Some of the best foliage Ive seen come from the Baltic country that boasts plenty of fall exploration and comfort food.
Top reasons to visit.
- Airfare to the Baltics is deal in shoulder season of Sept-October.
- Little to no crowds or tour busses flooding the area of Sigulda
- A wide variety of trees and plants that provide a spectrum of Fall colors
- Comfort foods to warm you up
- Dry, brisk weather is just right
- Quick and easy access from Riga.
Sigulda, Latvia
Sigulda is the outdoor destination for Latvia when it comes to the Fall feelings with the trees changing and comfy temperatures for bicycling and hiking. Pair that with some of the best soul warming soups and goulashes around Europe and your setup for a relaxing time. Located about an hour East of the capital RIga, this makes for a great one or two day side quest.
The parks and area around Sigulda contain plenty of trails that lead from the village out to the Forrest and riverbanks that carve through the region. No real difficult hiking or off road biking here, mostly flat gravel paths that make for more time to enjoy the screen as you go by. You’ll want to go slow anyways, with all the pictures your going to take.
Pair the hiking and biking with some ancient castles and forts in the area to explore and use as a foreground to the foliage is the icing on the cake. Some simple wooden seesaws nearby make you feel like a kid again. Crowds? don’t worry about that. since the popularity of Latvia has not hit quite yet, you’ll have plenty of photos that don’t contain crowds of other photographers.
WHen to Go
October was the time we visited the beautiful and lesser known gems of the EU. The Baltic’s as a whole are under the radar but, are gaining traction. Temperatures are just brisk enough to make it feel like fall but warm enough to hike without layering up. Summer is a safe bet as well to enjoy the trails as well. This trip was a part of our larger tour through the Baltics.
Once you get hungry or tired from all the exploring, hop in to a local eatery to try some delicious coffees, or potato based goulash with dill to warm your soul. The local food market in Riga has some great options from local moms and grandmas serving up some legacy recipes.
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