedral Square to the south (and opposite a youth hostel). Slightly pricier than outside options, but still cheaper than you will be used to.
• Pylimo – Pylimo is a long street that runs along the western boundary of the Old Town, from the Station up to Gedaminas Prospektas. There are a number of local pub options as you head north – most notably the pub in the basement of the Aeroflot building (draw your own conclusions!), and around the corner in Pamenkalnio. Worth a look to see how the locals drink!
• Astoria Bar – in the lobby (turn right as you go in) of the Radisson SAS hotel in the heart of the old town. Posh, expensive but classy, and looks out at street level so ideal for people-watching.
• Aukštaiciai – quirky pub down a dead-end side street (Antokolskio) that does food and some more unusual beer.
• SkyBar – on the top floor of the very shiny Lietuva Hotel (re-opened a couple of years ago, and light years from the Soviet throwback we stayed at in 1998). Very glam, cocktails are a must, dahling, but everything comes at a price. Sister of the Skyline Bar in Riga.
• Prospekto PUB – the spiritual successor to the legendary Prie Parlomento is much better situated, a stones throw from the cathedral at Gedomino 2. Large and spacious, with a dance floor right in front of the bar and a dancing pole on the bar (we were in on a Sunday afternoon – no dancing going on, I’m afraid), and most crucially, pear cider on draught. Apparently very popular at weekend evenings when it becomes more of a club – I’d recommend it on what I saw.

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Kaunas is Lithuania’s second city, and is just over an hour’s drive from Vilnius (or two hours if you’re in an A-Team van with a lost Armenian driver!). The centre is pretty small, and is based on a peninsula bordered by two rivers, with the Old Town squeezed right down into the point. To be truthful, the Old Town seemed pretty quiet, although the square and cobbled streets were pleasant enough. The real action was up on the precinct, which has to be the biggest I’ve ever seen! It must stretch for at least 2 miles, right up to a stunning Kremlin-style church.

A student town, Kaunas does have several nightlife options, but we were only there for a day (with the match in the evening).

No bars stood out as particular favourites, and the service seemed pretty slow in all of them (doubtless caught off guard by a couple of thousand thirsty Scots!), although we met up with most people in the large Metropolis. Special mention to the Cowboy restaurant/bar where we had lunch (in the cobbled street leading down to the precinct) and to the Kaunas branch of Avilys (no Ginseng beer, but plenty of honey!).

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