To make it easier to select long-distance hiking routes— Baltic Forest Hiking trail and Baltic Coastal Hiking trail—shorter sections have now been divided into various interest-based themes: Dream Tour, Cultural Experience, Nature Delight, Family Pleasure, Winter Bliss, City Hikes, Cycling, Canoeing, and Easy Hike. Several sections are also adapted for wheelchair users and those with visual impairments. Both trails feature several live cameras to help assess conditions when planning a hike.
Hikes+ : a journey with added experiences
New Hikes+ sections have been created on the Baltic Forest Hiking trail and Baltic Coastal Hiking trail pages at Baltictrails.eu:
In these sections, you can find the most suitable stage for your interests by searching by stage name, theme, country (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia), or trail name (Baltic Forest Hiking trail, Baltic Coastal Hiking trail).
Themed Routes
Dream Tour
These routes showcase the most beautiful landscapes and unique natural values.
Example (Baltic Coastal Hiking trail): Saunags – Kolka (Latvia)
This section takes you along a sandy beach, ending at Kolka Cape, where the Baltic Sea meets the Gulf of Riga.
Cultural Experience
Routes that allow you to explore cultural heritage—castles, manors, parks, traditions, and local delicacies.
Example (Baltic Forest Hiking trail): Alatskivi – Rannamõisa (Estonia)
Alatskivi is an excellent place to try traditional Peipsi dishes, including the famous onion pie. In Kallaste, you can enjoy smoked Peipsi perch, pike-perch, or whitefish.
Natural Delight
Routes for nature observation, mushroom and berry picking, and landscape photography.
Example (Baltic Coastal Hiking trail): Paldiski – Kersalu (Estonia)
The Pakri Peninsula features the most impressive cliffs and bluffs on the Baltic Trails, offering stunning views in all seasons.
Family Pleasure
Routes with easily accessible sections and activities for children.
Example (Baltic Forest Hiking trail): Caunītes – Valmiera (Latvia)
The Forest Trail runs through beautiful pine forests and includes an interactive loop trail for children near Sietiņiezis.
Winter Bliss
Routes suitable for skiing, snowshoeing, or walking in winter conditions.
Example (Baltic Coastal Hiking trail): Vecāķi – Carnikava (Latvia)
If the beach has a thick layer of snow, you can ski from Vecāķi to Carnikava promenade.
City hikes
Routes that pass through urban areas—city outskirts, parks, promenades, and historic centres.
Example (Baltic Forest Hiking trail): Vaišvydava – Kaunas (Lithuania)
This route explores Kaunas’s suburbs, micro-districts, and parks while crossing the Nemunas River.
Easy Hike
Shorter, easier sections suitable for people with mobility limitations, pushchairs, and seniors.
Example (Baltic Forest Hiking trail): Aizpute – Snēpele (Latvia)
Kazdanga Park, the largest in Latvia, features a 9 km network of marked trails with rest areas and GPX files available.
Cycling
Routes that can be traversed by bike.
Example (Baltic Coastal Hiking trail): Klaipėda – Palanga (Lithuania)
A dedicated cycling path runs along the coast from Klaipėda to Palanga.
Canoeing
Routes that can be combined with kayaking or boating.
Example (Baltic Coastal Hiking trail): Tuuru – Rohuküla (Estonia)
From Rohuküla Port, you can kayak to Vormsi Island, located 9 km away, or take a ferry to Hiiumaa, Estonia’s second-largest island.
Accessibility on Baltic Forest Hiking trail and Baltic Coastal Hiking trail
Both hiking trails are becoming increasingly accessible to everyone, including people with mobility or visual impairments.
- By using the search function in the Hikes+ section on the Baltictrails.eu website, you can find trail sections with appropriate infrastructure for wheelchairs or visually impaired hikers. These include specially designed alternative routes, beach access ramps, adapted parking lots, accessible restrooms, and walking trails with Braille information. For example, floating wheelchairs are available free of charge (by prior arrangement) in Apšuciems and Pärnu. Kuldīga offers a specialised audio guide for visually impaired hikers exploring the Forest Trail through Kuldīga’s old town and along the Venta River.
- Accommodation providers, restaurants, shops, and other service providers displaying the “Hiker-Friendly” sign can now apply for two additional certifications. One indicates accessibility for hikers with mobility or visual impairments, and the other signals child-friendly services. Travellers can recognise these providers by a special additional logo next to the “Hiker-Friendly” sign. Hiker-friendly businesses are invited to assess their compliance with simple but essential additional criteria and apply here: https://baltictrails.eu/lv/coastal/hikerfriendly/prof. The next evaluation meeting is scheduled for 21 November.
Baltic Forest Hiking trail and Baltic Coastal Hiking trail – popular hiking routes in the Baltics
Hiking activity is growing in Latvia and across the Baltics. Latvians, Estonians, Lithuanians, and visitors from Germany, Belgium, Finland, the United States, China, and Australia are all hitting the trails. Hikers bring their dogs, ride horses, share their experiences on Facebook and Instagram, and meet like-minded adventurers. The trails bring people together.
Check out the live cameras along the trails and start your journey today: https://baltictrails.eu/lv/coastal/map?9&p=CAM&lat=56.5&lng=25.1&z=7&clu=false.
More about the project:
The aim of the project “Accessible Hiking Trails” is to improve accessibility of the Baltic Hiking trails – the Coastal Hiking Trail and the Forest Trail – for different social groups by implementing accessibility and inclusive marketing solutions in the territory of both trails, in Latvia and Estonia. The project will be implemented over 3 years – from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026. The leading partner of the project is the Latvian Rural Tourism Association “Lauku Celotajs”. The total budget of the Project is 1 245 027,00 EUR, of which the ERDF Interreg VI-A Estonia – Latvia Programme contribution is 996 021,60 EUR. Kurzeme planning region total budget of the Project is 139 893,00, of which the ERDF Interreg VI-A Estonia – Latvia Programme contribution is 111 914,40.
More about the project: https://www.kurzemesregions.lv/en/projects/tourism/accessible-hiking-trails/
Project manager in Kurzeme planning region
Aija Neilande
Phone: +371 26 147 139, e-mail: aija.neilande@kurzemesregions.lv
