Baltic Republics Destination

On April 29^th 2025, I began my spring Interrail trip to Northern Europe with the goal of reaching the Baltic Republics, connecting with their people, and getting to know the region, but with stops along the way to enjoy stays with Servas hosts and friends.

My first stop was Lyon, with its history of silk manufacturers, its traboule architecture (passageways between old buildings), its two converging rivers, and its privileged views from Fourvière. My Servas host was Florence, who welcomed me into her peaceful paradise of Lentilly, where we enjoyed vegetables from the market and conversations about our history and hobbies.

I continued my journey to Hanover. Anke was waiting for me in her cozy apartment, although she was also hosting her friends from Berlin who had come to celebrate Evangelischer Kirchentag (German Evangelical Church Day). The city was full of musical performances and gatherings of people from the rest of Germany.

My next stop was Warsaw. My friend Magda was waiting for me, and we went for a pleasant walk along the Vistula River in the evening. We had dinner in the university district and, on the next day, we went on a bike tour through the river's meanderings and its red pine forests near Lochow.

It was time to begin my stay in the Baltic republics with a stop in Vilnius, Lithuania, historic city with panoramic views from the top of the medieval castle remains of Gediminas' Tower, the Cathedral Bell Tower or the Hill of the Three Crosses. Skaidrius was my host, and we enjoyed our conversations in English and French and the delicious dishes we prepared together.

When I arrived in Riga, Latvia, I continued west along the coast to Jurmala, a city with vast beaches with a lot of birds and prepared for tourism. Kate and Arthur welcomed me, and we shared tasty smoked sardines with cheese and a walk through pine forests filled with blueberry plants.

My next destination was Tallin, with its impressive medieval fortress, and Hiiumaa Island, where Rita was waiting for me. We enjoyed a tour of the island's landscape and history together, as well as a festival of Estonian folk music and dance.  

I crossed by ferry to Saamaraa Island to visit it and returned to Riga for a short walk and progressed along the west coast of Latvia to Ventspils, where I took the ferry to Nynasham, near Stockholm. I traveled north to Jarvso, where Ingela and Lasse were waiting for me. Their house was surrounded by beehives and the beautiful rural landscape of this town. I enjoyed walks, meals, theater videos, and conversations with my welcoming hosts.

Vaxjo was my next destination, where my friends Eva and José were waiting for me after my visit two years earlier. It was a very emotional meeting, and I was fortunate to be able to celebrate José's 88th birthday at their home in the peaceful Swedish countryside near Aseda.

In Silkeborg, Denmark, my friend Bodil was waiting for me. She welcomed me into her new home, and we caught up on the latest events in our lives. I continued the trip to Hamburg, where I met up with my friends Wiebke and Dirk, whom I hadn't seen for two years and told them about my trip. I returned to Barcelona via Paris, happy for the good times I had with my Servas hosts and friends, which I try to capture in this story.

By: Paloma Begué,_Servas Spain