Latvia and Lithuania: Shadows of the past and adventures of the present to be experienced with Riga as a base is written by Jens Skovgaard Andersen in cooperation with Lauko CelotajsAll opinions are, as always, the writer's own.
The darkness of history is vividly alive in Latvia and Lithuania
A journey in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on the other side of The Baltic Sea is an educational experience for both children and adults. And at the same time, the Baltic countries are really cozy and perfect for a relaxing holiday with a short flight time – or even for a road trip from Scandinavia.
Riga is a hub for lots of flights, especially from the Nordic countries, and also Vilnius, Kaunas og Tallinn are well connected to, for example, Denmark. You can sail directly from Sweden to Latvia and Lithuania and explore the Baltics in your own car. The possibilities are many for a Baltic adventure.
Although you don't always notice it on your trip, history is very much alive in the Baltic countries. Including the dark history of Europe's violent wars. The countries by the Baltic Sea, which are so peaceful today, have truly been the center of many atrocities, and it is an obvious choice to let history be your companion on your trip.
A good place to base yourself is Latvia's cozy capital, Riga.
Riga – Europe's friendliest capital is located in Latvia
Everywhere in the squares and squares, in the parks and on the pedestrian streets, Riga exudes coziness. The cafes have sunny days, and life is lived at a leisurely pace in medieval surroundings. It is easy to fall in love with Riga.
However, beneath the surface, Riga also has a dark past, just like the rest of Baltic statesThe countries have been through wars of independence, world wars, the Cold War and wars of independence again in the past 100 years or so. And this has left its mark on the population through generations.
A good place to learn about history is The Occupation Museum right in the middle of the city. Here the story of war and occupation is told in an engaging and vivid way, and even younger children can explore a universe created especially for them.
These are powerful cases, and they are incredibly educational, even if you know the history beforehand. And fortunately, the museum is structured in a way that means you end up both uplifted and enlightened.
After the visit, you'll be ready to delve deeper into history, and you can do so with help from the organization. Military Heritage Tourism, which has some really good maps with explanations that you can download for free.
Latvia is full of exciting war history sites for you to explore. Some of them are easy to explore on your own, and others only really come to life with a local guide.
Partisans, forest brothers and Latvia's own forest tower
In the Baltic forests, history lurks behind every tree and every little hill. Latvia and Lithuania have been through countless battles in the dense forests, and you can still find underground bunkers and military installations among the pine trees. If you can find them.
The Denmark has hidden forest trolls, Latvia has lots of hidden military installations.
Especially in the forests, it is an advantage to have a local guide with you to both show the way and tell in detail about the many groups of partisans – or 'forest brothers' – who fought the invading forces during World War II and for many years after the war.
The bunkers are hard to find – that was the whole point of building them deep in the forest – so follow the map and signs carefully if you don’t have a guide. You really feel the whisper of history when you sit in the darkness of the bunker on a wooden bench underground and can almost hear the enemy stomping around among the branches and leaves a few meters away.
After a trip underground, the best medicine is to get high up in the air and regain the big picture. The best place to get up high is the observation tower on 'Machine Gun Hill' – or Ložmetējkalns in Latvian – just outside Riga.
The tower is a 27-meter wooden structure, and from the top you can see many kilometers across the landscape. The forests around the tower were the center of great bloody battles, and up in the tower you can see on a map where the fronts were.
Although the wars have left their mark on the population, the memorials are also a reminder that we now live in brighter times.
In the cemetery we are all equal
In many places in Latvia and Lithuania you will find cemeteries from the wartime. Here is a time for contemplation and reflection on life, and perhaps learn something from the past.
While some war cemeteries are specifically for soldiers from one side of a conflict, others are a mix of fallen from both sides. In death, all are equal, and Latvia has a number of interesting cemeteries where you can have an educational historical experience.
Near the town of Saldus in western Latvia you will find a cemetery for fallen soldiers in German service from World War II. The many stone crosses tell the story of young men who never grew old, and it is especially thought-provoking how many unnamed soldiers are buried here. So far, 27.000 fallen have been found.
Not far from Saldus you will find another historical cemetery. The Lestene Brothers Cemetery is the final resting place of 1300 Latvian soldiers who were drafted into German service during the occupation. It is especially overwhelming to read the names on the memorial walls and see how many with the same surnames fell in battle.
