The biggest problem is the state of roads and lack of suitable bike paths. A lot of even major roads are still in very bad shape. You'll encounter (badly mended) pot holes, crumbling asphalt and deep lane grooves - and all this can be very dangerous for cyclists on busy roads because unfortunately what you will encounter very rarely is a decent shoulder or bike path. Even on major highway you can't avoid traffic by cycling on the very right: deep lane grooves make that too dangerous. You'll be right on the traffic lane where Russian trucks will pass you with millimeters to spare. Even if there is a bike path you will usually prefer the road: most of the Baltic bike paths must have been built during Soviet times and have never been mended ever since. They are bumby, potholed - and have no lowered curbs. To make things worse a lot of even bigger roads are still dirt roads - and mostly of the worst kind. Usually you will find coarse gravel instead of dirt and because of reckless drivers they are mostly badly corrugated. You will either bump along the corrugation or get stuck in deep gravel - neither is very nice with a fully loaded bike.
There is hope so: With the financial help of the EU more and more roads are getting overhauled now and that means that usually a picture perfect bike path is built alongside. There is only one thing that Baltic road engineers have not learnt yet: to lower curbs. I have seen so many brand new bike path with almost unsurmountable curbs. Also, some new bike paths just end as abruptly as they start: More than once I ended up in front of a road barrier, dirt track or curb.
Pavement turns to gravel |
But in all fairness I also want to mention that half of the time I have been cycling on quiet country roads
through scenic landscapes that are every cyclist's dream. My personal highlights were
- the route along Lake Peipus
- the stretch from Tallinn to Hiiuma and Saarema (circling the islands) and on until Pärnu (EV 10)
Drivers in the Baltic States are usually peaceful and try to give you a wide berth. I was honked at very rarely. But as there are not many cyclists in these counters, drivers are not used to them. Cars and trucks sometimes pass you way too closely and cars racing down dirt roads at 100 km/h cover you in dust or throw gravel at you.
There was one more thing that I found a bit annoying: the lack of public water sources. In every Western country it is more or less easy to find water, for example from public water taps in cemeteries, gas stations, super markets and the like. In the Baltic States this was a huge problem: Most rural areas are not connected to the public water system or the water from the taps are not drinkable. The population gets their drinking water from wells on their property and either don't have a tap or use tap water only for washing. For a cyclist this means that you either have to buy bottled water (cheap for around 0,80 EUR per 5 litre bottle) or try to get access to one of these wells which can be difficult due to dogs and/or fences. I ended up either getting water from wells in cemeteries or buying water.
But that is enough of negative points. As I have stated earlier I have really enjoyed the Baltic States - so what makes them so interesting?
Forest managed by RMK |
Another fact that might sound trivial but came in very handy is the abundance of bus shelters. It was raining on and off a lot and usually you'll pass a convenient bus shelter in time to seek cover. And although I have used it myself only once bike transport is very easy with public transportation. I have heard from several other cyclist that they have put their bikes on trains and long-distance buses without a problem. The same is true for ferries where you only pay a small surcharge for bicycles.
Village store |
Yogurth and kohupiim |
Another positive practicality is the wide availability of free internet. Estonia is best here. Almost every little village had one spot with free wifi - usually the library or community hall. This was even signposted from the roads! Latvia had Lattelecom, which comes in a paid and a free version. To get free internet you have to watch an ad for 15 seconds and then you can surf for free. Very convenient. And even in Lithuania there was usually free wifi somewhere in town. Of course there was free internet and computer use in libraries - and on all ferries! Every single hotel, hostel and B&B had free wifi which is a standard in all Baltic countries. Actually it was easier to find free wifi than potable tap water.....
But of course you don't visit a country to eat cheap food and find free wifi. Beside all these practicalities the main draw is the countries' history and culture. Here you'll find German and Russian influences, Catholic, Protestant and Russian Orthodox churches, three proud little countries with a huge Russian minority, weird languagues that no one else speaks but kids that are fluent in English, brand new high tech telecommunication and a totally desolate road system - but most important of all: people that are incredibly proud of their country. Very often I was approached by locals who wanted to explain things to me and show me their country. I was intrigued by each countries history, culture - and their people's strong will of survival despite centuries of occupation by different nations.
Bottom line: All three Baltic States are fascinating countries, full of contrasts and definitely worth visiting for their unspoilt nature and interesting historical sights. Just don't expect picture perfect cycling conditions - you'll have to bring some sort of sense of adventure.
In the end some more practical tips:
Maps: None of the maps of the Baltic States that I could get in Germany showed which roads are paved and which are not. For obvious reasons this is important to know for cyclists - and therefore these maps are not very useful. Don't spend too much money on them - buy country maps in the Baltic States were you can get them very cheaply. Often visitor information centres give away free district maps that have this information as well.
Baltic supermarket chain |
Bike parts: As I have already described you will be on dirt roads a lot which will be bad for your bike. If you cycle here for a longer period of time, bring spare spokes and tires.
2 comments:
Hi Christine,
Thanks for the tips, very helpful - one quick question: are there many bike shops in the smaller towns to stock up on bike parts?
Thanks!
Sorry but I hardly saw any bike shops in the Baltic States and there are definitely none in the smaller towns. You can find bike shops in the capitol cities though.
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