planning on Cycling from tallin (Estonia) to Mannheim(Germany)
- Thread starter Sir_night
- Start date
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Ticktockmy
Guru
- Location
- Crawley, West Sussex
Take a look at this website, I think you will find some of what you are looking for on there.
Ticktockmy
Guru
- Location
- Crawley, West Sussex
Whoops...silly old bugger forgot the link http://www.ironcurtaintrail.eu/en/index.html
My first reaction was to say avoid Poland - followed by Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia
However- assuming that you are not going to go through the Palava of getting a visa for the Russia enclave and that you cycle fairly directly to Manheim your route will be similar to the one I took in 2009.
The topography is best described as being somewhat flat - interesting to me because it was new but it does become a bit samey - The highlights of cycling across this region was definitely the cities and I would suggest that you pick as many as possible to visit - though be warned the traffic and road conditions in places like Riga are interesting to say the least.
I would read up on the history a little bit so that you have some idea of the convoluted past and some idea of the background to the middle 20th Century events - a lot of very sad episodes that are brought home at regular intervals
The main and intermediate roads are HGV rich – minor roads are often unsurfaced – sand - and not rideable on a loaded bike – they often do not actually do anywhere and the traffic on them is fast moving – presumably to prevent them getting bogged down - and appears out of big clouds of dust
Finding camping can be a bit problematical but finding little spots to hide away for the night is not too difficult. In the main towns there are some very good supermarkets but out in the stick there is very little.
And then you get to Germany – quite a contrast – if you have not been to Berlin then it is worth a visit - and a diversion south to take in Prague would be well worth it
Despite the negatives that I have outlined above I enjoyed my toddle through the Baltics and Poland – but I doubt that I will be going back.
However- assuming that you are not going to go through the Palava of getting a visa for the Russia enclave and that you cycle fairly directly to Manheim your route will be similar to the one I took in 2009.
The topography is best described as being somewhat flat - interesting to me because it was new but it does become a bit samey - The highlights of cycling across this region was definitely the cities and I would suggest that you pick as many as possible to visit - though be warned the traffic and road conditions in places like Riga are interesting to say the least.
I would read up on the history a little bit so that you have some idea of the convoluted past and some idea of the background to the middle 20th Century events - a lot of very sad episodes that are brought home at regular intervals
The main and intermediate roads are HGV rich – minor roads are often unsurfaced – sand - and not rideable on a loaded bike – they often do not actually do anywhere and the traffic on them is fast moving – presumably to prevent them getting bogged down - and appears out of big clouds of dust
Finding camping can be a bit problematical but finding little spots to hide away for the night is not too difficult. In the main towns there are some very good supermarkets but out in the stick there is very little.
And then you get to Germany – quite a contrast – if you have not been to Berlin then it is worth a visit - and a diversion south to take in Prague would be well worth it
Despite the negatives that I have outlined above I enjoyed my toddle through the Baltics and Poland – but I doubt that I will be going back.
Bodhbh
Guru
I did a tour (my first) of the Baltics about 3yrs ago, mostly Latvia. I echo what psmiffy said about it being very flat, wooded and the sometimes long stretches of gravel off the main roads. The gravel stretches were okay with the bike I rented (700cc hybrid with front sus and 35mm tyres) but slow going.
If you want a break from flatness, there's the hilly (think Lincolnshire Wolds hilly) Gauja National Park about 30miles NE of Riga. IIRC they're jokingly called 'the Latvian Alps'. The SE of Estonia is quite hilly also, you could probably connect and do a decent inland route that way via Tartu.
Also the countryside around 50miles west of Riga is similarly quite rolling and plesant, with some sights in the area (a couple of 'outsider art' type museams, pleasant country towns, and 'worlds most northerly vineyard'). Jumala just west of Riga is good getting in/jumping off point for Riga via the train and worth seeing in itself - a gentrified seaside town by day and a bit of a party town at night. It's also on the edge of a huge bog just to the south which is a national park.
If you want a break from flatness, there's the hilly (think Lincolnshire Wolds hilly) Gauja National Park about 30miles NE of Riga. IIRC they're jokingly called 'the Latvian Alps'. The SE of Estonia is quite hilly also, you could probably connect and do a decent inland route that way via Tartu.
Also the countryside around 50miles west of Riga is similarly quite rolling and plesant, with some sights in the area (a couple of 'outsider art' type museams, pleasant country towns, and 'worlds most northerly vineyard'). Jumala just west of Riga is good getting in/jumping off point for Riga via the train and worth seeing in itself - a gentrified seaside town by day and a bit of a party town at night. It's also on the edge of a huge bog just to the south which is a national park.