Caught in a war prison in Latvia's secret port city
Out on the Baltic coast lies the port city of Liepaja. And just north of the city itself lies something that has been a secret for decades, namely the military town of Karosta.
Karosta means 'War Port' in Latvian, and that's exactly what Karosta was; a self-sufficient war port and a completely closed area to anyone but the military. It was actually built before World War I by Russia under Tsar Alexander III and named after him, but later changed its name to the current one.
In Karosta you will find barracks, factories, a power plant, a hospital, churches and everything else that was supposed to make the 'city' independent from the outside world. Today, Karosta has become part of Liepaja, but the atmosphere is very different here.
If you really want to experience the atmosphere of Karosta for yourself, you should visit the prison. Karosta prison was intended for prisoners of war, and it was widely used, especially during the Cold War.
When you visit the prison today, you will be greeted with the same militant tone as the inmates of the past, so be ready to stand in line and do what you are told.
The real experience is spending the night in prison. Many of the cells are now converted into hotel rooms in varying conditions and with different decorations, and it is a popular place to stay overnight. If you have the nerve for it.
An overnight stay here can be booked with or without the 'show' as they call it. The show consists of the authentic experience of nightly disturbances and the feeling of being a prisoner of war in Soviet custody. Sleep well if you can. You can also book a 'regular' overnight stay if that's more your thing.
When you visit Karosta, also make your way past the Redan fortress, which tells the story of Karosta's exciting and special history as a closed area for 100 years.
Escape room and beach bunkers in Lithuania
If you drive south along the coast from Liepaja, you will come to Latvia's southern neighbor, Lithuania. Here too, the war is alive and well and ready to be explored.
On the beach north of the city of Klaipeda, abandoned, ghostly bunkers from World War II lie, bearing witness to the military shadows of the past. You and the children can climb around the bunkers and cannons and play war, but if you really want to get your imagination and the little ones going, then you should go to the escape room in an old Nazi bunker.
'Escape Bunker 1944' is located just outside Klaipėda train station. Here you and your family can try your hand at intricate puzzles and challenging tasks as you try to get out of the bunker before time runs out. Team spirit and cooperation are tested in a fun and educational way.
In Klaipeda itself you can find cozy restaurants, bars and cafes and not least life and happy days along the canal and on the waterfront. And if you want to take more military history home, take a guided tour of the minesweeper Suduvis, which is located in the middle of the city.
Suduvis is another good example of how war history is alive and tangible in the Baltics. In the command room on board, you can, for example, play the computer game Minesweeper on the old instruments. Just something for game-loving boys and girls of all ages.
The only one of its kind: Get right down into a nuclear missile silo
An hour inland from Klaipeda, near the town of Plungė, you will come to a truly unique facility. Here, the Soviet Union's nuclear missiles were stored in underground silos, ready to be fired at, for example, DenmarkThey were just waiting for the command from Moscow.
The Plokštinė missile base is the only one of its kind in Europe, and it is quite unique that you can go all the way down into the missile silo itself and almost touch the Cold War yourself. The underground facility has now been transformed into an interesting and well-decorated museum about the Cold War.
Plokštinė is definitely worth a visit, and a really good place to teach, especially older children, about a time that most adult Danes have experienced themselves.
Latvia and Lithuania are the perfect countries to visit if you want to learn more about a time when life was marked by war and harsh living conditions. And it's an obvious choice to take the kids along and let them learn in an engaging and tangible way.
At the same time, the Baltic countries are basically easy, cheap and pleasant travel destinations with lots to do and lots to experience. From cozy Riga and the ubiquitous history to the wide beaches along the Baltic Sea.
Have a nice trip through history – have a nice trip to Latvia and Lithuania.
What you must see in Latvia and Lithuania: 10 military history highlights
- Occupation Museum in Riga
- Saldus War Cemetery
- Lestene Brothers Cemetery
- Plokstine Missile Base
- Ile National Partisan bunker
- Minesweeper M52 Suduvis
- Escape Bunker 1944
- Memel Nord – bunkers and fort on the beach at Klaipeda
- Karosta Prison near Liepaja
- Machine Gun Hill – lookout tower in the forest
Did you know: Here are the 7 cities in Europe with the most hours of sunshine
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