The centre of Ķemeri National Park is Ķemeri town, where the tourist information center organizes expeditions to observe the bats, and half-day nature seminars. This spa town, hidden among the trees, is already since 30th of the 20th century, known for its healing mineral and sulfur springs. The spa is important especially for the people suffering from musculoskeletal diseases.

The town of Ķemeri is a great starting point for the tours to Ķemeri National Park, especially for Dumbrāja laipa route, which is formed by a raised wooden walkway. Another wooden walkway Laipa Lielajá Kemeru tīrelī is 3 km long, leads through the Great Ķemeri Moorland, which covers the entire southern half of the park. Kanieris lake which is home to 237 kinds of birds nesting on 14 islands, would be a great tip for bird-lovers and bird-watchers.

The reason for the declaration of the national park was an effort to preserve the unique local natural and cultural-historical values. The park contains many protected plants and microorganisms, which are typical for this climatic zone. Forests in the park are divided between numerous meadows and bushes. The lagoon-type lakes are e.g. Lake Dūnieris, Kanieris, Slokas ezers and Valhuma ezers. The largest swamps are Lielais Ķemeru tīrelis and Raganu purvs. Here you can find also the oldest Latvian primeval forest. Most of the park is situated in Zemgale region, a small part in Livonia in the cities Jurmala, Jelgava, Riga and Tukums.

In Ķemeri National Park there is a number of accommodation options, including camp.

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Protected area in this region existed long before the establishment of the park, but the Soviet authorities were afraid of leading Estonians to nationalist ideas. Only after years of preparation and lobbying they have finally reached an agreement. After this, also Latvia and Lithuania in the years 1973 and 1974 declared their national parks.

In translation, the Lahemaa National Park means “Land of Bays.” At present it is one of the most popular tourist sites in Estonia, with about 300,000 tourists a year. Most of them come here in high season. But the park has a unique atmosphere also during off-season, it is then transformed into a magical and unspoilt countryside. Lahemaa National Park is a home to 838 kinds of plants and 50 species of mammals. You can meet here brown bears, American mink or lynx. In the trees there are 222 kinds of birds and in the rivers you can find salmon or trout.

Lahemaa National Park is situated at the coast of the Gulf of Finland, where several deep incisions create one bay after another. Sea coast is very rugged. National park icludes also four major peninsulas and the series of islands. About 480 km2 of the land is covered by forests, remaining 220 km2 are the waters of the Gulf of Finland.

Lahemaa National Park is a typical example of the Estonian countryside, it is mostly flat or slightly wavy to a maximum height of 115 meters above sea level. A large part of the park is occupied by marshes, moors and forests. Travelers will find fourteen lakes and several waterfalls that drop down from the rock cliffs from a height of about 60 meters. Lakes are either coastal or ice type. The park offers a lot of interesting places, however, one of the most attractive are typical stone fields, which were brought here by Scandinavian melting glaciers.

The area is very quiet and populated mainly with rural population. Apart from the natural scenery there are also many historical and cultural monuments. Near the eastern end of the park you can find a renovated castle in Palmse dating from the 13th century. In the years of 1677-1923 the entire territory belonged to the Baltic German family von der Pahlen. But the castle was later nationalized and used as a recreational facility for Estonian National Guard called Kaitseliit. The reconstruction works on the castle began after the establishment of a national park in 1971.

View Lahemaa National Park (Land of Bays) – the largest and oldest national park in Estonia in a larger map

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Aukštaitija National Park has been established in 1974, in the eastern side of the country, where are located the most attractive sceneries of the Baltic States. Aukštaitija National Park is situated at an altitude of about 150 meters and was previously created by the glacier. About 70% of the park is covered with pines, firs and deciduous forests that are home to moose, deer and boar.

Aukštaitija National Park, Lithuania by Wojsyl

As the most beautiful section of the park is considered Aukštaitija, which in Lithuanian means “highland”. Right here you can find 126 lakes, of which the deepest one is 60,5 meters deep and is located on the northern edge of the park. You can enjoy the best view of the lake from the tops of the surrounding hills, that reach a maximum height of 200 meters above sea level. One of them is Ledakalnis where you can get by following the marked path. From there you can see six or seven local lakes. One of the most beautiful lakes in Aukštaitija National Park is Baluosas lake that covers an area of 442 hectares and is entirely surrounded by woods. The lake is attractive because it surrounds seven islands, and in one of the island, the new additional lake has been created.

Aukštaitija National Park became a home to 194 kinds of birds and 60 kinds of other animals, including rare rock and sea eagles. Some parts of the national park are closed for tourists, or can be visited only with a guide. These include Trainiskis reservation with Baltys and Gruodiskes lakes or Ažvinčiai forest that is home to lots of 150-200 year-old pine trees.

Lūšiai lake in Palūšė, Lithuania by Wojsyl

The area with lakes is very popular for tourists especially those who love canoeing and camping, but also for the hikers who will find numerous marked trails here. In some areas of the park it is allowed to collect mushrooms and berries.

Aukštaitija National Park contains a hundred villages, some of which date back to the 18th century. Five of them – Šuminai, Salos II, Vaišnoriškes, Varniškés II and Strazdai were even declared as protected ethnographic centres. Ginučiai Village boasts a watermill from the 19th century, and the village Stripeikiai has a Museum of ancient bee-keeping. The park has several ancient piliakalnis (fortification mounds), such as Taurapilio on the southern shore of Lake Tauragnas.

Wooden church in Paluse, Lithuania by Wojsyl

The great attractions of the park also include wooden churches and bell tower from 1750 that you can even find on 1 LTL bills. Another interesting part of the park is the path lined with wooden statues and leads around the lake Lusiai, which is a typical example of popular folklore.

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